MEDFORD, MA (May 17, 2026) -- The No. 4 Tufts University women's lacrosse team fended off a late rally from No. 20 Williams College Sunday afternoon in the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse quarterfinals, netting the final four goals of the game to clinch a berth in the NCAA Final Four with a 16-10 victory in play on Bello Field. 

The victory coupled with a win by Middlebury College will pit the two teams together in Friday in Rochester, NY at Rochester Institute of Technology's Judson Stadium in the national semifinals. Wesleyan University and Salisbury University will compete in the other semifinal Friday. It will be Tufts fifth NCAA Final Four appearance since 2019, as the Jumbos will be in search of their first national title in program history. 

The Jumbos and Ephs played a competitive first quarter as the Jumbos pulled ahead at 3-2 on a Sophia Claps score with 1:08 left in the period to break a 2-2 game. That score would be the catalyst for a 5-0 run in the second quarter, as Tufts took a 7-2 lead after an Allie Zorn tally at 11:34. Williams would stay within striking distance though, scoring the final two goals of the first half to make it 9-6 at halftime. 

Tufts came out fast in the second half with back-to-back goals from Elsa Schutt and Eleanor Helm, but Williams netted four of the next five goals to put to within two at 12-10 with 7:48 to go in regulation. Minutes later, Helm scored with the extra man, giving the Jumbos some cushion and goals from Schuyler Lloyd, Anna Mollahan and Grace Hammond put the game away for Tufts. 

Helm had a monster game for the Jumbos as the first-year went for a career-high 11 points with five goals and six assists. The 11 points is the most in a game by a Jumbo player this season and tied the school record for points in a contest, and is the most in a game for a Tufts' player since Emily Johnson had 11 against Buffalo State on March 24, 2010. The six assists tied for the second-most in a game and were the most in a contest since Chrissie Attura and her six against Babson March 17, 2009. 

That wasn't it for Helm, as the first-year also broke the single-season points record on Sunday with her 97, surpassing Ella Lesperance and her 92 back in 2024. Her 48 assists is currently second in a season ever at Tufts, tied with Lesperance and her 48 in 2024. Helm also had three caused turnovers and two ground balls.

Zorn tallied five points as well on two goals and three assists, while Lloyd was strong with two goals and two assists. Mollahan contributed a career-high four goals, and Claps had a goal and four draw controls. Schutt added seven draw controls and a goal, and Annie Aspesi recorded a career-high five ground balls. 

Tufts outshot Williams in the game 35-21, including a big 25-12 edge in shots on goal. Tufts won the ground ball battle 20-15, along with a slight 15-13 edge in draw controls. 

Franny Donohue recorded three goals to lead the way for Williams (12-8), while Charlotte Cote stopped nine shots in goal for the Ephs. 

2026 marks the second straight season Tufts has made the NCAA semifinals, as Tufts reached this point in 2025, 2022, 2021 and 2019. In each of the last three trips, Tufts has ended up playing in the NCAA title game.