MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – An incredible goalkeeping display from Tufts' Courtney Kaufman saw senior record 16 saves, denying the second-seeded Wesleyan women's lacrosse team as the three-seed Jumbos won 13-11 in the NESCAC Semifinal held at Middlebury on Saturday afternoon. Wesleyan (14-3) will learn their NCAA Tournament fate on Monday while the Jumbos (14-3) advance to the NESCAC Championship where they will face the host Panthers.
 
The Cardinals dominated multiple facets, outshooting Tufts 40-21 and knabbing a staggering 24-4 advantage in draw controls, but Wesleyan was denied time and time again by Kaufman who was the best player on the field in the semifinal. Wesleyan also committed 18 costly turnovers while Tufts totaled just 11 for the game against the stingy Cardinal defense.
 
Tufts started the game firing on all cylinders, scoring four unanswered including a player-down marker with 3:56 left in the frame that made it 4-0 Jumbos. Wesleyan managed two goals before the end of the period but Emma Joyce scored her second in the quarter to make it 5-2 Jumbos after one.
 
Tufts kept hold of their three-goal lead until Wesleyan started to bury their chances, scoring three unanswered in the final 5:16 of the half. Kendall Mittleman '23 scored her second of the quarter on a free position to start the half-ending 3-0 run. Bridget Horst '26 weaved her way through traffic for an unassisted tally before the freshman fed Chessy Greenwald '23 in front for a goal with 40 seconds left in the half that tied the score at 8-8.
 
Wesleyan kept the momentum going, taking their first lead of the game 1:24 into the second half as Kiara Tangney '25 netted a free position goal. Tangney again scored on a free position late in the frame to give the Cardinals a 10-9 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
The Jumbos, however, controlled the action in the fourth, holding Wesleyan to just seven shots (their lowest total in any quarter of the game) while the Cardinals committed seven turnovers as Tufts scored four to the Cardinals' one. Caroline Walter and Margie Carden scored just 16 seconds apart as the Jumbos retook the lead early in the frame. Then two more late goals padded their advantage before the game ended in a 13-11 Jumbo win.
 
Bridget Horst and Kate Balicki '23 both finished with two goals and one assist while Greenwald had one goal and two assists as the trio tied for the team-lead with three points each. Bridget Horst tied the single-game program record for the second time this season with 10 draw controls. Tangney and Mittleman both scored twice.
 
Molly Greer '24 totaled six draw controls while Elsa Gordon '25 added four as the 24 draw controls for Wesleyan is a new season-high.
 
Emma Joyce led the Jumbos with a game-high five points (four goals, one assist). Caroline Walter added four goals and Margie Carden had three goals and one assist. Kaufman's 16 saves and 11 goals allowed really made the difference in the end for the winners.
 
Wesleyan, who came into today's game ranked No. 4 nationally, is all but assured of an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, which would be the program's fifth all-time national postseason tournament appearance.