Men's lacrosse is off to another solid start this season, boosting its record to 2-0 after besting the Eastern Conn. Warriors 13-10 on Tuesday. The win marks the second consecutive year that the Jumbos have started with victories against Skidmore and Eastern.
"I think that our offensive execution was a lot better today than it was against Skidmore," senior tri-captain Mark Warner said. "We had a lot of transition plays set up by really good work by our defensive middies."
The loss dropped Eastern to 0-3, which matches the worst start in program history. It was the first defeat for the Warriors on Thomas Nevers Field in their last 17 contests and only their fourth home loss in the last 12 years.
While a less dominating performance than last season's 14-2 trampling of the Warriors, the Jumbos played keenly, cracking the game open in the fourth quarter with the scoreboard reading 8-6. Tufts scored five of the first six goals in the period, all courtesy of different players, to push its advantage to 13-7 with just four minutes left.
"The seniors - Alex Bezdek, [Warner], Wiley [Dornseif] - have really talked to the team about not letting lesser teams hang around," sophomore Clem McNally said. "I think that showed up at the beginning of the fourth quarter."
McNally and Warner led the Jumbos with four goals apiece, continuing to build on their strong campaigns from last year. Despite only starting six games, McNally led the team with 21 goals as a freshman. Warner takes the field as the team's returning points leader. The two players currently head the team with five goals apiece.
"He's always looking for me and I'm always looking for him," Warner said. "We have a great rapport and that carries over off the field too."
Just three days after surrendering only four goals to Skidmore, Tufts played another strong game defensively. The Jumbos successfully thwarted the Warriors' penalty opportunities, limiting Eastern to just one goal on nine man-up opportunities.
"Nine penalties is a lot, and the man-down unit did a great job holding them to only one goal," Warner said. "Being extra-man is obviously a good opportunity to score, and it was big for us to limit that."
Sophomore goalkeeper Matt Harrigan remained solid in net, notching 10 saves and keeping the Warriors at bay until the game was out of reach. Most critically, clinging to a two-goal lead at the end of the third quarter, the team held Eastern scoreless despite being down two players.
"That was huge for us. We had a two-goal lead and if they pump one or two in there, it changes the game entirely," McNally said. "A little confidence can go a long way."
Unlike the Warriors, the Jumbos took advantage of their man-up chances. Warner scored both of the team's extra-man goals in five opportunities, and Tufts also recorded two short-handed goals. The team's 40 percent conversion rate for the game was well above last season's 15.4 percent mark, when the Jumbos managed only eight extra-man goals all season.
"Man-up was definitely one of the weakest parts of our team last year, and we've been meeting every week outside of practice to put extra work in," Warner said. "I think what you're seeing is that unit starting to gel. We'd like to be up around 50 to 60 percent [on man-up opportunities converted]."
Tufts imposed a physical style of play on Eastern throughout the contest. In addition to accruing nine penalties, the Jumbos dominated loose balls, scooping up 52 in comparison to the Warriors' 21. Dornseif led the team with nine ground balls, and senior midfielder Matt Lanuto added six of his own.
The Jumbos continue their season-opening six-game road trip at Williams tomorrow. The Ephs opened their season with a strong 12-4 league win over Colby on Saturday.
