MEDFORD, MA (October 31, 2026) – The No. 4 ranked and second-seeded Tufts University women's soccer team bested seventh-seeded Wesleyan, 4-2, in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Quarterfinal Round at home on Bello Field this afternoon.
 
The Jumbos (12-0-3, 7-0-3 NESCAC), entered the opening round of the NESCAC tournament as the only unbeaten regular season team in the conference. The Cardinals (9-7-0, came into today's contest as the second best scoring team in the conference behind Tufts.
 
Tufts applied offensive pressure early on and claimed a quick one-goal advantage in the sixth minute to put Wesleyan in a hole. Phoebe Marsick caused a turnover on the back line, dribbled with space until midfield, and sent a pretty pass down the sideline to Jordyn Miller. Miller had nothing between her and the goalkeeper, and she managed to slide a shot under the leg of Sophie Thibault for the score.
 
The Jumbos buried their second and final goal of the opening 45 minutes at the 19:52 mark to take a 2-0 lead. Waverly Sumner continued to show her long shot talents as she fired off a perfect rip from outside of the box on the right side of the field, which found its way over the netminder and into the far side of the cage for her team-leading tenth tally of the season.  Maren Jones picked up her ninth helper of the fall on the goal.
 
Entering halftime, Wesleyan and Tufts both registered five total shot attempts, while the Jumbos also led slightly in the corner kick department, three to two.
 
Maria Utz cut the Jumbo lead in half in the 50th minute with an unassisted score off of a chaotic corner kick sequence. Utz fought for the loose ball in the box and was able to beat Gigi Edwards on the right side of the goal with her right foot for her conference-leading 16th goal of the season.
 
Tufts responded quickly and lifted their lead back to two just 29 seconds after the Wesleyan goal. Sumner used her speed to dribble down the right field side and delivered a perfect low cross that found Hannah Batt for her fifth goal of 2026.
 
The Cardinals showed off their resilience and posted another score in the 55th minute to bring their deficit back down to one. From the midfield, Taylor Hill sent a long pass down the right side of the field to Harper Cohn, Cohn got past a Jumbo defender, and put a low shot off the far post and in.
 
The Jumbos pushed their lead back to two in the 79th minute to take some pressure off the defense. Gussie Robillard found the back of the net for the third time this season, with Jones picking up her second assist of the day.
 
Edwards ended the contest with four saves, all of which came in the second half, while Maile Lung, Phoebe Marsick, and Rachel Arcella each saw the full 90 minutes of action in the Quarterfinal victory.