Box Score 
MEDFORD - Junior Kurt Bruun led the way with six goals as the #3 Tufts University men's lacrosse team held off #18 Amherst College 18-14 in a NESCAC game Sunday afternoon at Bello Field.
Tufts led by scores of 7-3 at the end of the first quarter, 9-4 early in the second and 12-7 early in the third. However, Amherst would cut it to a one-goal game (15-14) with six minutes remaining in regulation. The Jumbos secured the victory by tallying the last three goals.
Junior Jack Boyden recorded seven points for Tufts with three goals and four assists, while senior Camden Kelleher finished with two goals and three assists. Sophomore Conner Garzone earned the win in goal with 15 saves.
Amherst's Mitch Likins was a key factor in the visitors getting themselves back in the game. The freshman goalie entered early in the second quarter and made 15 saves in 41+ minutes of action. Junior Brock Gonzalez recorded five goals with two assists for the Mammoths and junior Tanyr Krummenacher scored five times for Amherst.
The Mammoths had early leads of 2-1 and 3-2 as Gonzalez scored twice in the first seven minutes. However, the Jumbos finished the first with five in a row led by a pair from Bruun for the 7-3 advantage.
Kelleher set up two goals in the first half of the second quarter to help Tufts take a 10-5 advantage. After back-to-back tallies by Gonzalez and Krummenacher, and one from Tufts' Boyden the game went to intermission with the hosts leading 11-7.
Likins would make seven saves in the third quarter when Amherst out-scored Tufts 4-2 to make it a 13-11 game. Krummenacher scored man-up with 1:04 remaining in the third for the two-goal deficit which was the closest that the Mammoths had been since trailing 5-3 in the first. Bruun had two for Tufts in the third to help keep the hosts in the lead.
Krummenacher would score three times in the fourth quarter to bring Amherst within a goal. After scores by Jumbos Kelleher and Bruun sandwiched a goal by Krummenacher to put Tufts at a 15-12 advantage, Krummenacher scored two in a row 70 seconds apart and it was 15-14 with 6:10 remaining.
The Mammoths turned the ball over three times when they had possession with a chance to tie it before Jumbo sophomore Kevin Christmas scored assisted by Boyden at 2:43 for a 16-14 Tufts lead. Garzone made a key save after an Amherst face-off win and Tufts senior Matt Lane picked up a ground ball in a scramble during the clear and fired a shot past Likins for a 17-14 margin. Tufts freshman Charlie Tagliaferri scored late into an open net with Likins out on defense to cap the scoring.
Freshman Joey Waldbaum (pictured) caused three turnovers, picked up six groundballs and assisted a goal for Tufts. Senior Taggart Eymer and junior Kyle Adelman both caused three TO's and picked up three ground balls.
Amherst freshman Nicholas Koff took 33 face-offs and won 19. Classmate Lawson Laverty collected three ground balls and caused a turnover.
Tufts takes its spring break trip later this week and plays at Stevens on Saturday.
