HARTFORD, CT (March 21, 2026) -- The No. 1 Tufts University men's lacrosse team used a dominant first-half surge and timely answers throughout the second half to secure a 17-11 road win over Trinity College on Saturday in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action from Muldoon Stadium.
The game opened with both teams feeling each other out before Tufts found the first breakthrough, as Garrett Kelly struck at 13:12 following a failed Trinity clear. The Bantams responded quickly, and the teams traded goals to a 2-2 tie midway through the first quarter. From that point on, however, Tufts seized complete control behind one of its most explosive stretches of the season.
Fueled by strong defensive stands and clean possessions in transition, the Jumbos erupted for six unanswered goals over the final five minutes of the opening quarter. Will Emsing ignited the run off a feed from Jackson Redd, and Brooks Hauser followed with back-to-back finishes just seconds apart, both set up by Jack Regnery. Peter Kraemer added an unassisted goal, and Kelly closed the surge with his second of the day in the final minute.
By the end of the quarter, Tufts had transformed a tight game into a commanding 7-2 advantage, outplaying Trinity in all phases while scooping ground balls and dictating tempo.
The second quarter saw Tufts lean into a more methodical approach, but the control never wavered. While Trinity generated opportunities, the Tufts defense and goalie Jack Old consistently turned them aside, preserving the five-goal cushion.
Offensively, the Jumbos added two more goals to extend the margin. Mason Theis converted off another Emsing assist midway through the quarter, and Regnery tallied again late in the half to push the lead to 9-2 at the break. Even without converting on extra-man opportunities, Tufts' efficiency at even strength and ability to limit Trinity's possessions kept the game firmly in hand.
Trinity came out with urgency in the third quarter and mounted its best push of the afternoon, scoring three straight goals in the opening minutes to cut the deficit to 9-5. Each time the Bantams threatened to swing momentum, though, Tufts had an answer.Chase Beyer snapped the run with a goal off an Emsing assist, and Emsing followed with an unassisted strike to quickly restore order. After another defensive stand, Regnery found Ben Frisoli for a key finish, and Hauser added his third of the day later in the quarter. Although Trinity added a pair of late goals, Tufts still carried a 13-7 lead into the fourth.
The Bantams made one final push early in the fourth, scoring three of the first four goals of the quarter to trim the lead to 14-11 with just over five minutes to play. Facing their tightest margin since the opening period, the Jumbos once again responded with composure.
Beyer delivered a critical goal off a Kelly assist to halt the run, and Tufts' defense tightened from there, limiting clean looks while continuing to win ground balls. Sean Sheehan added an insurance goal in the final minutes, and Henry Tweedy capped the scoring with a goal in the closing seconds to seal the 17-11 victory.
Tufts' balanced offensive attack was led by Emsing, who totaled six points on three goals and three assists, consistently serving as the engine behind key scoring runs. Regnery added five points with two goals and three assists while moving into No. 5 all-time in points at Tufts with 293, as he passed Danny Murphy on the points list, who had 290 during his career that spanned 2016-19. Kelly contributed four points on two goals and two assists including his 100th career score Saturday.
Hauser recorded a hat trick, and Beyer added two goals, including a pivotal fourth-quarter score that stopped Trinity's final surge.
Defensively, Tufts held advantages in ground balls (35-32) and clears (22-for-24), while forcing 19 turnovers. Jack Old anchored the unit with 17 saves over nearly 58 minutes, repeatedly turning away Trinity chances during key stretches, particularly in the second quarter and during the Bantams' third-quarter push. Davis Owens had four ground balls, while Frisoli also scooped up four loose balls in the win.
At the face-off X, Victor Salcedo and the Tufts unit combined to go 16-for-31, helping the Jumbos maintain enough possession to control runs and respond when needed. Salcedo was 8-for-15 overall while Erik Helgesen went 5-for-10.
Jay Ottomanelli had five goals on 14 shots for the Bantams, while Conley Bohan added four points on a goal and three assists. Davis Ike had 15 saves for the Bantams, and Makin Blalock finished with four caused turnovers and two ground balls.
Tufts will be right back in action Sunday at noon, taking on No. 7 Stevens in Hoboken in non-conference play.
--JUMBOS--
