LEWISTON, ME (April 10, 2024) -- The No. 6 Tufts University men's lacrosse team posted a four-goal run in the second half and never trailed again as the Jumbos fought off a push from host Bates College to earn a 20-11 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) victory in action from Garcelon Field.
The Jumbos (9-2, 6-1 NESCAC) clinched a spot in the 2024 NESCAC Tournament with the victory on Wednesday evening, but the victory didn't come without some sustained pressure from the host Bobcats. Bates and Tufts alternated goals over the first 15 minutes as the game went to the second quarter deadlocked at three. Junior
Sam Frisoli scored to open the second frame, followed by a
Jack Regnery goal in transition off of a nice feed from first-year
Jordan Ito made it 5-3 Tufts with 10 minutes to go in the first half.
Bates got goals from Connor Hartman and Wil Masterson to tie the game at five with just under seven minutes to play, but junior
Charlie Tagliaferri came right back to put Tufts ahead 6-5 on an unassisted tally with 5:32 to go in the frame. 16 seconds later sophomore
Ethan O'Neill notched his third goal of the season off of a feed from Regnery, followed by goals from
Brooks Hauser and Regnery to make it 9-5. A Bobcat goal just before the end of the frame made it 9-6 Tufts going to the break.
In the third quarter,
Garrett Kelly opened the scoring for the Jumbos to make it 10-6 but three straight tallies from Bates pulled the hosts to within one at 10-9 with 7:49 remaining in the third frame. Tufts would answer with four straight to end the quarter, getting two tallies from Hauser in the run to send the game to the fourth quarter with Tufts up 14-9.
The Bobcats stopped the Tufts run early in the final quarter, but junior
Michael Ayers posted a long-pole goal to start a six-goal run by Tufts to put the game away.
The Jumbos outshot their hosts 62-40 on the night, while posting a 23-12 edge in face-off wins and earning a 58-48 advantage in ground balls.
Hauser chalked up four goals and two assists for six points Wednesday, adding three ground balls and one caused turnovers in the ride, and sophomore attack partner Regnery also chalked up four scores and two helpers to go with two ground balls.
Junior
Max Ettinghausen found the back of the net three times in addition to his one assist, and Tagliaferri scored twice while assisting on another. Ito had his best game of his young career with a goal and an assist, causing a turnover, while Ayers posted two caused turnovers along with his goal.
Parker Merril and
Victor Salcedo had identical nights at the "X", as they each finished 11-for-17 for eight ground balls each. Kelly posted a career-high five ground balls, while first-year defender
Logan Lee scooped up three grounders. Connor Garzone made 15 saves in the win for Tufts, while
Ben Friedman played four minutes in the fourth making two stops.
Masterson scored four times and had two assists for the Bobcats (3-9, 0-8 NESCAC).
Tufts will stay out on the road Saturday, heading to No. 18 Middlebury College for NESCAC play in Vermont at 2 p.m. in the final road regular season game of 2024.
--JUMBOS--
