BRUNSWICK, MAINE (April 22, 2026) -- The No. 2 Tufts University women's lacrosse team outscored host Bowdoin College 5-0 in the third quarter, rallying to earn a hard-fought 14-11 Wednesday evening in the regular season finale for both teams from Ryan Field.
With the win, coupled with an Amherst College loss on Wednesday, Tufts (13-2, 8-2 NESCAC) will now be the No. 2 seed in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament starting Saturday. The Jumbos will host Colby College at noon on Bello Field in the quarterfinal round.
Tufts scored the opening two goals of the game on Wednesday, but the host Polar Bears responded with a three-goal run over the next seven minutes to take a 3-2 lead. Sophomore
Anna Mollahan scored at the 13:05 mark of the second quarter to deadlock the game at three, but Bowdoin netted three of the next four goals including a woman-up goal at 1:38 of the frame to make it 6-4. Tufts junior
Schuyler Lloyd scored an important goal just before the half to make it 6-5 Bowdoin going to the locker room.
After halftime Tufts maintained that momentum as Lloyd continued the run with five unanswered goals in the third quarter to make it 10-6 after 45 minutes. First-year
Eleanor Helm scored the seventh straight goal for Tufts 42 seconds into the fourth quarter to make it 11-6, before Bowdoin finally snapped the stretch for Tufts with a score with 13:27 to go to make it 11-7.
Tufts responded with three straight, including two from Helm to take a 14-7 lead before holding off a late push from the Polar Bears.
Lloyd and Helm each had six points for the Jumbos, as Helm tallied six goals and an assist in the victory. Her 37 goals in a first-year campaign is the most for a Tufts player since
Margie Carden netted 69 back in 2022. Lloyd added four goals and two assists in the win.
Senior
Allie Zorn stepped up with two goals and two assists, and junior
Sophia Claps set up a career-high three scores. Senior
Elsa Schutt posted a goal, assist, two caused turnovers and a draw control, while
Grace Hammond and
Anna Mollahan each netted a goal apiece as well in the win.
Senior
Kate Deehan was strong defensively with four caused turnovers and a draw control, and junior
Emily Leschin added two ground balls. Sophomore
Devon Chipman stopped seven shots in net for Tufts, which outshot its hosts 34-24 for the game.
Grace Harvey had three goals and an assist along with six draw controls, while Grace Schorr also had six draw controls and three assists. Hannah Rubin added 12 saves in net for the Polar Bears (6-9, 1-9 NESCAC).
It will be the second straight season as the No. 2 seed for the Jumbos, who earned a NESCAC title a year ago with a 13-7 win over Wesleyan at Middlebury College.
--JUMBOS--
