Revenge was sweet for the men's lacrosse team Tuesday night. It was even sweeter when you factor in that Tufts is now off to its best start in program history.
The Jumbos avenged their loss in the first round of the 2009 NCAA tournament Tuesday with a 13−10 win over Western New England College (WNEC) in Springfield, Mass. In a game that saw three ties and neither team hold a lead of more than two goals until the final minute of play, the Jumbos were able to outwork their opponent and earn a non−conference road victory over the Golden Bears. It didn't come easy, but the national No. 6 Jumbos' 10th consecutive win marks the best start and longest winning streak in the program's 80−year history.
"I think we felt really motivated and all around really jacked up for the game going into it," sophomore midfielder Kevin McCormick said. "Not only for revenge but to keep our season going as well as it has been. We definitely had revenge in the back of our minds, but it was more about staying undefeated."
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Jumbos were clinging to a slim 10−8 lead, but the Golden Bears were determined not to go down without a fight. As the game got more physical, with four penalties coming in the first two minutes of the period, it became clear the match was going to be won by the team that kept its composure. Though WNEC scored first in the stanza to cut the lead to one, the composed team proved to be Tufts.
Not rattled, Tufts senior tri−captain midfielder Doug DiSesa answered to put his team up by two for the fifth time in the game. The cushion didn't last long, however, as WNEC freshman attacker Corrigan Harreys scored to make it 11−10 with 5:12 to play. But junior attackers D.J. Hessler and Ryan Molloy made sure that Tufts would stay undefeated, teaming up for the insurance goal just over a minute later. Sophomore attacker Sean Kirwan sealed the deal when he converted on Molloy's next feed with 58 seconds on the clock to move the Jumbos to 10−0 on the year.
"We're always really confident that no matter what we can come out and win," said junior midfielder Matt Witko when asked about the close fourth−quarter. "We always stress that we just need the next goal. That's our attitude — that if we score the next goal we'll be fine."
The Jumbos got off to a good start in this one, with Hessler and McCormick opening the scoring in the first quarter as Tufts jumped out to a 2−0 lead. But WNEC junior midfielder Mike Santare was quick to respond. Kirwan then added the first of his hat trick, only to be negated by two Golden Bears goals, with the second coming from sophomore midfielder Patrick White with just a second left on the first−period clock, tying the score up at 3−3.
In the next stanza, Kirwan struck first and then Molloy and Hessler combined — this time with Hessler on the assist — to stretch the lead back to two, 5−3. Santare and Hessler than traded goals before Santare's third set off a WNEC run that put the Golden Bears up 7−6 at the half.
"We have been pretty used to this kind of comeback," McCormick said. "Especially with the Skidmore game … so we just had to settle down and forget about our mistakes and play our game."
After the break, Santare beat Tufts' sophomore goalkeeper Steven Foglietta one more time before he was silenced for the remainder of the half. Down 8−6, the Jumbos rallied as back−to−back goals from Witko started a four−goal streak that turned the tables in Tufts' favor for good, closing out the third up 10−8.
"We just started finishing better on the same opportunities they were giving us in the beginning of the game," Witko said.
"We have been a really good second−half team the last few games — we've just been starting off too slow — and I think it just shows how good we can be if we played a full 60 minutes," McCormick added.
Foglietta, the most recent NESCAC Co−Player of the Week, was arguably the biggest factor early in the game, making seven saves in the first quarter to keep Tufts even with the Bears. The defensive unit as a whole may have been a deciding factor on the day, as WNEC held the advantage in shots, ground balls and face−offs, but was kept to one goal on six extra−man opportunities.
"Every offensive possession starts with a stop on defense," McCormick said. "Our goal play has been phenomenal, and I think every big play gets everyone pumped up and starts a chain reaction … it's electrifying. Everyone feeds off each other and we can't get these big wins in the games coming up unless everyone's on the same page, both offense and defense."
The defensive composure and the robust offense that the team displayed on Tuesday night will be more important than ever on Saturday, as the Jumbos prepare to take on the only other undefeated team in the NESCAC — No. 8 Conn. College.
The Camels have proven tenacious, boasting 11 consecutive wins, but lack big numbers in the stats column. In their matches over Middlebury, Bowdoin and Williams, the scores were 8−7, 8−7 in overtime and 7−6, respectively. Both Conn. College and Tufts have proven their mettle late in games, with each side consistently winning this season with last−minute rallies and defensive consistency.
But Tufts is arguably the more explosive side, with bigger offensive threats in NESCAC point−leader Hessler, Molloy and Witko. And if it comes to a fourth−quarter scoring battle, the combination of the Jumbos' junior scoring trio and the impervious, as−of−late, defensive unit could prove victorious. But, it is the NESCAC, and with two perfect records and the chance to host the fast−approaching conference tournament on the line, emotions could nullify any pregame predictions.
"When we prepare for other teams, we don't take into account their history," Witko said. "We're focused on being 1−0 on our next game … and Connecticut College is the only team that can hurt us right now. We just have to come out firing from the start and dictate the tempo of the game, and we're confident we can get another win."
