Going into this weekend at 8–2, the Jumbos were barely holding on to their ranking in the top five of Division III women’s lacrosse. Starting the season at No. 2, Tufts has dropped to No. 4 after narrow losses to Amherst College in overtime and Middlebury in an NCAA Championship rematch. Tufts bounced back from its one-goal loss to Middlebury with a dominate 17–9 victory over Williams.
This past weekend, Tufts faced Connecticut College. In the first few minutes, it seemed like it would be a close game, as both teams converted on their first possessions. After winning the opening draw, Tufts took a few moments to settle into its offense before sophomore attacker Anna Mollahan found senior attacker Allie Zorn for the first goal, 42 seconds into the game.
The Camels responded by winning the subsequent draw and scoring less than two minutes later. The tie lasted about 30 seconds before junior midfielder Schulyer Lloyd buried the ball in the back of the net, assisted by Zorn. The Jumbos added six more unanswered goals in the remainder of the quarter. Lloyd earned a hat trick after 10 minutes of play and scored a fourth before the second frame. First-year attacker Eleanor Helm, junior midfielder Grace Hammond and Mollahan also contributed to the 8–1 lead which the Jumbos held after the first 15 minutes. The draw team for the Jumbos, led by first-year defender Mia Sommer, was crucial to this run, ensuring possession stayed with Tufts.
The beginning of the second quarter brought a more even game, as possession fluctuated without either team getting many good looks at the goal. Tufts had the lone shot on goal in the first eight minutes, which was saved by Connecticut’s goalkeeper. Finally, the scoring drought ended about halfway through the quarter as Zorn scored her second goal of the day, shortly followed by Lloyd’s fifth goal of the game, both assisted by sophomore attacker Esme Coes. The Jumbos’ suffocating defense prevented the Camels from getting a shot on goal. Before halftime, Coes scored on a free-position opportunity, and Mollahan earned another to put the Jumbos ahead 12–1.
Connecticut came into the second half looking to manufacture possession to narrow Tufts’ lead, successfully winning the draw and eventually getting the ball to its attacking end. However, the Camels couldn’t escape the pressure of the Jumbos’ relentless defense, and the shot clock forced a desperate shot that was saved by junior goalkeeper Sophie Powless. The Jumbos successfully cleared the ball up the field, and junior attacker Sophia Claps drove toward the cage. Her underhand shot beat the Camels’ goalkeeper to open scoring in the second half.
Connecticut responded a few minutes later after gaining possession from a Tufts turnover, bringing the score to 13–2, and scored again minutes later. After a timeout to reset themselves, Tufts returned to form. First-year midfielders Elsa Blodgett and Marlo Stuart each scored before the final quarter to extend the lead.
Going into the fourth quarter down 15–3, the Camels continued their tenacity from the previous quarter, with senior attacker Kate Coughlin scoring their fourth goal of the game. However, this was the last goal Tufts’ defense allowed. A minute and 20 seconds later, first-year attacker Amelia Sousa rolled the crease and buried an underhand shot. Moments later, Sousa repeated the move to score again. The crease rolls continued to work for the Jumbos, with Blodgett stepping back to create space from the defender before ripping a shot past the goalkeeper to earn her second of the game. Tufts added two more goals from first-year midfielder Aynalie Charron and Stuart to make the final score 20–4.
“I think the win was great and really indicative of how deep we are,” Zorn wrote in a message to the Daily. “We had so many different scorers and contributors.”
The Jumbos used the game to showcase the depth of skill on the team with 13 different goal scorers. Moreover, Tufts demonstrated strength in the draw, winning 21 of 26 draw controls. Both goalkeepers also performed well in the cage.
“Coach always says that the biggest game of your life is the next one, so we always keep a one game at a time focus,” Zorn wrote.
After their most recent win against Bates College this Wednesday, the Jumbos now sit at 10–2 overall. Zorn leads the team with 32 goals, while Llyod and Helm have 26 and 25 goals, respectively. Helm also currently leads the team with 27 assists and was named NESCAC Women’s Lacrosse Player of the Week for her outstanding performance.
Tufts will face Wesleyan University on Saturday. Another successful week could improve Tufts’ rankings, putting it in a better position for post-season seeding as the playoffs approach in the coming weeks.
