The 12th-ranked Middlebury women's soccer team saw its run in the NCAA Tournament end with a 2-0 loss to NESCAC foe and third-ranked Tufts on Saturday from South Street Field. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Jumbos manufactured the first chance with 10:30 elapsed. Reese Birch surged to the right post and tapped a shot that Panther goalie Livia Davidson deflected away. Birch tried again eight seconds later, but Mia Feldman blocked away her attempt on the rebound.
• Tufts grabbed the lead in the 15th minute. Lena Sugrue sent a pass to the back of the box toward Emily Nicholas. The midfielder found Claire Brady for a shot that slid into the bottom-left corner for a 1-0 edge.
• Middlebury nearly tied the contest at the 23:08 mark. Chloe Swindle collected possession and passed a through ball to Taya McClennen. The Panther was a step ahead of the last defender to raise the offsides flag.
• Wynne Braemer readied and fired a deep attempt at the 32:45 mark. The shot slid to the right, where Tufts' goalie Gigi Edwards scooped up the ball.
• The Jumbos used the wind to their advantage less than a minute later. Sugrue launched a free kick from about 35 yards out that sailed into the box. Davidson read the trajectory of the bid and fell on top of it.
• Middlebury worked the ball down the field as the first-half clock trickled away, but could not get a shot off before the horn sounded.
• The visitors pushed the envelope in the 64th minute. Aires hustled into the box and blasted a chance that Davidson denied with a diving stop.
• Maggie Rogers nearly put Tufts ahead by two at the 64:44 mark. The defender sent a right-foot bid that sailed toward the left post. Roshann Purcell was the last line of defense and deflected the shot with her body.
• The Jumbos doubled their advantage with 73:04 elapsed. Maren Jones fed Audrey Cromett with a pass to the left, who buried it in the lower-left corner of the net.
• Mari Rode tried to get the Panthers on the board eight minutes later, but her header deep in the box on a cross-field feed pushed to the right.
• Neither team had a chance over the last 9:51 of action as the Jumbos punched their ticket to the sectional final by a 2-0 tally.

NOTES

• Davidson tied her career high with nine stops in her final collegiate game.
• The programs met for the first time in the NCAA Tournament and the 36th overall. Middlebury holds a 15-11-10 lead in the series.

The Panthers close their campaign with a 13-4-3 record and an NCAA Tournament Third Round berth for the 12th time in program history.