Courtesy Tufts Sports Information

Box Score

MEDFORD, Mass. - Undefeated Tufts, seeded first in the 2008 NESCAC Field Hockey Championship, opened the 2008 post-season with a 5-1 victory against Colby College in the quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon at Bello Field. The Jumbos (15-0) will now host the NESCAC semi-finals and championship game next weekend (Nov. 8-9) at Bello Field. Tufts plays fifth seed Trinity College on Saturday at 11:00. Second seed Bowdoin and third seed Middlebury meet in Saturday's other semi-final at 1:30 pm. The championship game is set for Sunday at noon.

In the first round, Colby (5-10) came to Tufts upset-minded and took advantage of some flat play by the Jumbos early. The Mules took a 1-0 lead 12 minutes into the game when senior quad-captain Mary Clare Snediker (New Canaan, Conn.) stuffed in a pass from Meryl Poulin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine).

Four minutes later, Tufts tied the game at 1-1 on a goal by sophomore Tamara Brown (Annandale, Va.) off a pass from senior tri-captain Tess Jasinski (Oak Park, Ill.). Jasinski would be the playmaker again when Tufts took the lead for good, 2-1, on a goal by junior Michelle Kelly (Downingtown, Pa.) with 5:48 remaining in the first half. Both goals came off corners. Though they led by just one entering the break, the Jumbos were in charge with advantages of 11-4 in shots and 9-2 in penalty corners for the half.

Tufts opened up their lead to 3-1 early in the second half when senior tri-captain Marlee Kutcher (Chevy Chase, Md.) tapped in another goal off a penalty corner, with an assist to Brown. Tufts continued to control play and was awarded a penalty stroke with 9:42 remaining in the second half after the ball hit a defensive foot on the end line. Senior Brittany Holiday (Wellesley, Mass.) converted with a wrist shot for a 4-1 advantage. Tufts finished off the Mules with Brown's second goal of the game, and 21st of the season, with 1:24 remaining. Jasinski had her third assist of the game on the goal.

Colby sophomore goalkeeper Liz Fontaine (Wilbraham, Mass.) made eight saves for the visitors as Tufts out-shot the Mules 22-4 for the game. The Jumbos enjoyed a 16-3 margin in penalty corners. First-year Tufts keeper Marianna Zak (Concord, Mass.) did not make a save as Colby recorded four shots, all in the first half.