MEDFORD, MA (April 25, 2026) -- The No. 2 ranked and second-seeded Tufts University women's lacrosse team outscored visiting Colby College 8-0 in the first quarter of Saturday's New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) quarterfinal on Bello Field, cruising to a 20-7 win to move into the semifinals next Saturday.
The Jumbos (15-2) will appear in their eighth straight NESCAC semifinals Saturday, May 2, taking on No. 3 seed Wesleyan University at 3 p.m. at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Wesleyan defeated Williams College 14-3 Saturday to earn a spot across from Tufts.
The first-quarter offensive avalanche was all the Jumbos needed to cruise to the victory on Saturday, as senior
Allie Zorn and junior
Schuyler Lloyd combined for seven of the eight goals duuring the stretch while
Anna Mollahan also netted a goal to give Tufts the big early lead.
Colby finally got on the board just 15 seconds into the second quarter, and trimmed its deficit to 9-2 at 11:32, but the Jumbos pushed the lead out to 11 at the halftime intermission on four straight goals including three from Zorn.
Tufts started the second half much like the first, as first-year
Eleanor Helm kicked off a 4-1 third frame that saw the Jumbos leading 17-3 after the second of the game for Helm at 3:05 of the third quarter. Tufts scored three more goals in the final frame, including an exclamation by sophomore
Ava Olender to cap the victory.
Zorn set a new personal best on Saturday for goals in a game with seven, eclipsing her previous personal-best output of six against Cortland back on May 12, 2024. She also moved into fifth all-time in goals at Tufts with 177 for her career, surpassing Tufts Hall of Famer Melissa Lowe and her 176 scores. With her eight points, she also moved into third in total points in a career with 262, passing Lowe (256) and Emily Games '21 (260) on the listing.
Lloyd tallied four goals, scoring on all four of her shots on goal, while Helm tallied two goals and an assist. Sophomore
Esme Coes and senior
Kate Deehan each had a goal and an assist for the Jumbos, who outshot Colby 28-21 for the game.
Sophomore
Neta Leschly finished with four draw controls and a goal, while
Grace Hammond and Olender each also tallied four draw controls. Hammond,
Sophia Claps and first-year
Sophie Haas each had two ground balls in the win.
Goalkeepers
Devon Chipman and
Sophie Powless split the shift in goal for Tufts, each making four stops in the victory.
Joselyn Silva had a team-high two scores for Colby (9-7).
Middlebury College will face-off against Trinity College in next Saturday's other semifinal, as Trinity defeated Amherst College 9-8. Middlebury topped Bates 18-6.
--JUMBOS--
