Jumbos shake off Bowdoin for another nail-biting league win

The men's lacrosse team eeked out a close contest on Wednesday afternoon, upsetting visiting Bowdoin College, who was then ranked ninth in the nation, 12-11. Tufts held a six-goal lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Jumbos watched that lead slip away when Bowdoin rallied to post five goals late in the game.

The loss for Bowdoin dropped the Polar Bears to 6-1 on the season and 2-1 in the NESCAC. The Jumbos, then-ranked 19th, improved their record to 6-1 on the season and 2-0 in the league. Wednesday's game marked the fourth consecutive victory the Jumbos over Bowdoin.

Bowdoin has been a perennial challenge for the Jumbos, with each meeting over the past three seasons being highly competitive, and Wednesday's game was no exception. The Jumbos defense played well throughout much of the game, holding the Polar Bears to only two goals in the second and third quarters after Bowdoin took a 4-3 in the first quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Polar Bears scored five straight goals, four of which came in the final three minutes of the game. Senior captain Joe Andrasko capped the run when he notched a goal with ten seconds left in game to bring the Bears within one.

The Bowdoin offensive surge in the fourth quarter was led by junior Phil Stern and sophomore Carl Klimpt who each contributed two goals in the rally. Sophomore Connor Fitzgerald also added a goal and three assists in the game for the visitors.

"Bowdoin is an excellent team and we let down a bit," coach Mike Daly said. "They were able to make a run. They're a competitive team, and in this league we can't give our opponents any opportunity to capitalize. We didn't make them earn their goals."

Sophomore Mike O'Brien was the leader on offense for the Jumbos, tallying four goals in the game. Junior Bryan Griffin had three goals and two assists, and played strongly in the fourth quarter. Classmate Devin Clarke also had a big day, chipping in with two goals and two assists.

The Jumbos proved on Wednesday that they are a blue collar team, and have relied on all their players to fulfill roles and come up big in tight situations throughout the season.

"Bryan and Mike are great players who were able to get the open shots today," said Daly. "Saturday against Williams, however, it could be a different group of guys. We're lucky to have many great players who, when called upon, will stand up and deliver performances like Mike and Bryan."

Although the team won the game, it has a few kinks to work out before Saturday's league-game against Williams College. The teams have split the decisions in their last two meetings, but both games were only separated by a goal. The Jumbos are 2-0 in the NESCAC but have only had one convincing win, a 17-5 thrashing of Trinity.

Game play consistency has been a problem for the team according to Daly, which he believes the team needs to improve on, especially in league games. The Jumbos match up well with Williams, however.

"Williams is like any other team in the NESCAC, "Daly said. "They're good, tough, and will force us to make plays. We'll match up well with them, but to win we need to play with the urgency and passion that we did against Trinity and for most of the game against Bowdoin."

The Jumbos will look to continue their winning streak in league play against Williams College tomorrow at home. Game time is set for 1 p.m.