SALEM, VA (May 23, 2025) -- Senior attack
Margie Carden scored five goals and classmate
Genna Gibbons recorded 12 draw controls as the No. 1 Tufts University women's lacrosse clinched a spot in the 2025 NCAA Division III national title game with a 18-13 win over No. 6 Gettysburg College in play from Kerr Stadium Friday evening at Roanoke College.
With the victory, Tufts (21-1) advances to the NCAA title game to take on New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opponent Middlebury College Sunday at noon. Middlebury defeated Colby College 13-12 in overtime in the first game of the day.
The Jumbos came out of the gates quickly on Friday evening, netting the first five goals to take a 5-0 lead after the opening quarter. Senior
Ella Lesperance scored the game's opening goal from
Allie Zorn, and less than a minute later Carden tallied her first of the game to make it 2-0 with 8:26 to go in the first quarter.
Lesperance was back on the board at the 5:46 mark of the opening frame, followed by goals from
Elsa Schutt and Zorn to make it 5-0. Gettysburg wouldn't go away, as the Bullets (19-4) cut the Jumbos edge to three at 6-3 with 8:44 to go after a Michaela Kelly goal.
Kelly would continue to help the Gettysburg charge in the six-goal second quarter for the Bullets, as she netted another score with 25 seconds to go in the half to make it 8-6 at the break.
Gettysburg would bring it to within one at 8-7 after Julia Daly netted a score, but the Jumbos answered as Zorn set up
Madeline Delaney before scoring unassisted to push the Tufts edge up to three at 10-7 with 7:54 on the third-quarter clock.
The Bullets came right back with two straight scores, but Carden started a three-goal run that ended with two straight goals by graduate student
Emma Joyce to push Tufts' lead to 13-9 with 14:27 remaining.
Gettysburg stayed close, but a three-goal run by the Jumbos capped by another score from Schutt put the game away and clinched the win for Tufts.
Zorn posted five points on two goals and three assists, adding three ground balls and a caused turnover. Carden scored her five goals on six shots on goal, and Joyce recorded three goals and one assist. Delaney had a strong game of two goals and eight draw controls, while Lesperance posted two scores.
Senior defender
Kathryn Fernandopulle led the Jumbos with four ground balls, and
Nicola Donlan forced two Gettysburg turnovers.
Tufts posted a 39-24 edge in shots for the game, while finishing with an emphatic 23-10 lead in draw controls.
Gettysburg was led by four points from Daley on a goal and three assists, while Sophie Smith had three goals to pace the Bullets.
The Jumbos will play in the national title game for the third time in program history and second against Middlebury. Tufts fell to Salisbury in 2021 14-13 before dropping a 13-5 decision to Middlebury in 2022.
--JUMBOS--
