Box Score
MEDFORD - Junior Sean Kirwan (Boonton Township, NJ) scored three of Tufts University's four goals in the third quarter as the Jumbos overcame a 3-0 deficit and won 6-5 in NESCAC men's lacrosse action at a frigid Bello Field on Saturday afternoon.
Connecticut College senior Eric Doran (Pennington, NJ) scored twice in the first quarter for the visitors, including a goal with eight seconds left to give the Camels a 3-0 lead. CC had a 12-8 advantage in shots, 7-4 in ground balls and 4-1 in saves for the first 15 minutes.
Tufts was able to even the time of possession in the second quarter, but could only add a Ryan Molloy (Setauket, NY) man-up goal at 5:11 and trailed 3-1 at halftime.
The Jumbos would out-score the Camels 4-0 in the third. Kirwan scored off a pass from senior Matt Witko (Chappaqua, NY) at 12:59 to Tufts within 3-2. Junior Kevin McCormick's (Laytonsville, MD) unassisted tally at 9:01 of the third quarter evened things at 3-3. Kirwan then netted two D.J. Hessler (Monkton, MD) passes, at 8:37 and at 1:13, to put Tufts up 5-3 heading into the fourth.
The Camels sliced the margin back to one (5-4) with the second Mark Mangano (Basking Ridge, NJ) from Mike Giambanco (Massapequa, NY) goal of the game at 13:53 of the fourth. Witko scored for Tufts at 6:22, but a goal by Camels sophomore John Lyons (Barrington, RI) at 3:55 kept it a one-goal game at 6-5.
Neither team managed a shot in the next three-plus minutes, but Tufts was flagged for a cross-checking penalty during a scrum for the ball with just 12 seconds remaining in regulation. Jumbo freshman goalie Patton Watkins (Chattanooga, TN) saved a shot at the left post by Doran in the final seconds to preserve the victory.
Kirwan reached 40 goals for the season with his three today. Hessler had three assists and Witko finished a goal and an assist for the hosts. Senior Alec Bialosky (Moreland Hills, OH) collected three ground balls for Tufts, and Watkins made 13 saves (five in the second quarter).
Doran added a game-high six ground balls, as the Camels won that battle decisively 30-19. CC sophomore goalie John Lenehan (Hingham, MA) was excellent with 15 saves, particularly during the first half when he stopped 10 shots.
Top ranked Tufts (10-1, 7-0 NESCAC) is idle all week until traveling to Middlebury next Saturday for a 2 pm start. Connecticut College (5-7, 2-5) hosts Wheaton College on Tuesday at 4:30 pm.
Game Box Score
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