The phrase ‘better late than never’ is often used and usually rings true. Still, those four words don’t account for the rollercoaster of emotions that completing a task before ‘never’ brings. The Tufts women’s soccer team experienced this rollercoaster twice this past weekend, as they scored a late goal to beat Colby and a late equalizer that yielded a penalty shootout win over Williams to claim the 2025 NESCAC crown.
As the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC, the Jumbos hosted the conference’s tournament. Colby, whom Tufts had toppled 2–0 earlier in the season, represented their semifinal matchup.
“Our mindset going into the weekend was to entirely focus on our first game against Colby. It becomes difficult heading into potential double header weekends … but our team did a phenomenal job of staying focused on ourselves,” senior forward Elsi Aires wrote in a message to the Daily.
Against the Mules, the Jumbos came out flying. Aires stole the ball before finding junior forward Waverly Sumner. Sumner slotted home after a stunning solo move, giving the Jumbos the lead after 10 minutes. Eight minutes later, junior midfielder Reese Birch poked in senior defender Lena Sugrue’s rebound after Sugrue’s corner kick hit the post. Within 20 minutes, the Jumbos had cruised to a 2–0 advantage.
However, forwards Abigail Jarvi and Ella Caraluzzi helped the Mules knot the game at two by two minutes after halftime. Undeterred, the Jumbos broke through with under 15 minutes remaining. Just after the 77-minute mark, Birch won the ball and found sophomore midfielder Maren Jones, who fired a cross-net shot past the Colby goalkeeper to give Tufts the lead.
“I was absolutely thrilled and filled immediately with joy,” Aires remarked on Jones’ winning goal. “I am always amazed by her composure in the final third and am so proud of her hard work this season.”
Junior goalkeeper Gigi Edwards saved a last-ditch Colby effort, ensuring that Tufts held their lead. When the final whistle blew, despite a close win, the Jumbos were heading to their first NESCAC final since 2017.
The final pitted the Jumbos against the Ephs, whom they had beaten 2–1 at home in September.
The opening minutes were evenly matched. Both teams registered plenty of shots, with Edwards and Ephs goalkeeper Margaret Huelin making two and three saves, respectively, in the opening 20 minutes. After the 20-minute mark, the Ephs found an opening. Forward Elizabeth Stophel chipped over Edwards unassisted from a difficult angle, giving the Ephs a 1–0 advantage.
Despite trailing, the Jumbos kept pounding the net before halftime. They gained three corner kicks, compared to the Ephs’ zero, as the game took on a more physical character, with five fouls committed before the half.
The Jumbos continued on the front foot as the game continued. In the first 40 minutes of the second half, they outshot the Ephs 14–4, with Huelin making five crucial saves. Eventually, just past the 85th minute, the Jumbos won a corner. Senior defender Anna Griffin sent the ball into the box, where sophomore forward Audrey Cromett chested it down. Cromett’s redirection found Birch, who punched the ball in under the crossbar and tied the game at 1–1. Despite losing 1–0 for over an hour, the Jumbos didn’t give up and now saw a path to victory.
“In previous seasons, we would always have difficulty coming back from being down, but that’s not the case now. We continue to control what we can control, and put out our full efforts for the entirety of our games,” Aires noted.
The 1–1 tie yielded overtime, during which the Jumbos continued their pressure, registering the only two shots of the first overtime half. After both goalkeepers made critical saves in the final three minutes of the second overtime half, the whistle blew again, indicating a penalty shootout.
Senior midfielder Aoife O’Reilly, junior midfielder Emily Nicholas and Sumner tucked away their penalties, with the Ephs also scoring their first two spot kicks.
On the Ephs’ third attempt, Edwards took matters into her own hands. She made a vital diving save to deny Williams forward Maya Lloyd’s attempt, giving Tufts a 3–2 advantage in the shootout. From there, Jones and Sugrue netted their attempts, clinching the Jumbos’ first NESCAC title since 2002.
“It was an unreal experience. I was so proud and excited for our team. We have been working so hard throughout the offseason and in season. It was extremely rewarding to have all of the early rises, extra lifts, and shooting sessions pay for every single one of us,” Aires wrote.
The win also yielded the Jumbos an automatic NCAA Tournament berth. Their first round matchup, against Lesley, will take place at home on Saturday.
“The only thing on my mind and my teammates’ is our game against Lesley,” Aires wrote. “We are very excited and grateful for another beautiful game together on Bello Beach.”
Even though the Jumbos left things late, their NESCAC crown came nonetheless. And, best of all, a national title, something the program has never attained, is still within reach.
