MIDDLEBURY, VT (May 3, 2025) -- Senior attack
Ella Lesperance eclipsed 200 points for her career Saturday with seven, and fellow senior
Margie Carden led all players with five goals as the No. 2 Tufts University women's lacrosse team doubled up No. 3 Colby College 18-9 in the semifinals of the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament on Peter Kohn Field on the campus of Middlebury College.
The Jumbos (16-1) will make their fifth appearance in the NESCAC title game Sunday at 1 p.m., where they will take on No. 5 seed Wesleyan University after the Cardinals snapped host and No. 1 Middlebury College's 67-game win streak with a 13-10 win in the other semifinal Saturday. Wesleyan is making their third appearance in the NESCAC Championships in the last five seasons.
Tufts scored the game's first goal as junior
Elsa Schutt netted her 14th of the season on a bouncing shot to give the Jumbos a quick 1-0 lead just 71 seconds into the contest. Colby (14-3) responded less than a minute alter, but the Jumbos would net three consecutive goals including the 100th of the career from
Caroline Conaghan to make it 4-1 with 10:55 left in the opening frame.
Colby pulled back to within two at 5-3, but Carden's second of the frame with just three seconds left on a diving bouncer made it 6-3 after the opening 15 minutes. Carden's late score would start a six-goal run for the Jumbos, as Lesperance set up four straight during the spurt including a behind-the-back goal from junior
Allie Zorn to make it 11-3 with 8:22 to play in the first half.
The Mules wouldn't go away, chopping away at the Jumbos' lead with three of the last four goals in the half to make it 12-6 going to the intermission.
The goal pace would slow in third quarter with just three scores, as Conaghan's 28th of the season was the lone tally for the Jumbos as Colby pulled to within five at 13-8 going to the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter would be controlled by the Jumbos though, as Schutt and Carden both scored from on free-position shots in the first two minutes to give Tufts a 15-8 lead. Sophomore
Grace Hammond gave Tufts an eight-goal lead with 6:08 to play with her 11th of the season, while late goals from Lesperance and Schutt sealed the semifinal victory. For the Jumbos, they are now 4-4 in the NESCAC semifinals all-time.
Lesperance kept her strong play of late going as she has 13 points in the NESCAC Tournament thus far, while Carden needed just seven shots on goal to net her five goals.
Schutt's three goals were a season-high, while her four points also were the most of her junior campaign, and
Madeline Delaney led all Jumbos with eight draw controls as well as scoring twice and setting up another score. Zorn finished with two goals and an assist as well.
Senior
Pascale de Buren stopped seven shots for the Jumbos Saturday, and
Kathryn Fernandopulle tallied a strong game with three caused turnovers, three ground balls and two draw controls.
Emma Joyce also recorded three caused turnovers, and
Schuyler Lloyd finished with a pair of grounders and caused turnovers.
Genna Gibbons picked up three ground balls and two draw wins as well.
Tufts outshot the Mules 40-27 for the game, while causing 20 turnovers by Colby on the day. The Jumbos ability to make clearing difficult on Colby was apparent, as the Mules went just 12-for-17 as compared to 20-for-21 for the Jumbos. Tufts was 4-for-6 from the eight-meter hash, as Colby was just 0-for-3.
Julia Jardina scored three goals, and Kins Helmer recorded two goals in the loss.. Jillian Kane made 13 stops as well, while Ainsley Dion picked up nine draw controls.
The Jumbos and Cardinals will face-off at 1 p.m. at Peter Kohn Field on the campus of Middlebury College Sunday. Tufts defeated Wesleyan 15-4 earlier this season on April 5 in Medford.
--JUMBOS--
