MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – In one of the greatest single-game performances in team history, the No. 3 ranked and second-seeded Wesleyan women's lacrosse team led wire-to-wire in a 15-7 domination of No. 2 ranked and three-seed Tufts in the NESCAC Semifinal played at host Middlebury. The Cardinals (15-2), winners of a team record 10 straight games, advance to the NESCAC Championship where they meet the host, and three-time defending NCAA Champion Panthers (17-0).
 
Owners of four wins now this season over Top 5 ranked teams, the Cardinals took the game to the Jumbos as the NESCAC's top scoring offense (4^th nationally) was held to a season-low goal total. The previous low mark on the season, in terms of goals scored for Tufts, was 13.
 
It was clear from the onset that the Cardinals came to play as Wesleyan outscored the Jumbos 5-0 in the opening quarter. After forcing turnovers on each of Tufts' first two offensive possessions, Wesleyan scored first on a Sam DeLeo '25 unassisted tally. That started a string of four straight possessions ending in goals for Wesleyan as Kiara Tangney '25, Becca Dibble '26, and Olivia Lai '23 all scored in the early going. Forcing yet another Jumbo turnover, Wesleyan secured a fifth straight possession ending in a goal as Brooke Nelson '24 finished a feed from Dylan Green '26 to make it 5-0 Cardinals.
 
The scoring run continued in the second as Lai put home her second of the day, making it 6-0 Wesleyan just 1:20 into the quarter. After holding Tufts to one shot in the entire first quarter, the Jumbos found some footing in the second quarter, going on a 4-0 run over a span of just 3:43 to lower the deficit to 6-4.
 
Tufts secured the ensuing draw control but another turnover cost the Jumbos a chance to draw closer as Molly Greer '24 made them pay on the other end with a goal to make it 7-4 Cardinals at the half.
 
After trading goals to start the third quarter, Lai scored on a free position to make it 9-5 Wesleyan and the Jumbos then were docked with a pair of cards in less than a minute, both of which resulting in Cardinal player-up goals. Lai completed her hat trick on the tail end of a green card violation to Schuyler Lloyd and Greer converted a free position shot on a possession with Tufts playing down a player after Kate Deehan was whistled for a yellow card.
 
Leading 11-5 entering the fourth, the Jumbos drew within five of the lead but no closer as the Cardinals scored four of the final five goals of the contest, forcing Tufts into six more turnovers in the quarter, to seal an emphatic 15-7 win. In 50 all-time meetings against the Jumbos, the eight-goal margin of victory is the largest-ever for the Cardinals.
 
The Cardinals nearly doubled the Jumbos' shot totals (32-17) while Wesleyan had just 11 turnovers for the game, compared to 17 for Tufts.
 
Lai netted a Wesleyan NESCAC Tournament record six goals, matching her career-high in the process. The graduate attack has 157 career goals following today's win, passing Abby Manning '20 for second place on the all-time goal scoring list in team history.
 
Five Cardinals finished with three points each. Becca Dibble '26 scored three goals for her first career hat trick. Bridget Horst '26 matched her career-high with three points, all of which were assists, while adding four draw controls to lead the team in both categories. Laura Baine '24 had one goal and two assists, bumping her career point total up to 189, which is tied with Manning for second-most all-time at Wesleyan. DeLeo also had one goal and two assists while Greer finished with two goals and one assist.
 
Tangney contributed all over the field with one goal, one assist, two ground balls, two caused turnovers, and three draw controls. Molly Simon '26 had two ground balls and two caused turnovers to lead the Cardinal defenders. Izzy Weintraub '26 made four saves in cage to pick up the win.
 
Wesleyan is set to make its second appearance in a NESCAC Championship game and first in a traditional season, as the Cardinals competed for the NESCAC title previously in 2021 during the COVID-affected spring season. The Cardinals lost to Middlebury 12-10 in Vermont in the regular season on March 30, but Wesleyan led that game 10-9 with under five minutes remaining before the Panthers closed the game on a 3-0 run in the final 4:32 of play.