In the words of the iconic new wave band The Cars, "Let the good times roll."
The men's lacrosse team continued its hot streak on Tuesday night, winning its second-straight game over non-conference opponent Lasell College, 22-8, to improve to 2-0 on the year. The Jumbos' 22 goals tied for the second-most in program history and marked the most by a Tufts team since a 1999 matchup with Assumption College. Only a 23-goal output in 2000 against the College of Wooster places ahead of it in the Jumbos' record book.
Tufts was buoyed by an effort that included goals from 14 different players, including five from senior tri-captain Clem McNally, who now has seven goals on the season and is tied for the team lead with sophomore Ryan Molloy. By almost any measure, the game was a lopsided affair, with Tufts taking 66 shots to Lasell's 23 and winning 33 more groundballs.
"I was really pleased with the way we played," senior tri-captain Jordan Yarboro said. "It was a chance for a lot of our younger players to step in and score their first college goals. That could be important when we get further on into the season if guys go down and we need some of the freshmen to step up. It's good they got that experience."
"We came out and did what we needed to do quickly," junior midfielder Zach Groen added. "All week, we were focused on taking things one game at a time and not looking ahead to Colby, and I think we showed that by putting 22 on the board."
The Jumbos established themselves as a dominant force right off the bat when senior tri-captain Mike Droesch scored just eight seconds into the game, driving down the field after winning the opening faceoff.
Tufts added two more goals in the next five minutes and led 7-2 at the end of the first quarter. McNally, who fired 11 shots in the game, was responsible for four of the first-period scores. Tufts' attack was just as relentless in the second quarter as the team added eight more goals to take a 15-3 lead heading into halftime.
Despite the fact that Lasell (0-2) is far from being considered a lacrosse powerhouse, the Jumbos treated their preparation for the game as though it were a NESCAC contest.
"I wouldn't say it was a warm-up game," Groen said. "They're a college lacrosse team with some solid games on their schedule. They were fired up to come out and play us, and I think getting an early goal lifted our spirits and kind of put their flame out."
The Lasers tightened up their play in the second half, managing to play Tufts even in the third quarter. But the game had long since been decided, and four Lasell goals in a five-minute spurt in the fourth quarter did little to mask the uneven nature of the final score.
Senior goalie Matt Harrigan was called on to save just three shots in 30 minutes of play to record his second win of the season. Sophomore goalie Bryan Petillo played the third quarter while freshman Steven Foglietta stepped in for the final period.
Molloy led the team with seven points on three goals and four assists, while junior defender Eytan Saperstein was notable for causing four turnovers on the day. Through its two games this season, Tufts has shown impressive consistency on both ends of the field.
"I'm most impressed by our ability to not have any mental lapses," Yarboro said. "But we definitely still have a lot to work on, and we're addressing those problems in practice. A better team would probably take notice of some of our mistakes."
Unlike most Tufts students, the Jumbos will be busy over spring break, playing three games, starting this Saturday on Bello Field against Colby -- a team they've defeated twice by a combined score of 25-17 over the past two seasons.
"They've got a new coach and they're coming off a win the other day against Williams, so we expect them to be tough," Groen said. "Every team in the NESCAC is competitive."
"[Colby is] a good team," Yarboro added. "The minute you start taking teams lightly, it comes back to haunt you, which is something we're aware of. Honestly, though, I'm more concerned about our team and how well we execute our fundamentals than our opponent."
