Last year, the women's lacrosse team ended the nationally ranked No. 7 Middlebury Panthers' 76-game NESCAC winning streak in the final conference game of the regular season. This year, the Jumbos were ranked No. 7 coming into the rematch against the No. 8 Panthers, and yet again, the Jumbos emerged victorious with a 12-7 win at Bello Field on Saturday.
Tufts struck first at the 24:09 mark, but Middlebury pulled out to an early 2-1 lead on back-to-back goals by sophomore Chase Delano. The Jumbos answered right back, however, when junior Jenna Abelli notched her second goal of the game 15 minutes in to tie the score at two apiece.
With just over 11 minutes left in the first half, the game was deadlocked 3-3, but the momentum suddenly swung in the Jumbos' favor. In a span of seven minutes, Tufts nettedfour consecutive goals when junior Emily Johnson and senior Courtney Thomas both found the back of the net twice.
"It was all about making sure to control the little things: groundballs, draws and turnovers," senior Maya Shoham said. "Our work ethic has only heightened further along with our confidence in each other."
Middlebury's Delano scored again for her third goal of the half on a free-position shot with 1:50 left, closing out the half. The conference rivals entered the intermission with the Jumbos leading 7-4.
The rain picked up in the second half as the teams exchanged goals early on. A three-score spurt by the Jumbos between 22:08 and 14:30, with the last goal coming on a free-position tally from sophomore Amanda Roberts, established a commanding 11-5 lead. Middlebury scored two of the final three goals in the contest, including one with 41 seconds remaining, but a stingy and sound Jumbo defense held the Panthers to their lowest goal total of the year at seven. Sophomore goalkeeper Sara Bloom recorded five saves in the first half and six more in the second, giving her 11 saves overall -- her seventh game this year with a double-digit total.
"We essentially only had one practice to prepare for Middlebury, yet in the prior week, we spent a lot of time fine-tuning our defense," Bloom said. "Keeping a team like that to its lowest goal margin of the year shows how well everyone has connected.
"[Coach Carol Rappoli] sat down with me, and we went over some game footage from last year's game," Bloom continued. "We covered in particular their shot selection along with my goalie play. Despite the brevity of time to practice, we definitely were prepared."
For Tufts, the win was a team effort, with several players chipping in offensively. Junior Alyssa Kopp forced three turnovers and picked up three groundballs for the Jumbos, and Thomas was the leading scorer for Tufts with three goals and an assist, also grabbing three groundballs. Senior co-captain Chrissie Attura assisted on four goals, and Johnson and Abelli each finished with two goals and an assist. Roberts controlled four of the draws, tacking on one goal of her own. Tufts held the advantage on the scoresheet with a 25-23 advantage on shots, 19-12 on groundballs and 13-8 on draw controls.
"Having two games earlier in the week helped us," Shoham said. "We used them to tune up to compete with a team like Middlebury. Going into a game like Saturday's, we had to maintain our focus and know that we would have to outwork them while staying consistent."
The victory on the stormy afternoon improved the Jumbos to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in NESCAC play. The team is now tied with nationally ranked No. 3 Colby for first place in the league, but the Jumbos hold the tiebreaker, having notched a 13-9 win over the Mules on March 14. In search of its first-ever No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, Tufts has two league games remaining, against Conn. College on Sunday and Bowdoin at home on April 24.
