JUMBOS PULL RANK ON #15 BOWDOIN, 10-8

COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE FINAL SCORE
Tufts 10    Bowdoin 8

At Medford, MA
Wednesday, April 3, 2002

Goals: T, Jon Zissi 3, Alex Kerwin 3, Jim Mandler, Bryan Griffin, David Supple, Doug Gould; B, Josh Allen 3, Adam Fleit 3, Hunter Walter, Simon McKay.

Assists: T, Zissi 2, Mandler, Griffin, Kerwin, Drew Innis, Marco Cedrone; B, Walter, Allen.

Saves: T, Kirk Lutwyler 14; B, P.J. Prest 11.

MEDFORD -- Host Tufts University scored seven goals in the second period and held off a Bowdoin rally to beat the 15th ranked Polar Bears, 10-8, in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's lacrosse action on Wednesday afternoon.

Senior Jon Zissi (Winchester, MA) scored three goals with two assists, and senior goalkeeper Kirk Lutwyler (Ridgewood, NJ) made 14 saves, as the Jumbos beat the Polar Bears for the first time since 1994. The Tufts victory ended a string of nine straight wins in the series by Bowdoin.

The visitors led 2-0 after the first period on goals by senior Adam Fleit (Norton, MA) at 13:12 and by classmate Josh Allen (Saugus, MA) at 9:17. Zissi then started the Tufts second-period onslaught with his first at 12:57. Within barely 90 seconds, Tufts had the lead for good at 3-2 when freshman Bryan Griffin (West Islip, NY) scored at 11:20 of the second. The Jumbos added four more goals and led 7-2 at the break.

Bowdoin recovered strongly after the break and surged to within 8-6 at 4:43 of the third following back-to-back goals by Adams. Fleit had netted consecutive scores for the visitors early in the period. The Jumbos closed the period strong, with goals by junior Alex Kerwin (Bethesda, MD) and Zissi making the score 10-6 Tufts after three.

With a heavy rain coming down at the start of the fourth period, the Tufts defense, led by Lutwyler, was able to weather a steady attack by the Polar Bears. Bowdoin eventually broke through with goals by senior Simon McKay (Carlisle, MA) and classmate Hunter Walker (Pepper Pike, OH) to pull within 10-8 with 2:29 to play. The Bears had a shot clank off the crossbar in the closing minutes, but soon Tufts was rushing the field after the biggest victory of fourth-year head coach Mike Daly's career.

Kerwin had three goals and an assist for Tufts, which improved to 5-1 and 2-0 in NESCAC. Allen and Fleit scored three times for Bowdoin, which got 11 saves from senior keeper P.J. Prest (Potomac, MD).

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