This past Saturday, the most anticipated matchup in Division III women’s lacrosse took place in Middlebury, Vt. as the then undefeated No. 2 Tufts traveled to take on the No. 1 Middlebury College. Winning the last three NCAA titles, Middlebury is the only obstacle standing in the way of Tufts dominating the division with an undefeated record this season and now 64-game win streak. The last time that the Middlebury team lost was May 8, 2022 against Tufts in the NESCAC Championship.
“Going into the game, our focus was really on us. One of the biggest things we’ve emphasized this season is staying present, focusing on what we can control, and playing our style of lacrosse,” senior midfielder Ella Lesperance wrote in a message to the Daily, “We had a really focused week of preparation, and everyone showed up to practice locked in. Our coaches put together a great scout plan, and you could feel the energy carry over into game day.”
The energy was definitely palpable as both teams walked onto the field prepared to play their best game. Middlebury struck early, as attacker Hope Shue won the first draw control and scored a free position goal a minute into the game. Tufts’ graduate student midfielder Madeline Delaney won the next draw control. In the Jumbos’ first possession of the game, they had a shot clock violation, showing the formidable Panthers’ defense that lay ahead.
Shue scored another goal before Tufts was able to respond with a goal by Lesperance on the crease from a perfect feed from junior midfielder Elsa Schutt up top. Seeming to have gotten the momentum going, Tufts was able to tie the game. This time a pass from Lesperance found junior attacker Allie Zorn who expertly placed the ball around the goalie. In the remainder of the quarter, a 2-point lead was achieved by the Panthers before the Jumbos tied it back up again with goals from senior attacker Margie Carden and Delaney.
By the end of the first quarter, Tufts had two yellow cards and one green card, while Middlebury picked up one yellow card. Foreshadowing the role that discipline would play in this matchup, each team had scored one goal while in a player-up situation because of a card.
Only one quarter in, the game was panning out to be the nail-biter that everyone had planned for. “Some of the crucial aspects were capitalizing on possession and staying composed. Both teams are incredibly strong, so every ground ball and draw really mattered,” Lesperance wrote.
The battle continued into the second quarter, where Tufts won seven of the nine draw controls and showcased its notoriously fast-paced offense. Tufts saw their first lead of the game four minutes and 53 seconds into the quarter, after a free position goal by Carden. The Jumbos capitalized on their free position opportunities, as Zorn and Carden each scored an additional goal from the 8-meter, now having two and three goals respectively. However, Middlebury then went on a 4–0 run to regain the lead, ending the half at 9–7.
Unfortunately, Tufts faced a bit of a setback in the second half. After the third quarter, the Jumbos trailed 13–9 after two goals from Zorn and Delaney.
Determined to stay in the game, the Jumbos went into the fourth frame fired up and hungry to score. After another draw control by Delaney, senior attacker Kate Mastrobuono powered her way to the goal to score 38 seconds into the quarter. However, Middlebury responded less than a minute later with a goal of their own. Three minutes and two seconds into the quarter, the Panthers saw the biggest lead of the game by five.
With three minutes and 54 seconds remaining in the game, Delaney salvaged a broken play and scored, earning a hat-trick and bringing the game to within one goal at 15–14. In the next draw, Middlebury’s junior midfielder Caroline Adams won possession and extended their lead with less than three minutes remaining.
After intense back-and-forth play, with turnovers and time outs on both sides, graduate student midfielder Emma Joyce found Carden who found the back of the net, bringing the game back to within one. However, with only 25 seconds left in the game, the time was running out for Tufts. In the ensuing crucial draw, Shue grabbed the ball and was able to keep it away from the Jumbos until the final buzzer went off.
The final 16–15 score was reminiscent of the last time these rivals met in Medford, with Middlebury once again winning by one point, 14–13.
Carden led the Jumbos with a game-high of five goals. Delaney had three goals, an assist and six draw controls. Zorn also contributed three goals while Lesperance and Mastrobuono each had two goals and one assist. Senior goalkeeper Pascale de Buren had 11 saves.
In an email to the Daily, Mastrobuono wrote “We were down 5 goals in the 4th quarter, but everyone on the field and on our sidelines didn’t lose hope. While the game didn’t pan out as we had hoped, I’m confident in our ability to learn from this loss and come back stronger.”
Lesperance added, “We always say that we’re each other’s best competition, and carrying that mindset of pushing and holding each other accountable, is going to be top of mind as we get further into the spring.”
Tufts will close out their regular season with two more NESCAC matchups. Tufts will host Amherst College on Saturday while celebrating senior day before facing Bowdoin College on Bello Field.
