For the 6-0 men's lacrosse team, the good times are still rolling.
The nationally ranked No. 9 Jumbos wiped the plate clean of their unranked regional opponent Mt. Ida (2-4) in a 26-3 thrashing on Monday afternoon at Bello Field.
Led by a host of contributors, Tufts extended its early season magic with quick passing and dominant ball possession through the entirety of the game. The Jumbos now sit atop the NESCAC standing with 3-0 conference record, tied with No. 13-ranked Bowdoin, and boast the only remaining undefeated overall record in the conference.
Senior attackman and tri-captain Clem McNally paced the Jumbos on a frigid, windy afternoon with five goals and an assist, while his linemate, sophomore D.J. Hessler, posted two goals and dished out five assists. Freshman attackman Sean Kirwan also netted four goals and had an assist of his own.
McNally wasted little time getting the rout under way, scoring his first tally only 14 seconds into the game. The former Nike Div. III Player of the Week then continued the barrage on the visiting Mustangs, potting two more goals just five minutes into the opening frame. Tufts took an 8-0 mark into the first break in action thanks to two goals and three assists from Hessler in the quarter.
The Jumbos doubled their lead by halftime, stretching the dominant performance to a 16-0 tally only 30 minutes into the contest. By the half, the majority of the team's starting players had made for the sidelines, making way for the team's depth to shine in the second half.
"We got a lot of guys in off the bench today, and anytime you can do that, it's great," junior midfielder Zach Groen said. "You want the younger guys to get some experience and get them in game situations. Nothing really compares to a real game, and when you get in a regular-season game, you certainly want to take advantage of that. The younger guys got in, got some points on the board and played some solid defense. It was a good experience for them."
Tufts' first-half success was due in large part to its absolute superiority in a plethora of key statistical categories. The Jumbos controlled the time of possession, further augmenting their scoring prowess, winning 25 of 32 faceoffs in the contest and going 14 for 18 at the circle before halftime.
Junior midfielder Mike Droesch went five for six at the draw, while freshman midfielder Kevin McCormick had a breakout showing, going a perfect eight for eight.
The home squad controlled the groundball battle 34-8 in the first half and managed the ball out of its defensive zone exceptionally well, clearing the ball at a 92 percent success rate for the game.
Conversely, the Jumbos held Mt. Ida to a limited 50 percent clip, while putting their time in the offensive zone to good use, ripping 58 shots compared to the Mustangs' 20 takes.
"We're just playing very well," McNally said. "It obviously begins with the starters playing well to get us to this point, but it also comes down to the guys coming off the bench and everybody being on the same page. It was great to see the younger guys come out and take advantage of an opportunity to play. I think that speaks volumes about our team's depth and the preparation we've been taking care of in practice."
Tufts carried its lead to 19-0 with less than six minutes remaining in the third quarter and tallied seven of the game's last eight goals to seal the convincing win. And while the team has an extremely tough schedule on tap for the rest of the 2009 campaign, the Jumbos make no apologies for taking on a less-than-formidable regional foe.
"We always want to play the best teams in the country, but these are teams that want to come play us, and we're going to give them the opportunity" senior tri-captain Jordan Yarboro said. "We treat it like every other game, the way we treat all teams, by trying to win as much as possible."
Senior goaltender Matt Harrigan backed one save in limited action for his sixth win in as many starts on the season. Mustang junior netminder Matt Vernik took the loss and made only 12 saves on 28 shots in the first half.
Hessler now leads the NESCAC with 34 points on 14 goals and 20 assists through Tufts' first six contests. McNally is at the head of the conference in the goal scoring column with 23 finishes.
The Jumbos now have the remainder of the week to prepare for conference foe Wesleyan (5-1, 2-1 NESCAC), who will pay them a visit on Saturday. The Cardinals are a perennial national power and currently sit at No. 12 in the country.
"Every NESCAC game is really important," Yarboro said. "The minute you start to get comfortable with however good you think you are, your next opponent is going to jump and take advantage of it. I don't like Wesleyan, and I look forward to beating them. We've got a lot of work to do this week."
