Sophomore men's lacrosse player D.J. Hessler was named as NESCAC Co-Player of the Week, marking the first time since 2007 that a member of the team has received the honor. The Jumbos' attackman played a critical role in constructing a 9-0 scoring drive and pulling out a 15-6 victory in Tufts' home-opener against Amherst at Bello Field Saturday.
Coming up short after the first quarter, the Jumbos rallied in the second frame to go from a 2-1 deficit to an 8-2 lead at the half. Hessler sparked the scoring drive with a feed on sophomore attackman Ryan Molloy's goal. Minutes later, Molloy returned the favor, assisting on Hessler's first of two back-to-back goals to bring Tufts ahead 5-2. In the third and fourth quarters, Hessler recorded two goals and five assists to put away the Lord Jeffs and mark Tufts' first win of the season.
When all was said and done, the sophomore attackman was just one assist short of tying a 1965 record for most assists in a game. Hessler's show also marked the first time since 2004 in which a Tufts player has scored 10 points in a match. Hessler shares this week's NESCAC honors with Bowdoin sophomore goalie Jake McCampbell.
