OWINGS MILLS, MD (March 15, 2025) -- In a rematch of the 2024 NCAA Championship contest, the top-ranked Tufts University men's lacrosse team used a huge 8-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 17-11 win over third-ranked Rochester Institute of Technology in play from the 2025 Callum Robinson Mustang Classic at Mustang Stadium on the campus of Stevenson University.
The game was back-and-forth in the opening half, as both teams were firing offensively. The game would slow down in the third quarter as it was deadlocked at nine going to the fourth frame, but eight goals from the Jumbos along with stifling defense and strong face-off play was the difference.
Tufts (4-0) came out strong and scored the first two goals of the game before RIT (7-1) responded with five straight to make it 5-2 with 4:03 to go in the first quarter. Junior
Jack Regnery stopped the run for the Tigers with back-to-back goals for Tufts, as his man-up goal made it 5-4 RIT seven seconds into the second frame.
Senior
Max Ettinghausen and sophomore
Will Emsing netted tallies to tie the game at six, but the Tigers responded with a pair of goals to make it 8-6. Sophomore
Jackson Redd and junior
Garrett Kelly each scored unassisted to tie the game once again at eight, but a Chase Bruno goal for RIT gave the Tigers a 9-8 lead at intermission.
In the third quarter, both squads saw their defensive units shine as
Max Ettinghausen's goal at 4:10 of the frame was the only tally as it was 9-9 at the end of three quarters.
The fourth period would be all Jumbos though, as Kelly netted an unassisted goal to start an 8-0 run for the Jumbos. During the period, Tufts played make-it, take-it lacrosse thanks to dominant face-off play, winning seven draws in the period while also turning RIT over three times when they did get on offense.
Junior
Brooks Hauser was the star offensively in the fourth quarter, as he tallied three times over the eight-goal stretch as Tufts stayed unbeaten on the year.
Offensively, Hauser led the Jumbos with four goals on eight shots, while Emsing had four points on two goals and two assists. Senior
Charlie Tagliaferri, Ettinghausen and Regnery each had two goals and an assist, while Redd finished with two points on a goal and an assist.
Senior
Parker Merril was stellar at the face-off "X" as he won 13 of his 17 draws while adding a team-high seven ground balls.
Victor Salcedo went 9-for-14 as well, and senior defenders
Joey Waldbaum and
Michael Ayers each had five grounders and a caused turnover.
Senior defender George Panagopolous scooped up three loose balls, while
Ben Frisoli and
Logan Lee each caused a pair of turnovers. Senior
Conner Garzone played all but 90 seconds between the pipes, making eight saves for the Jumbos.
Tufts outshot the Tigers 55-37 for the game, while also holding a huge 47-28 ground ball advantage. The Jumbos also held the Tigers to just 14 shots in the second half, forcing RIT in 16 total turnovers for the game.
Nate Senez had four points on two goals and two assists for the Tigers, and Ethan Harkins added a team-high three goals.
Tufts will come back to Medford before turning around and heading back south Thursday, March 20 to battle No. 5 Christopher Newport University at 5 p.m. in Newport News, Virginia.
--JUMBOS--
