MIDDLEBURY, VT (May 4, 2025) -- For the third time since the 2021 season, the No. 2 Tufts University women's lacrosse team was crowned as New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) champions after knocking off third-seed and No. 6 Wesleyan University 13-7 Sunday afternoon at Peter Kohn Field on the campus of Middlebury College. The title is Tufts first since 2022, and third overall in program history.
With the win, Tufts (17-1) earns the 2025 NESCAC Pool A "automatic bid" and will compete in the NCAA Tournament field starting next weekend. The Jumbos will find out where and where it will play Monday, May 5 at 10:30 a.m. on the NCAA Selection Show on NCAA.com.
The victory wasn't an easy one though for the Jumbos, who were tested by a game Wesleyan University squad that defeated previously undefeated and No. 1 Middlebury College Saturday in the NESCAC semifinals to earn a spot in the championship game.
The Jumbos stormed out in front early as
Elsa Schutt scored unassisted to get the game going just 46 seconds in, followed by a man-up tally from
Madeline Delaney off of a nice pass from junior
Allie Zorn to make it 2-0 less than two minutes into the game. Senior
Margie Carden netted her 51st of the season at the 11:25 mark on a free-position tally, and classmate
Ella Lesperance finished a pass from Carden at less than a minute later to make it 4-0.
Wesleyan would get on the board at the 9:25 mark of the first quarter on a free-position strike from Elle Priesing, but Lesperance answered right back 39 seconds later to put Tufts back up by four at 5-1. After Wesleyan stuck twice, Zorn would find the back of the net for the first time on Sunday to double up the Cardinals at 6-3 heading to the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Wesleyan crept back to within one at 6-5 but
Caroline Conaghan scored with the extra man at 9:26 to make it 7-5. Carden converted on the next possession as well for Tufts, burying a pass from Lesperance at 8:44 to put the Jumbos back up by three at 8-5. The senior saw the goals keep coming, as Carden and Lesperance hooked up once again with 6:16 to play in the first half to make it 9-5 at the break.
The third quarter was much like Saturday's for the Jumbos, as Tufts relied on its defensive unit while holding Wesleyan to just one shot on goal in the period. Tufts also forced five turnovers in the period, as Carden's fourth of the game made it 10-6 heading into the fourth.
In the final period, Carden scored from Conaghan to give the Jumbos a five-goal edge, while fourth-quarter scores fifth-year
Emma Joyce and senior
Kate Mastrobuono gave the Jumbos ample breathing room in pulling away for the title.
Carden led all scorers for the game with five goals and an assist, while Lesperance and Zorn each had four points in the victory. Conaghan added two points on a goal and assist, and Delaney chalked up five draw controls, a caused turnover and ground ball as well.
Senior
Pascale de Buren stopped three shots in the victory, becoming just the second goalkeeper in program history to lead the Jumbos to a league title. She joins Molly Laliberty, who helped Tufts win back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.
Senior
Genna Gibbons continued to be one of the best players in the nation on Sunday, posting five draw wins, three ground balls and two caused turnovers, and junior
Nicola Donlan picked up two loose balls to go with two caused turnovers.
The Jumbos finished with a 31-22 edge in shots, including allowing only seven shots on goal by the Cardinals. The Jumbos also doubled up the Cardinals in draw controls, earning a 16-8 edge in the circle. Both teams were active on the eight-meter, as the Jumbos scored on three of their 10 free-position shot attempts while Wesleyan was 2-for-5.
Priesing and Dylan Green each had two goals for the Cardinals in the loss, while Izzy Weintraub had 10 saves between the pipes for Wesleyan. The Cardinals were making their third appearance in the NESCAC title game, as Wesleyan fell to Tufts in 2021 before dropping last year's championship game to Middlebury, 11-5 in 2024.
Tufts has now won five straight games heading into the NCAA Tournament, as the Jumbos will be making their 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Tufts will also be looking to get back to the NCAA Final Four for the fourth time and first time since 2022, with the goal of the program's first national title on the line.
--JUMBOS--
