MEDFORD – In difficult cold, rain and windy conditions, the Tufts University women's lacrosse team generated its best offensive output in three years with a 19-5 victory over visiting Endicott College on Thursday afternoon at Bello Field. Sophomore Courtney Thomas (Needham, MA) scored six goals for the second straight game, and first-year Jenna Abelli (Framingham, MA) added five.

Tufts, which last scored 19 goals in a win over Bates on April 10, 2004, improved to 6-4 with their second non-conference win of the week. Endicott, which was led by two goals from first-year Valerie Feldman (Albany, NY) dropped to 5-4.

Like they did on Tuesday before defeating Bridgewater State College 16-7, Tufts fell behind early against Endicott. Junior Emily Judd (Peabody, MA) capitalized on a free-position opportunity just 53 seconds into the game for a 1-0 Gulls lead. Tufts was ahead 5-2 when they really broke it open, scoring 10 straight goals to take a mammoth 15-2 advantage into intermission. Abelli scored all five of her goals in the first half for Tufts and added two assists. In one stretch, she either scored or assisted on six of seven Tufts goals.

The second half was played under running time as Tufts maintained at least a 10-goal lead. Thomas, who scored six against Bridgewater, had the first three goals of the half for the Jumbos. She now has 29 goals for the season. Sophomore Sara Gunter (Kennebunk, ME), who had assisted on Endicott's second goal in the first half, netted a goal of her own in the second half.

Sophomore Chrissie Attura (Yarmouth, ME) had a two-goal, two-assist game for the Jumbos. Gillian Kline (Chevy Chase, MD) and Tracy Rittenour (Duxbury, MA) split the game in goal, making three and four saves, respectively.

Senior Erin Curry (Hampstead, NH) made 17 saves in the Endicott cage.

Endicott (5-4)  2  3  =   5
Tufts (6-4)    15  4  =  19

GOALS:
T, Courtney Thomas 6, Jenna Abelli 5, Chrissie Attura 2, Lauren Murphy 2, Maya Shoham 1, Alyssa Corbett 1, Bretlyn Curtis 1, Caitlin Friedensohn 1.
E, Valerie Feldman 2, Emily Judd 1, Shiori Tachiwana 1, Sara Gunter 1.

ASSISTS:
T, Abelli 2, Shoham 2, Attura 2, Emily Johnson 2, Sarah Williams 1, Thomas 1, Curtis 1.
E, Gunter 1, Molly Moss 1.

GOALIES:
T, Gillian Kline (30:00 – 2 GA) 3 saves, Tracy Rittenour (30:00 – 3 GA) 4 saves.
E, Erin Curry (60:00 – 19 GA) 17 saves.

2007-04-12