Courtesy Tufts Sports Information

MEDFORD, Mass. - Senior Michelle Kelly (Downingtown, Pa.) scored three goals to lead the Tufts University field hockey team to a 5-1 victory over visiting MIT in the second round of the 2009 NCAA Championship on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Bello Field. Tufts (17-1), which had a first-round bye, advances to the third round, where they will host Skidmore on Bello Sunday at 1:00 pm.

MIT, which earned a 2-1 first-round victory at Nichols in their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, finished the season at 18-5.

The Jumbos led MIT 2-0 less than four minutes into the game. Kelly converted a rebound for a 1-0 margin at 3:01 and then tallied her second by hitting in a bouncing pass from junior Tamara Brown (Annandale, Va.) 25 seconds later at 3:26.

MIT coach Cheryl Silva called time out, and it worked. The Engineers put some sustained pressure on the Tufts goal, including three penalty corner opportunities. They came very close to pulling within a goal when the ball bounced to sophomore Kameron Klauber (Carlsbad, Calif.) on the right side, and she had an open goal in front of her. However, the stick of Tufts sophomore goalie Marianna Zak (Concord, Mass.) came out of nowhere to save Klauber's quick shot.

Kelly's third goal of the half and 12th of the season with 4:42 remaining until intermission gave the Jumbos a 3-0 lead. Brown had the assist again and would finish the game with three. Klauber had another shot on goal at the other end that was saved late in the half, one of seven total shots in first 35 minutes for the Engineers. Tufts had 10, and also led the penalty corners count 6-3 at the break.

The Jumbos opened the second half quickly as well, with senior Amanda Russo (Garden City, N.Y.) scoring from her position at the left post. Brown assisted the tally, which came just under two minutes into the period for a 4-0 advantage. MIT, who had six more shots in the second half for 13 total, broke up the shutout on a goal by first-year Molly McShane (Lake Bluff, Ill.) with an assist to classmate Kimberly Barker (Camden, N.Y.) in the 59th minute of play. The goal was McShane's eighth of the season.

Tufts finished the scoring with 2:41 remaining in the game on a penalty corner. Junior Jess Perkins (Barrington, R.I.) took the insertion from classmate Tess Guttadauro (Carlisle, Mass.) and blasted a shot into the cage for her fifth goal of the year.

Zak finished with five saves in goal for Tufts to improve her record to 4-1 in NCAA Tournament play overall. Junior Keri Dixon (Bethlehem, Pa.) made eight saves for the Engineers, including five in the secon dhalf. Tufts finished with a 21-13 margin in shots and 10-7 in corners.

On Sunday, Tufts will be playing to make a return trip to the NCAA semifinals. The Jumbos went last year and advanced to the NCAA Championship game, losing 3-2 to Bowdoin in double overtime.