Johnson, No. 13 Tufts Bump No. 8 Colby
from staff reports
WATERVILLE, Maine --- Emily Johnson (Yarmouth,
Maine) scored three of her game-high five goals in the final 10:45
of the game to help the 13th-ranked Tufts University women's
lacrosse team to a 13-9 victory over eighth-ranked Colby College in
New England Small College Athletic Conference play Saturday at Bill
Alfond Field.
Tufts moves to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the NESCAC, while the Mules
fall to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
The Jumbos darted out to a 5-1 lead in the opening 13 minutes of
the game. Jenna Abelli (Framingham, Mass.) had two goals during
that time, while Chrissie Attura (Yarmouth, Maine), Johnson, and
Amanda Roberts (Wenham, Mass.) all had one goal. Colby first-year
player Claire Donegan (Great Falls, Va.) had the lone goal for the
Mules on a free position.
The teams traded goals over the final 15:45 of the half and Tufts
went into intermission with a 7-3 lead. Johnson and Lara Kozin
(Suffern, N.Y.) had the goals for the Jumbos, while Heather
Nickerson (Falmouth, Mass.) and Amy Campbell (North Andover, Mass.)
scored for the Mules.
Tufts tallied 30 seconds into the second half to make it 8-3 on an
unassisted goal by Kelly Cakert (Sudbury, Mass.), but the Mules
fought back and scored the next three goals to make it 8-6 with
21:52 to play.
Colby's Kate Sheridan (Hingham, Mass.) got her 150th career goal
during the scoring run. She has 151 goals and 66 assists for 217
career points and needs five points to tie the all-time Colby
career scoring record of 222 points by Ally King '03. Sheridan
finished with two goals and two assists on the day. Carly Rapaport
(Cape Elizabeth, Maine) and Nickerson also had goals in cutting the
lead to two goals.
After no team scored for about nine minutes, Tufts scored two
straight goals with 12:45 and 10:45 remaining in the contest for a
10-6 lead. Courtney Thomas (Needham, Mass.) scored first and then
assisted on a goal by Johnson.
The Mules fought back quickly with two goals in the next 1:11 of
play. Rapaport scored off an assist from Sheridan with 9:54 to play
and then Sheridan picked up a loose ball in the front of the goal
and tallied with 9:34 to play to make it 10-8.
Johnson kept the Mules at bay with an unassisted goal at 8:08 to
build the Tufts lead back to three goals. After a free position
goal by Campbell cut the lead to 11-9, Johnson scored on a free
position of her own with 6:24 to play. Tufts added a final goal
from Sterling Champion (Lighthouse Point, Fla.) with 3:52 left.
Abelli had two goals for the Jumbos, while Roberts, Thomas, and
Cakert all had one goal and one assist. Alyssa Kopp (Hollis, N.H.)
had four caused turnovers and five groundballs for the winners. The
Jumbos head to Florida for spring break and will take on Babson
College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in West Palm Beach.
Rapaport, Nickerson, and Campbell all scored twice for Colby, which
plays at Endicott College on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Sara Bloom (Summit, N.J.) finished with nine saves for Tufts. Sarah
Warnke (Lakeville, Conn.) made 10 stops for the Mules.
