Women's Soccer Stacks Four on Connecticut for Shutout Win

NEW LONDON, CONN. (September 21, 2025) - The number eight ranked Tufts University women's soccer team had a short rest after yesterday's home win against Hamilton College as they went down to New London, Connecticut to play the Camels of Connecticut College in their second New England Small College Athletic Conference match of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.

The Jumbos (6-0-0, 3-0-0 NESCAC) began the match with great rhythm and strong play in the midfield, causing the Camels (3-4-0,     0-4-0 NESCAC) to stall out in their own end. The Jumbos would record the first shot on goal of the game with senior Caroline Kelly's shot finding its way through traffic before being swallowed up by the opposing goalkeeper Maia Kafer. 

The Camels were forced into waiting for their chance to counterattack as the pressure from the Tufts midfield and high line held by the defense hemmed them into their own end. They managed to get a shot on goal of their own, forcing a routine save out of junior goalkeeper Gigi Edwards, but the lion's share of possession went the way of the visiting Jumbos.

The pressure finally yielded some results when the Jumbos won a corner kick in the 34th minute. A great delivery by sophomore Maren Jones from the flag found junior Waverly Sumner wide open in the penalty area, allowing the winger to tap the ball past Kaifer and into the net for the opening goal of the game. 

Despite taking the lead, the Jumbos kept their foot on the gas. They soon earned another corner kick, which senior Aoife O'Reilly stepped up to take. A high-arcing inswinger went over the leaping goalkeeper and found the back of the net for an unassisted goal from the corner flag. 

Carrying their 2-0 lead into halftime, the Jumbos were feeling comfortable in the lead. They still came out in the second half looking to score, and their pressure would bear fruit once more.

The 49th minute saw the visiting Jumbos create their signature chaos inside the penalty area, which allowed senior defender Lena Sugrue to poke the ball across the mouth of the goal. Junior Reese Birch was on the other end of the square pass and fired an unstoppable shot past the near post from point-blank range to give the Jumbos their third goal.

The Jumbos now commanded the game, but their hunger for goals was not quite satiated. They continued to probe the Camels' back line, and launched their attacks with precision and pace. Eventually the Jumbos earned a penalty kick after Kaifer fouled inside the area. Caroline Kelly stepped up to the spot and delivered a picture-perfect penalty into the top left corner of the goal. The fourth and final goal of the game would make the final score 4-0 at game's end.

The Jumbos won their sixth game in a row with minimal drama, earning their third shutout of the season and second NESCAC win on the weekend. The six wins marks the best start to a season in Tufts women's soccer history and the best record through six games since a 5-1-0 start in 2018. They will take the week off before they return to Bello Field to host last year's NESCAC Champion Wesleyan on Saturday at noon.