Women's Lacrosse Primed to Host NCAA First and Second Rounds This Weekend

MEDFORD, MA (May 6, 2026) – The No. 4 ranked Tufts University women's lacrosse team begins its journey for the Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship Title this weekend as they will host the first and second rounds at Bello Field. Tufts will welcome an opening round game between Haverford and Endicott, with the winner set to face the Jumbos on Sunday afternoon at 1 PM.

Game Details

NCAA Tournament Website –

Tournament Bracket

Schedule: May 9 – Haverford (13-6) vs. Endicott (15-4) – 1 PM

Sunday May 10 – Game 1 Winner vs. Tufts (14-3) – 1 PM

Location: Medford, MA -- Bello Field

Live Coverage: Live Stats –

Live Video

Tufts vs. Haverford and Endicott

The Jumbos enter the weekend with only one past matchup against Haverford compared to the 16 past contests against Endicott dating back to 2007. Tufts got the best of the Squirrels in 2011 with a tightly contested 11-10 win. The Jumbos are yet to lose to the Gulls in their 16 game history with the most recent victory coming last season with a 20-6 score on March 5.

Haverford has an overall record of 13-6 on the season, while going 6-4 on the road with a Centennial Conference record of 7-1. Haverford ranked third in their conference with an average scoring margin of 4.4 goals and 242 goals for. The Squirrels have been solid between the posts with a team save percentage of .479 that ranks third in their conference. Haverford has a well balanced squad with defensive talent as they rank second in the CC in caused turnovers with 196 and sit with the lead with 376 ground balls. The Squirrels enter the tournament after a heartbreaking 7-5 loss in their conference championship against No. 20 Franklin & Marshall.

Endicott comes into the first round after taking home a 17-11 triumph in the Conference of New England Championship against Roger Williams which marked their third straight conference title. The Gulls have gone 15-4 on the season, while going undefeated in conference action and 6-3 on the road. Endicott leads the CNE in goals for (329), goals against (144), scoring margin (9.7), caused turnovers (213), ground balls (396), and clears (261). The Gulls went 0-3 against NESCAC opponents this season with losses coming against Wesleyan, Colby, and Bowdoin.

A Look at the Jumbos (14-3)

The Jumbos entered the NESCAC Tournament with a five game win streak that included an 11-10 OT win over No. 2 ranked Wesleyan before Wesleyan ended their conference title hopes in the semifinals with a hard fought 10-9 OT victory. Even with the loss, Tufts is still ranked as the No. 4 team on the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll, and is hungrier than ever for that national title.

The squad enters the weekend leading the NESCAC goals for with 264 and ranks second in scoring margin (7.6) and draw controls (245). Tufts leads in goals per game with 15.53 and points per game with 23.53. The Jumbos .471 shot percentage is good for third in the conference and have shown great discipline with the second least penalty minute per game. The Jumbos are 8-1 at Bello Field this season and are 8-2 in conference play.

Offensively, Tufts fields three players with 39 or more goals and two more with 22 plus markers.

Eleanor Helm had an eye opening season as a first year, leading the team in assists with 36 and points with 75, while also ranking third in goals with 42 to earn herself NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors.

Schuyler Lloyd made the all-conference second team with 48 goals which ranked second on the team in 17 games played. Lloyd dished out 29 assists, which is second on the Jumbos and fired the most shots on goal with 79.

Allie Zorn rounds out this elite offensive front with a team-leading 48 goals along with 21 assists which earned her a first team all-conference nod.

On the defensive side,

Sophie Haas and

Nicola Donlan led Tufts with a combined 59 ground balls and 33 caused turnovers. Donlan was named to the All-NESCAC Second Team as a defender and Helm followed just behind Donlan with 28 ground balls on her own.

Elsa Schutt has been the draw specialist for the Jumbos and finished 80 total draw controls along with eight ground balls, 13 caused turnovers, eight goals, and three assists.

Tufts is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time, with all 11 coming since the 2009 season. Tufts has made it to the championship game in 2021, 2022, and most recently in 2025.

A Look at Haverford and Endicott

Haverford possesses a standout offense that consists of six players with 23 or more goals this season. Brooke Epstein headlines that group with 58 goals and 19 helpers to go along with 30 ground balls and 87 draw controls. Daniela Martini is the second leading scorer on the Squirrels with 60 points total on 23 goals and a team-leading 37 assists in 19 games played. Bella Gattuso and Kylie McNamara added 34 and 36 goals apiece, respectively. Jordan Finley is a defensive star for this crew with a team best 40 caused turnovers along with 42 ground balls. Lauren Anderson leads the team in ground balls with 47 and has caused 21 turnovers as well.

For Endicott, they have two student-athletes with 50 or more goals and add two more with at least 32 tallies. Leah Black paces this daunting offensive attack with 73 points total on 39 goals and 34 assists along with 10 caused turnovers and 28 ground balls. Mia Smith ha potted a team-leading 53 goals on 74 shots on goal, while Emerson Clark has buried 51 on 64 shots on goal. Abbie Belleville has a keen eye for the back of the net as she has 32 goals and just one assist. On the defensive side, Kate Cassidy, Clare Wendell, and Kenzie Velsmid have combined for 60 caused turnovers and 63 ground balls. Velsmid is also the main draw specialist for the Gulls as she has a team best 56 draw controls.

Rest of the Tournament

The NESCAC posted seven selections into the NCAA Tournament, including five hosts as tournament champion Middlebury College and at-large picks Tufts, Wesleyan, Trinity (Conn.), and Amherst are set to host the first two rounds. Tufts is joined in the bottom left hand portion of the bracket by hosts MIT, William Smith, and Colorado College.

Middlebury and Amherst are joined in the top left part of the bracket by other host programs Rowan and TCNJ. Wesleyan and Trinity (Conn.) are joined in the bottom right hand portion of the bracket by fellow host schools Pomona-Pitzer and UChicago.

In the most recent IWLCA rankings, Middlebury is ranked in the top spot, while Wesleyan, Salisbury, Tufts, and William-Smith finish off the top five. Denison, Amherst, Pomona-Pitzer, York (PA), and Trinity (Conn.) round out the top 10 spots.

--JUMBOS--