No. 4 Tufts faced top NESCAC opponent No. 10 Middlebury in an away game on Saturday. The top 10 matchup proved to be a difficult test for the Jumbos, ending scoreless.
“We knew that this was going to be a tough game, as it was against another highly ranked team. Our energy was very high as a team after our Amherst loss and we were very united and supportive of each other,” senior forward Elsi Aires wrote in a message to the Daily.
Tufts came out aggressively with back-to-back attempts in the first minute. Middlebury, however, easily dealt with both shots and transitioned down the pitch.
Still, it didn’t take long for the Jumbos to gain momentum. They linked passes up the field but couldn’t find quality final passes. After regaining possession, they went over the top. Aires took a shot from distance, forcing a Middlebury save in the eighth minute.
A loose ball gave Middlebury their first good chance in the ninth minute. Sophomore defender Phoebe Marsick blocked the long-range effort, keeping the game level. A short pass just a minute later gave Middlebury another chance, but junior defender Maggie Rogers got to the ball before Middlebury could get a quality shot.
Link-up play gave Tufts a corner in the 14th minute. Aires’ shot from outside the box took a deflection, but the Jumbos got another chance with an open look for Rogers, whose shot went wide.
Another loose ball in the box in the 23rd minute looked to be a good opportunity for the Panthers, but Marsick was able to handle it. Shortly after, a deflected pass in the Jumbos’ half gave the Panthers another look. They had a promising cross in, but the Jumbos cleared.
Tufts created a promising chance of their own in the 25th minute. The Jumbos strung together passes, switching the ball back-and-forth on the pitch. Their cross in, however, was cut out by the Panthers. They got another opportunity immediately when senior defender Anna Griffin won the ball back in midfield. She went long to Aires, whose shot from distance went wide.
The Jumbos had a couple more good looks with 15 minutes left. The Jumbos linked passes down the left side and delivered a quality cross in the 30th minute. However, no Jumbo could get on the end and the ball went out for a goal kick. Immediately, they attacked down the left side again, sending the ball toward goal for Aires. Panthers goalkeeper Livia Davidson came out to prevent the shot.
Tufts kept up the pressure after halftime. Sophomore midfielder Maren Jones took a shot from midfield, the Jumbos won three corners and junior forward Waverly Sumner had one more shot from distance on frame in the final minutes. Davidson saved and the first half ended scoreless.
Despite the even score, Tufts had the advantage in the first half, with 10 shots to Middlebury’s two and six corners to Middlebury’s one. “Defensively, we had great communication and awareness of their players. We didn’t give them many chances, which is what we strive to continue to do each game,” Aires wrote.
The Jumbos struggled with loose passes, however, giving the Panthers some opportunities and costing them shots of their own. “We are looking to improve on our ability to take care of the ball and maintain possession for as long as we can,” Aires wrote.
The beginning of the second half was dominated by Middlebury. They pushed into the final third in the 53rd minute and neither team controlled the ball. Middlebury defender Kacy Walker was left open but shot well wide from distance. Soon after, the Panthers connected passes to get an open look but were offside.
The errant passes continued for the Jumbos, giving Panthers midfielder Chloe Swindle an open look in the 62nd minute. Junior goalkeeper Gigi Edwards came up big with a diving save to keep it level. The Panthers immediately got two more chances by quickly winning possession back and finding open space, but the Panthers were unable to put the ball in the back of the net.
Griffin gave the Jumbos their first promising chance of the half in the 64th minute, intercepting a Panther pass and taking the ball all the way up the pitch. Middlebury’s defence blocked the shot.
In the 69th minute, the Panthers’ pressure forced the Jumbos back. Another loose pass gave Panthers midfielder Taya McClennon a chance, but her shot didn’t have the pace to get past Edwards.
In the final 20 minutes, the Jumbos’ offense found its rhythm. Griffin drew a foul in the final third in the 72nd minute and senior defender Lena Sugrue sent in a dangerous ball. Soon after, the Jumbos strung together passes up the length of the pitch. Aires’ shot was blocked, but the ball fell to junior midfielder Emily Nicholas, who forced the Panther save. A loose Panthers’ pass fell to Aires who shot it just wide, and first-year forward Jordyn Miller took a shot from distance that Davidson saved.
With five minutes remaining, Tufts pushed hard to break the deadlock. Miller won a corner, Sumner shot from way out and Sugrue took a long free kick. The Jumbos, however, struggled to create quality chances.
The Panthers responded with a quick shot from outside the box in the 89th minute. Edwards dove to tip the ball out for a Panthers corner. Middlebury couldn’t take advantage, sending the corner-kick out of play.
The Jumbos scrambled to get one last opportunity but couldn’t get past the Panthers’ back line. The game ended 0–0.
Despite dropping points, Tufts remains at the top of the NESCAC with a 6–1–2 conference record and one conference game remaining.
“We plan on continuing our one game at a time mentality and focusing on the first opponent ahead of us. Overall, I am very proud of our team’s success this year and am very excited to see what we can do with such a talented group!” Aires wrote.
