MEDFORD, Mass. -- Historically, it may go down as Mason's Mad Dash. 

Amherst College junior Kat Mason stole possession, then dribbled over 50 yards before unleashing a laser of a shot that found the back of the goal with only 26 seconds left in overtime Saturday, lifting the Amherst College field hockey team to a 3-2 overtime win at Tufts in a NESCAC quarterfinal contest at the Jumbos' Ounjian Field.

Mason's second goal of the game advanced the Mammoths to the NESCAC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2015, and the sixth time in the tourney's history. 

Seventh-seed Amherst (10-6) will play #1 seed and host Middlebury College next Saturday. The #2 seed Jumbos (11-4) will await a potential NCAA Tournament berth.''

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The 7 on 7 overtime period was dramatic from the onset. Both teams had chances to win the game three minutes in. Tufts goalie Lydia Eastburn somehow stopped Sam Maynard, who dribbled around a defender in the circle only to have her shot smothered by a diving Eastburn.

* Moments later, Tufts' Claire Gavin dribbled in alone, but Mammoth goalkeeper Grace Puchalski rushed out to make a sliding save of her shot to preserve the tie. 

* Amherst kept up its pressure and created several quality scoring chances. With just under three minutes to go in the extra session, Maynard broke in alone behind the Tufts' defense, carried the ball on her stick as she approached the goal and tried to flip a shot over the goalie's head. Eastburn threw up her hands and stick and blocked the shot as the pair collided. 

* Only 27 seconds later, the Mammoths have a penalty corner. Isa Lattuada inserted a ball to Muffie Mazambani, who slid a pass to her left to Abbey Kays, who quickly pushed a shot toward the lower right-hand corner of a goal that a Tufts defender blocked before it ended the game. 

* A minute later, Mason stole the ball from a Tufts player about 10 yards inside the midfield stripe. She won possession over the unsuspecting Jumbo and began dribbling toward the Tufts goal, dribbling past another Jumbo as she crossed the midfield stripe and then another Jumbo as she entered the circle. Veering slightly to her right, she lined up a slap shot that rocketed past a defender and Eastburn to end the game with only 26 ticks left on the clock. It was her second goal of the game and fourth of the season. 

* After a scoreless first quarter, the two teams combined for four goals in the 15-minute second stanza. Mason gave Amherst a 1-0 lead when sophomore Lattuada slid a pass to the right across the top of the circle to Mason who drove it inside the left post barely a minute into the period. 

* Tufts tied the game at one but the Mammoths would regain the lead off another penalty corner opportunity. Kate Smith inserted the ball to stickstop Anna Aiello, who left it for Mazambani, who took one touch and then sent a laser into the lower left-hand corner of the goal for a 2-1 Mammoth lead. 

* Amherst had an edge in the third quarter, but Eastburn made two saves including one on a break-away by Molly Donegan to keep the score even.

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Amherst had a 19-12 advantage in shots, and 10 to 7 in shots on goal. 

* The Mammoths had a 9-7 edge in corner kicks. 

* In her second collegiate start, Puchalski came up with five big saves to help the Mammoths to the victory. 

* The win snapped a 7-game losing streak to Tufts dating back to 2017.