MEDFORD, MA (May 17, 2026) -- For the second straight game the Tufts University men's lacrosse team came out firing on all cylinders, scoring 11 first-quarter goals to put the game away early and punch its ticket into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse title game with a 23-7 win over Wesleyan University in the national semifinals Sunday on Bello Field. 

The victory marked the 14th straight NCAA Tournament victory for the Jumbos (21-1), who will have a shot at its third straight NCAA crown on Sunday, May 24 in Charlottesville, VA at noon when the Jumbos take on RIT for the title. The game will be played at Scott Stadium on the campus of the University of Virginia, and it will be the ninth NCAA title game appearance for the Jumbos as the team looks for its sixth team championship. Tufts and RIT will battle in the national championship game for the second time ever Sunday, as the Jumbos defeated the Tigers 18-14 back in 2024 in Philadelphia. 

The Jumbos used the same script as it used on Saturday against York College in a 22-9 win, as they raced out to an 11-3 lead after the first 15 minutes. Seniors Brooks Hauser and Jack Regnery each had three goals in the first quarter, while senior defender Cole Friedlander's recent goal binge continued with another to help the Jumbos to the big early lead. 

Wesleyan answered a Tufts' score early in the second quarter, but Regnery scored four more times in the frame as part of an 8-2 stanza for the Jumbos as Tufts took a 19-5 lead into halftime. Junior Peter Kraemer took over offensively in the second half, as he netted three straight including two with the extra man to help the Jumbos slide into the title game. 

Regnery finished with seven goals and two assists, scoring on all seven shots he put on goal on Sunday night. He now has 71 goals and 46 assists on the season, while Hasuer also has 71 goals and 29 assist for 100 points after scoring five times and dishing out two helpers. The duo is the first with 100 points each in the same season since Jack Boyden and Kurt Bruun combined for 269 points back in 2023. 

Beyer finished with six points as well for Tufts, as the starting attack posted 22 points together after Beyer's four goal, two assist outing. Kraemer ended with a career-high four goals, and Garrett Kelly posted two goals and an assist as well. Jackson Redd and Will Emsing each set up a pair of goals for the Jumbos, who outshot Wesleyan 56-30 on the night. That included a 34-15 shots on goal edge. 

Another big factor was Tufts' strong evening at the "X," as the Jumbos won 26 of the game's 34 draws. Junior Lucas De la Paz was 13-for-14 with 11 grounders, and Victor Salcedo won nine of his 14 face-offs while scooping five grounders. Erik Helgeson added three ground balls on his 4-for-6 game at the dot. 

Defensively, sophomore Davis Owens had five ground balls and one caused turnover, and Ben Clark and Harrison Stockdale each had three ground balls and a caused turnover. Jack Old stopped seven shots for the Jumbos in net, before handing things off to Alex Dircks in the fourth quarter to finish up with one stop. 

Tufts was 2-for-5 on the EMO, and was stellar in transition with a 22-for-24 clip on clears. The win was also the last on Bello Field for this incredible senior group, as the seniors finish 42-3 at home in their career including a perfect 12-0 in the NCAA Tournament in Medford over the last four years. 

Wesleyan (14-5) was led by Gavin Lechner and his two goal, one assist night in the loss. 

The Jumbos will look to become the first time since Salisbury in 2003-2005 to win three straight titles Sunday. The feat has happened only three times in NCAA Championship history, as Salisbury, Middlebury College (2000-02) and Hobart College (1980-1991) are the only schools to win three or more in a row.