WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - Tufts University (9-4-2, 4-4-2) scored two goals in the second half to beat Williams College (10-4-2, 7-2-1) in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament.
The first half of the game went by without a goal, but with great aggression from both sides. Tufts scored their first goal in the 74th minute; an extended play in the box, Jumbo's offense taking multiple shots that Ephs defense jumped in to block. A shot from 10 yds out of the goal deflected off of a Williams defender and spun into the top of the goal just over senior goalkeeper Leyla Kamshad's outstretched hands.
Just under 10 minutes later Tufts scored their second goal, in the 83rd minute. A Tufts drive down the far side of the field was taken all the way to the goal line, ending with a hard shot that was angled well and just hit into the left corner of the net.
Both teams came into the game with intensity and possession switched back and forth many times in each attacking half. First shot of the game for Williams came from senior Tess Belnap in the 10th minute, a bullet from the right side of the field that was just wide. Sophomore Meredith Tutun played her portion of midfield incredibly well, controlling the ball to lead into the Ephs' attack. First year Paige Nelson worked hard on defense, chasing down and beating the Tufts offense to possession. In the last minutes of the game came several Ephs' corners and shots, including two header scoring attempts from sophomore Tori Huang and junior Claire Tolliver.
Coach Sarah Raymond commented after the game, "It was a hard fought game on Cole today - any game we are fortunate to play in from here on out will be that way. While it wasn't our best performance, all credit to Tufts for putting us under pressure. Now we wait until Monday the 7th to find out if we play on. It's been an incredible season this year and we are very hopeful to have a longer time together."
Future games for the Ephs would consist of the NCAA tournament, and will be announced on November 7th.
