Teams: Women's Lacrosse: Schedule & Results

TUFTS CLINCHES #1 SEED IN NESCAC TOURNAMENT WITH 13-7 WIN OVER BOWDOIN

COLLEGE WOMEN'S LACROSSE FINAL SCORE
Tufts 13, Bowdoin 7

At Medford, MA
Friday, April 24, 2009

Game Box Score

Courtney Thomas scored twice, had an assist and scooped up for ground balls in the big win on Seniors' Day

MEDFORD -- The Tufts University women's lacrosse team will be the #1 seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament after clinching first place with a 13-7 win over Bowdoin College in the final game of the regular season on Friday afternoon at Bello Field. Coach Carol Rappoli's Jumbos, who tied a school record with their 13th win, are the #1 seed for the first time in the nine-year history of the conference tournament.

The Jumbos (13-1, 8-1 NESCAC) outscored Bowdoin 7-1 in the second half to pull away for the victory. The hosts got two goals each by six different players and a superb second-half performance from sophomore goalie Sara Bloom (Summit, NJ) in the win. The Jumbos will play eighth seed Amherst College in the first round of the conference tournament on Sunday (Apr. 26) at Bello Field beginning at noon. Bowdoin, which dropped to 8-7 overall and 3-6 in the league, was led by four goals from first-year Elizabeth Clegg (Hudson, OH). The Polar Bears did not qualify for the eight-team conference tournament field.

Visiting Bowdoin had a quick start, taking leads of 3-0 and 4-1. Clegg and senior Lindsay McNamara (Milton, MA) scored the four early goals for Bowdoin. Two goals apiece by Jumbos Emily Johnson (Yarmouth, ME) and Amanda Roberts (Wenham, MA) gave Tufts a four-goal run and a 5-4 lead with 5:04 to play until halftime. However, Clegg scored twice in the final five minutes and the game went to intermission tied at 6-6.

The Jumbos opened up their first multiple-goal lead of the game by scoring the first two goals of the second half. They led 8-6 on a free-position shot by co-captain Chrissie Attura (Yarmouth, ME), one of four players honored before the game on Seniors' Day. Bowdoin's Katy Dissinger (Upper Brookville, NY) scored on a free-position shot at 21:28 making it 8-7, but that would be their last goal of the day. The Jumbos scored the last five goals, including two by senior Courtney Thomas (Needham, MA), who also had an assist during the game-ending run.

Bloom stopped five of the six Bowdoin shots on net in the second half and finished with nine saves. The Jumbos doubled-up Bowdoin in shots for the second half, 16-8, to finish with a 30-21 overall advantage. Sophomore Lily Colahan (Rye, NY) was superb on draw controls with five. Thomas and junior Alyssa Kopp (Hollis, NH) led Tufts with four ground balls apiece. Senior Maya Shoham (West Hartford, CT), Roberts, Thomas, Attura, Johnson and first-year Lara Kozin (Suffern, NY) all had a pair of goals for the winners. The Jumbos, who tied the mark shared by the 1985, 1988 and 1989 Tufts teams with 13 victories, were five for seven on free-position opportunities.

Polar Bears goalie Steph Collins-Finn (Menands, NY) finished with 11 saves and was active defensively with four caused turnovers and three ground balls. First-year Katie Herter (Topsfield, MA) led the visitors with three draw controls. McNamara finished with two goals, an assist and two draw controls.

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