Amherst wins NESCAC field hockey quarterfinal over Tufts 3-2 in overtime

MEDFORD, MA (October 28, 2023) – Amherst College junior Kat Mason scored with 26 seconds left in overtime to give the visiting Mammoths a 3-2 win over Tufts University in the NESCAC Tournament quarterfinals at sunny and unseasonably warm Ongian Stadium. Usually on Saturday. .

Seventh-seeded Amherst (10-6) advances to the conference semifinals and will play No. 1 seed and host Middlebury College next Saturday. The No. 2 seed Jumbos (11-4) will await a potential NCAA Tournament berth.

In overtime, Mason knocked the ball away from a Tufts player near the midfielder and beat a Jumbo defender as she raced toward the goal. Once in the circle, she moved right to elude two defenders and fired a shot into the cage for the victory.

Both goalkeepers had shots saved earlier in extra time. Jumbo in the second year Lydia Eastbourne Dove to save her arm when Sam Maynard of Amherst came alone. Then on Tufts’ trip back to the stadium, Claire Gavin He dribbled past a defender to fire an open shot that the Mammoths’ Grace Puchalski slid in to save.

The game’s other four goals were scored during a frenetic back-and-forth second quarter. Mason scored her first of two goals of the day on a layup when sophomore Issa Lattuada threaded a pass right across the top of the circle to Mason who drove it inside the left post just a minute into the period.

Jumbos also retailed in the corner with 9:14 on the second quarter clock. Ashley Zolin Insert went to Kaylee Rosenquist At the top of the circle. I felt it Andrea DelGiudice Whose shot went between the goalkeeper’s pads to equalize the score.

Amherst had a goal disallowed after a referee debate, but quickly made up for it with another goal to take a 2-1 lead. In the corner, Anna Aiello leveled Kate Smith’s input and Movi Mzambane fired the puck into the left side of the cage just 70 seconds after Tufts tied it up.

With three minutes remaining in the first half, Tufts’ Megan McDonald tied the score when she intercepted Amherst’s clearing attempt in the top right curve of the circle. She quickly pushed a shot into the far left corner of the cage for her first goal of the year.

Amherst had the advantage in the third quarter, but Eastbourne made two saves, including one off a rebound by Molly Donegan to keep the score even. The Jumbos had a slight advantage in the fourth period, including a pair of corner kicks early and when the green card against Amherst was called late. The ticket went to overtime, giving Tufts a six-on-five advantage on the field. However, it would be Amherst who would take the win with a great effort from Mason.

The shots ended 19-12 in Amherst’s favor, and the visitors also took corner kicks 9-7. Puchalski, making his second start of the season, stopped five shots. Eastbourne made seven saves for Tufts.

 

–Jumbos–