The men's lacrosse team defeated Stevens by a score of 23-12 in its home-opener on Tuesday. The No. 4 Jumbos are now 3-0 on the season behind a six-goal, four-assist performance from senior tri-captain Beau Wood.
Tufts got off to a quick start, scoring in the first 10 seconds, but Stevens came right back in the first seven minutes of the game to take a 3-2 advantage. The Jumbos then went on a run, scoring three goals in three minutes to take a 5-4 lead before the end of the first quarter. Tufts outshot Stevens 12-11 in the first quarter, but failed to take advantage of five Stevens' turnovers.
The second quarter, however, was a different story. The Jumbos outscored the Ducks 8-2 to take a comfortable seven-goal lead. The quarter started off back and forth with each team making runs, but Tufts closed out strong with four-straight goals. In the second quarter, Tufts controlled possession and took 15 more shots than Stevens. Wood, and fellow junior attackman Cole Bailey, combined for four of Tufts' eight goals in the quarter.
"We just focused on what we needed to do, and that's just playing our game," sophomore midfielder AJ Enchill said. "We stuck to our defense and to what Tufts does best, which is [to] play Tufts lacrosse."
Tufts continued to play well through the third quarter, as Bailey added three more goals, accompanied by a goal from both Wood and senior midfielder Peter Bowers. Tufts' defense also tightened up, holding Stevens to one goal on 10 shots.
In the fourth quarter, Tufts held its ground, matching Stevens' five goals with five of its own to make the final score 23 -12. The Ducks made several runs throughout the last two quarters, but were unable to catch up to the Jumbos, whose offense continued to score at will.
"We were very well aware of the talent on [Stevens]," said head coach Mike Daly. "We were able to capitalize on a few things and get that 8-2 breathing room [in the second quarter], but even then, through that third quarter and fourth quarter, you start to lose face-offs and put yourself in a position where [the other team] can make a run."
In the end, the Jumbos were able to maintain their lead and take the victory. Although Wood and Bailey led the way with six and five goals, respectively, 10 different players ended up scoring for the Jumbos. The team also ended the game with 14 assists.
Senior tri-captains Kane Delaney and Dan Alles made significant contributions, especially on the defensive end. Delaney and Alles, along with Wood, return this season looking to close out their careers with strong individual and team performances.
"Those guys - Kane, Alles, and Beau [Wood] - just care about calming your nerves," said Enchill. "We have a bunch of new guys on our defense, but we all know how to play lacrosse, and they make that clear every day."
Although many on the squad look up to the captains as leaders, Daly sees many of the team's members as examples for the newer players.
"We really put the leadership of our team on the entire senior class," Daly said. "Our captains go out for the coin toss and lead the stretch, but other than that we count on everybody. The best teams... have had leadership throughout the roster."
Daly, who has enjoyed 15 seasons as the head coach at Tufts, was ranked No. 9 on th "New England's Greatest Coaches" list released by New England Lacrosse Journal on Feb. 28. Under his leadership, the Jumbos have won the past four NESCAC championships, including a national championship in 2010.
The Jumbos appear to be on the path to another successful season this year, having outscored their first three opponents by 28. However, as Daly acknowledges, there is still much room for improvement.
"There is a lot of encouraging things and a lot of things we need to get better at, so we're busy working on that every day. That's where the focus is," Daly said. "It's a long season. There is still a lot of lacrosse to be played."
