MIDDLEBURY, VT (March 28, 2026) – The top-ranked Tufts University men's lacrosse team used a decisive second-quarter surge to break open a tight game and roll to a 17-7 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) victory over Middlebury College on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium.
With the win, Tufts improves to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play, extending its winning streak to 36 straight games and 18 consecutive NESCAC victories.
Tufts wasted little time getting on the board, as Ethan O'Neill opened the scoring just 19 seconds into the game off a feed from Brooks Hauser. Jack Regnery followed with an unassisted tally less than a minute later to give the Jumbos an early 2-0 edge.
Middlebury responded with three goals over a 10-minute stretch to cut the deficit to 4-3 late in the first quarter, but Tufts answered immediately. Chase Beyer scored with 1:16 remaining in the period, regaining momentum and sending the Jumbos into the second quarter with a 5-3 lead.
The game turned decisively in the second quarter, where Tufts dominated in all phases. After Hauser opened the period with a goal, Beyer and Regnery scored in quick succession to ignite a 7-0 run. Regnery added back-to-back goals midway through the quarter, and Beyer and Hauser each struck again to stretch the lead to 11-3. Will Emsing capped the scoring with 1:13 left in the half, giving Tufts a commanding 12-3 advantage at the break.
Tufts' defense played a key role in the run, consistently forcing turnovers and controlling possession. The Jumbos held a 32-15 edge in shots over the first half and limited Middlebury's opportunities with strong clearing and face-off play.
The Jumbos continued to build on their lead in the third quarter. Garrett Kelly scored at the 10:29 mark, and just 16 seconds later Beyer found the net again to push the margin to 14-3. Beyer completed his five-goal performance later in the period, finishing off a feed from Regnery to make it 15-3 heading into the fourth.
Tufts added one more early in the fourth quarter on a goal from Henry Tweedy before Middlebury mounted a late push with four goals in the final period. PJ Haskell halted the run with a goal at 1:06, and the Jumbos closed out the 17-7 win.
Beyer led all scorers with five goals, while Regnery added three goals and one assist on a team-high 14 shots. Regnery tallied his 300th career point on Saturday, becoming the fifth player in program history to reach that accomplishment.
Kelly also recorded a hat trick, and Hauser contributed two goals and an assist. Tufts' balanced attack saw eight different goal scorers and eight players record assists.
Defensively, the Jumbos controlled the game with a 63-34 advantage in ground balls and forced 22 Middlebury turnovers. Jack Donovan caused four turnovers, while Ben Frisoli added two caused turnovers and five ground balls.
At the face-off X, Tufts held an 18-10 edge, with Victor Salcedo and Lucas De La Paz helping the Jumbos dictate possession throughout the game.
In goal, Jack Old earned the win with 11 saves over 45 minutes, anchoring a Tufts defense that held Middlebury scoreless for over 30 minutes spanning the second and third quarters.
Tufts finished with a 49-31 advantage in shots and a 36-20 edge in shots on goal, while also going 25-for-28 on clears.
The Jumbos will look to continue their unbeaten run, traveling to Williams College Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Williamstown, MA.
--JUMBOS--
