After the women's lacrosse team downed defending NESCAC champions Williams 14-9 on Saturday, the squad knew that yesterday's game at Bates would be critical: They would either continue to build on their momentum or slump back to a .500 conference record.
Fortunately for the No. 11-ranked Jumbos, the former occurred, as they triumphed over the Bobcats in a hard-fought 11-8 victory that was close all the way through.
With the score tied 8-8 with 15:17 remaining, the turning point came as freshman attackman Gabby Horner streaked into the middle of the Bates defense and netted the goal that would give Tufts the lead for good.
Strong efforts from goalies senior tri-captain Sara Bloom and sophomore Tess Shapanka also helped the Jumbo effort. The two split the playing duties and came up with nine saves in total, including a vital stop by Bloom from a Bates free-position shot with the score 10-8 and just 1:39 remaining in the game. The save all but ended the Bobcats' hopes for a comeback, allowing the Jumbos to run out the clock.
Other standout performers included junior midfielder Casey Egan, who finished the game with five goals. In addition, the high pressure provided by the Tufts attackmen, most notably juniors Lara Kozin and Steph Perez, allowed the Jumbos to force the Bobcats into multiple turnovers in the defensive zone, which led directly to Tufts' scoring chances.
Tufts will have little time to rest on its laurels, though, as the Jumbos continue their road swing with another critical conference matchup with last-place Wesleyan on Saturday and then start a four-game homestand, which includes a vital game on April 9 against conference leaders and national No. 4 Trinity.
