Jumbos drop two of three over spring break after hot start

The No. 11 women's lacrosse team headed into spring break with a 4-0 record, but the Jumbos fell to 5-2 following their three-game stint over the past week and a half.

On Saturday, Tufts traveled to Hartford, Conn. to take on 6-1 Trinity. The conference-rival Bantams -- No. 2 in the country -- have been having a stellar year, and their convincing 18-4 victory over the Jumbos proved that they are among the top teams in the NESCAC and the nation.

Trinity senior attacker Renee Olsen opened up the game’s scoring just 40 seconds after the opening face-off as she beat Tufts senior goalie Rachel Gallimore. While Jumbos' junior tri-captain Caroline Ross was able to find twine 65 seconds later, the Bantams then went on a five-goal scoring barrage during the following 10 minutes of play.

The Tufts squad remained persistent as junior midfielder Brigid Bowser and Ross each found the back of the net to decrease the deficit to three. The Trinity offense, however, was firing on all cylinders and notched five more goals to finish the half with an 11-3 lead.

The Bantams' senior attacker Molly Cox had a superb first-half hat trick, and sophomore attacker Clare Lyne added four total points in the opening 30 minutes of play.

Trinity went on to outscore Tufts 7-1 in the second half as the former’s goalies, first-year Zoe Ferguson and junior Emily Mooney, combined for an impressive 13 saves on 17 shots.

Tufts notched its sole win of the break over the now 1-4 Buffalo State Bengals. The Jumbos' offense was nothing short of spectacular on March 17 as the team exploded for 16 goals. Bowser and first-year Calie Nowak each finished the game with a hat trick, while Ross went one further with four goals in the win. Sophomore attacker Kate Mackin and first-year midfielder Taylor Meek each added on two goals of their own.

The Jumbos dominated the Bengals in nearly every facet of the game. They had fewer turnovers in addition to more draw controls, shots and groundballs (Ross, Mackin and junior defenseman Jaymi Cohen had four groundballs each).

“We treat every game as our biggest, most important game, whether it's a conference or non-conference game,” Cohen told the Daily in an email. “While we respect every opponent we play, we really try and stay focused on who we are as a team."

Buffalo State junior attacker Sarah Lorusso and first-year attacker Alanna Herne starred for the losing team. The former had a hat trick and led the team in draw controls, while the latter notched four points and three groundballs.

Tufts opened up the break with its first loss of the season to the now 8-1 Colby Mules. The Jumbos were playing in front of their home crowd and had a 5-4 lead entering the half, but the Mules' senior tri-captain goalie Claire Dickson had an exceptional final 30 minutes and finished the game with nine saves on 11 shots.

Ross, Bowser and senior tri-captain attacker Kali DiGate each found the back of the net in the first five minutes, but No. 3 Colby slowly began to storm back. Junior attacker Dana Swaffield opened up the scoring for the Mules during the 10th minute of the first period. DiGate quickly added her second goal off of a free position shot just over two minutes later.

The scoring continued over the next 10 minutes, but then Dickson and Colby’s elite defensive unit began to take over the game.The Mules were able to keep the Jumbos from scoring their sixth goal for a whopping 35 minutes, and by the time the home team scored, it was down 10-6 with just four minutes left in regulation.

“We need to continue to work together and connect on the field and just continue to improve as a team every day,” Cohen said.

Despite falling to 5-2 on the season, Tufts will play seven of its next eight games against conference opponents. While the two losses definitely hurt the Jumbos, the month of April will be the true test of whether this team belongs among the NESCAC’s elite.

“Our team definitely has the ability to beat any team in our conference, and we will,” Cohen said. “This season is just getting started and we are ready and prepared for anything starting with Bates this Wednesday.”