Teams: Women's Lacrosse: Schedule & Results

JUMBOS DEFEAT MIDDLEBURY 12-7 TO TAKE OVER FIRST PLACE IN NESCAC

COLLEGE WOMEN'S LACROSSE FINAL SCORE
Tufts 12, Middlebury 7

At Medford, MA
Saturday, April 11, 2009

Game Box Score

Sophomore goalie Sarah Bloom was sharp for Tufts with 11 saves

MEDFORD -- Seven different Jumbos scored goals, and sophomore goalie Sara Bloom (Summit, NJ) made 11 saves as the seventh-ranked Tufts University women's lacrosse team earned an important 12-7 victory against #8 Middebury College in the rain on Saturday afternoon at Bello Field.

Tufts improved to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in NESCAC. They are tied for first place in the league with Colby, both with 6-1 records, but the Jumbos hold the tie-breaker with a 13-9 win over the Mules on March 14. In search of their first-ever #1 seed in the conference tournament, Tufts has league games against Connecticut College (Apr. 19) and Bowdoin (Apr. 24) remaining. Middlebury lost for the third time in four games, dropping to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in NESCAC.

The visiting Panthers had an early 2-1 lead on back-to-back goals by sophomore Chase Delano (Greenwich, CT). Junior Jenna Abelli (Framingham, MA) scored twice for Tufts in the first 19 minutes and the game was tied at 3-3. Tufts took over the momentum in the next eight minutes, scoring four answered goals with two each by junior Emily Johnson (Yarmouth, ME) and senior Courtney Thomas (Needham, MA). Delano scored her third goal of the half on a free-position shot with 1:50 left and the game went to halftime with the Jumbos leading 7-4.

The teams traded goals early in the second half, but then a three-goal Tufts spurt gave them a commanding 11-5 advantage on a free-position tally by sophomore Amanda Roberts (Wenham, MA). Middlebury would score two of the final three goals, but a stellar Jumbo defense would finish up holding the Panthers to their lowest goal total of the year. Bloom, with five saves in the first half and six more in the second, was a big factor. Junior Alyssa Kopp (Hollis, NH) caused three turnovers and had three ground balls for Tufts.

Thomas led the Jumbos with three goals and an assist, while also scooping up three ground balls. Senior co-captain Chrissie Attura (Yarmouth, ME) assisted on four goals, and Johnson and Abelli both finished with two goals and an assist. Roberts scored once and controlled four draws. Tufts had the statistical advantages in shots (25-23), ground balls (19-12) and draw controls (13-8).

Delano had two draw controls in addition to scoring three goals for Middlebury. Sophomore Sally Ryan (Mountain Lakes, NJ) finished with two goals, two draw controls, a ground ball and a caused turnover. Active senior goalie Blair Bowie (Washington, DC) made seven saves, had four ground balls and caused two turnovers.

After not winning against Middlebury from 1982 to 2007, Tufts has now defeated the Panthers twice in a row. Thomas had two goals in last year's 15-7 Tufts win.

#