Teams: Men's Lacrosse: Press Releases

MCNALLY EARNS TEAM'S SECOND CONSECUTIVE NESCAC WEEKLY HONOR

MEDFORD -- For the second time in as many weeks to start the 2009 season, a Tufts University men's lacrosse starter on attack is the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week. Senior tri-captain Clem McNally (Far Hills, NJ/St. George's) scored a dozen goals in a 2-0 week for the Jumbos, joining sophomore D.J. Hessler (Monkton, MD/St. Paul's) as NESCAC honorees.

McNally scored five goals during a 22-8 Tufts win at Lasell on Tuesday that was the most goals by the team since April 1999 versus Assumption. He then tied his career-high, and matched the third-best single-game total in team history, with seven goals in a NESCAC game against Colby at Bello Field on Saturday afternoon. The seven tallies were the most by a Jumbo since McNally netted seven against Bates on April 30, 2007. Tufts defeated Colby 14-9 to improve to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the league.

Against Colby, McNally scored twice in the first period to help Tufts to an early 4-0 lead. He scored five of the team's first seven goals overall as the Jumbos took a 7-3 advantage, but Colby fought back. The Mules were within 9-7 after three quarters. The Jumbos put the game away with a five-goal run to open the fourth. McNally scored twice and assisted on another. He finished the game with a career-high eight points.

Tufts leads NESCAC with 51 goals in three games, 14 more than second-place Amherst (37). McNally's 14 goals overall lead the league and he's tied for second in overall scoring with Hessler at 16 points. Tufts sophomore Ryan Molloy (Setauket, NY/Setauket), the other starter on attack, leads the conference with 17 points (10g, 7a).

The 14 goals give McNally 100 in his career. He is the fifth player in team history to reach that milestone. This is the second career Player of the Week honor he's received from NESCAC. As a freshman in 2006, he was selected after scoring eight times in his first two starts of the season late in the year. He scored 40 goals as a sophomore in 2007, tied for the seventh-best single-season amount.

After not receiving a NESCAC Player of the Week honor last season, Tufts already has two early in '09.

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