Box ScoreSpringfield, Mass. -– October 26, 2010 – The nationally number five-ranked Tufts University field hockey team defeated their counterparts from Springfield College, 4-0, this afternoon in a tough non-conference matchup at SC's Amos Alonzo Stagg Field.
After almost a full first half of scoreless action, the visitors finally broke through with a fast break goal with under a minute left in that stanza. Junior midfielder Lindsay Griffith (Wilmington, Del.) started the break with a pass ahead of the pack to senior foward Tamara Brown (Annandale, Va.). Brown took the ball far enough to draw Springfield junior goalkeeper Alison McCarthy (North Andover, Mass.) to the right side of the goal. The forward then found sophomore forward Lia Sagerman (La Jolla, Calif.) on the left side for the easy score.
Less than ten minutes into the second half, the Jumbos notched a second goal, this time off a penalty corner. Brown took the pass from the corner and notched her second assist of the game when she found Griffith for the goal. Sophomore forward Missy Karp (Berwyn, Pa.) would add another goal for the Jumbos in the 57th minute. Karp took the feed from freshman forward Chelsea Yogerst (San Diego, Calif.) and slipped it past McCarthy. After some extended action near the Springfield goal, sophomore midfielder Kelsey Perkins (Barrington, R.I.) added a fourth and final goal for the visitors off an Emily Cannon (Atkinson, N.H.) assist, completing the 4-0 victory.
Tufts outshot Springfield, 27-2. McCarthy was forced to make 12 saves, while Tufts' junior goalkeeper Marianna Zak (Concord, Mass.) did not make any saves.
With the win, Tufts moves to 12-1 on the season. Springfield drops to 8-9 overall, but remains 4-3 in conference play, and is in-line to play in the NEWMAC post-season tournament.
The Pride will travel to Mount Holyoke on Saturday in a game that could potentially decide home-field advantage (a No. 4 or No. 5 seed) for the NEWMAC tournament.
After eight years as head coach of the Pride, Melissa Sharpe, has continued the SC tradition of winning on the field hockey turf, posting an impressive 120-58 record, good for a winning percentage of .674 at the helm of her alma mater. Read more.