Box Score
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Junior AJ Enchill had three groundballs and two caused turnovers for Tufts
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Game recap courtesy of Williams College
KEENE, NH - The Williams College men's lacrosse team overcame an early 5-2 deficit to stun sixth-ranked Tufts 15-8 in a NESCAC game played at Keene State College Tuesday afternoon.
The improving Ephs are now 6-3 and 4-1 in NESCAC. The Jumbos, who escaped with a 17-16 win on this same field against Keene State on March 8, fell to 7-2 and 4-1 NESCAC. Though it was technically the Ephs' second home game of the season, the two NESCAC opponents met at Keene State College while athletic fields remain under construction in Williamstown.
Steven Kiesel led the scoring for Williams with four goals, while goalkeeper Dan Whittam contributed with a critical 17 saves. John Maimone-Medwick and Stephen Upton were among several Ephs to contribute with multiple forced turnovers.
Sophomore John Uppgren led the Jumbos with five points, assisting four goals and scoring one. Chris Schoenhut and Peter Bowers both scored twice. Senior Patton Watkins was credited with nine saves in net.
Tufts entered the contest as the top team in this week's Division III New England poll, while the Ephs had been voted ninth.
Andy Grabowski scored the first goal of the game with 11:32 remaining in the first quarter to put Williams up 1-0. However, Jumbo Cole Bailey answered back about a minute later and the score was tied. That was the start of a four-goal run overall for Tufts to pull ahead 4-1. Uppgren assisted on each of the last three goals. The teams then traded a goal, putting the score at 5-2.
In the final minute of the first quarter, Khary Dennis scored for Williams. This would be the first of seven consecutive goals for Williams, lifting them toward a 9-5 lead early in the third quarter.
Five goals were scored in the second quarter between four different Ephs. Tufts tried and failed to find the back of the net in the period. Though possession switched hands often, Whittam made it difficult for the Jumbos to capitalize on their plays. The score was 8-5 at halftime.
Grabowski opened the third quarter with a goal, much like he did to start the contest. However, the Jumbos found their groove and finally broke through Whittam's wall. Bowers and Uppgren scored back-to-back goals to put the score at 9-7.
A series of productive plays in the midfield led to another Williams goal, this time form first-year Michael Fahey. Fahey's shot was followed by a Tufts goal from Schoenhut, but that would be their last of the contest. Riley Hoffman netted a goal for the Ephs, while Dennis and Kiesel each racked up one more of their own. The third quarter closed at 13-8.
The fourth quarter remained as competitive as ever as Tufts fought back with intensity. Whittam was solid in the net, giving his team a handful of opportunities to pull further ahead. Joe Kinney and Eric Kelley each found the net once more to ensure a 15-8 victory.
Williams and Tufts were both active offensively, taking 38 and 39 shots, respectively. Tufts won 18 of the 27 faceoffs, an element of the game normally controlled by the Ephs. Sophomore Conor Helfrich returned to the Tufts line-up to win 17 draws.
Tufts had 28 ground balls to Williams' 26. Sophomore AJ Enchill finished with three groundballs and two caused turnovers for the Jumbos. The teams even had the same number of penalties, at five apiece.
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