MEDFORD (August 27, 2025) – Seventeen Jumbos who were on last year's NCAA "Final Four" team are back to lead the Tufts University field hockey team into a promising new season.
Head coach
Tina Mattera's Jumbos won the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title last year and then advanced to the "Final Four" in Lexington, Virginia. After a 1-0 win over Williams College in the national semifinals, Tufts faced six-time defending NCAA champion Middlebury College – a team they had beat 2-1 during the regular-season – in the final. Tufts was edged 2-1 to finish the year with a 19-3 record.
All-American goalkeeper
Lydia Eastburn is among nine players who appeared in the Final Four and return to the team this season.
Hannah Biccard,
Claire Casey,
Eleanor Luft and
Gabby Sousa join Eastburn as Jumbos who started in the national championship game in 2024.
Camille Clarke,
Reagan Malo,
Hannah Murray,
Katarina Villa and
Ellie Wilkins all have big-game experience as well after playing for Tufts at the Final Four.
The Jumbo coaches led by Mattera and including assistants
Megan Caveny,
Katie Weber and
Troy Zirbel were the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) DIII National Staff of the Year last season. The staff returns intact to face the challenges of a new year.
The Jumbos took some losses to graduation, particularly on offense where All-Americans
Andrea DelGiudice and
Kylie Rosenquest and others left some big shoes to be filled. That has provided opportunities for up-and-coming players to make their mark in 2025.
"Everybody's good," Coach Mattera said. "Practices have been fun because the level is really high, everyone's into it."
"It's exciting, a lot of the underclassmen are fired up because this is their chance," Mattera continued. "You can tell they've done the work. They're fit and ready to go and there's a lot of enthusiasm."
Also new and exciting for the team entering the new year is the renovation of Ounjian Field. Host to the NESCAC Championship and NCAA opening rounds last year, the facility was given a makeover with a new turf field and branding along the walls inside the stadium. The Jumbos will open the 2025 season versus Wellesley College at Ounjian Field on Tuesday (Sep. 2).
Tufts is the #2 team in the recently-released NFHCA Division III Preseason Rankings. Coach Mattera and her staff believe the defense will lock down the backfield while the offense comes together as the season progresses.
Eastburn earned national recognition last year when she led Tufts to four straight wins in shoot-outs, including three in the NESCAC Tournament. Her 0.82 goals against average individually led NESCAC, and she combined that with a strong .746 save percentage. The goalkeeping depth is deep with junior
Isabel Ginns and first-year
Molly Hall behind Eastburn.
The Jumbos finished with a 0.81 goals against average overall that was 10th nationally last year. Sousa, Casey and Luft were leading contributors to that effort last season and are back to pick up where they left off. First-year
Ruby Pearson could step right in as well.
Biccard is the top returnee on offense. She scored eight goals with four assists last season (20 points) including a team-best four game-winning goals. Malo showed her potential with four goals and three assists for 11 points last year and will look for more.
Lilly Ragusa and
Riley Schmidt both scored goals last season, and Villa was an active contributor offensively.
Scarlett Carpenter is another first-year who could be counted on right away.
At midfield, Clarke played in 21 games and Wilkins 20 (with two assists) during last year's successful season. Other returnees looking to contribute more at forward and midfield are
Ainsley Allen,
Sophie Brants,
Tanya Dev, Murray and
Jordan Pittignano.
Eleanor Helm and
Kate Wahler are midfielders from the exciting class of first-years.
The Jumbos will revamp their penalty corner attack following the losses to graduation. Casey, Luft and Sousa could take on even larger roles here, and look for Brants, Villa and Ragusa to be among those earning greater corner opportunities.
As always, the Jumbos' run through the NESCAC schedule will be tough. Seven conference teams are among the NFHCA's Top 25 in the preseason poll. Tufts' schedule also includes non-conference games against #7 Babson College, #19 MIT and #25 University of Rochester.
--JUMBOS--
