COLLEGE MEN'S
LACROSSE FINAL SCORE
NESCAC Tournament First Round
At Medford, MA
Sunday, May 2, 2004
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Connecticut College (5-11) |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
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7 |
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Tufts (13-2) |
1 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
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9 |
Goals: T: Bryan Griffin 4, Mark Warner 2, Michael Hughes 1, Devin Clarke 1, Stephen Ginsburg 1; CC: Jordan Yearsley 3, Russ Chase 2, Dave Schwartz 1, Jess Williams 1.
Assists: T: Griffin 2, Mike O’Brien 1, Rory Doucette 1; CC: Brad Luckhardt 2, Chase 1, Tom Anderson 1, Lane Carpenter 1.
Saves: T: Luke Chicco (60:00 – 7 GA) 11 saves; CC, Topher Grossman (60:00 – 9 GA) 16 saves.
MEDFORD – The 12th ranked Tufts University Men’s Lacrosse team earned a hard-fought, 9-7 victory over Connecticut College in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament on Kraft Field Sunday afternoon. Junior All-American Bryan Griffin (West Islip, NY) figured in two-thirds of the Jumbos’ goals with four scores and two assists.
Tufts, which set a team record for victories with its 13th, advances to play in the NESCAC semi-finals at Middlebury College next Saturday (May 8). The #2 seed Jumbos (13-2) will face #3 seed Wesleyan, an 8-7 winner over Trinity on Sunday. Top seed Middlebury will play #4 seed Amherst, which beat Bowdoin 6-5 in a first-round match-up.
The Jumbos and Camels faced each other for the second straight day following a 13-9 Tufts victory in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The teams traded the first four goals before Griffin potted a pair exactly a minute apart that gave the Jumbos a 4-2 lead at halftime.
Tufts built the margin to 7-3 by scoring three of the first four goals in the second half, including Griffin’s fourth at 7:47 of the third quarter. The Tufts lead was 7-4 heading into the final quarter, and they pushed it to 9-5 on the second goal of the game by freshman Mark Warner (Wading River, NY) at 11:36.
Tufts did not score again, and the Camels rallied to within 9-7. Freshman Jordan Yearsley’s (Export, PA) third goal of the game at 8:11 and a goal by senior tri-captain Jess Williams (Concord, MA) at 6:23 made for an exciting finish to a feisty game that featured 12 penalties. The Camels could not get any closer despite several possessions in the closing minutes.
Junior Topher Grossman (Villanova, PA) was excellent again in the Camel net, making 16 stops including 10 in the first half. In addition to Yearsley’s three goals and two by sophomore Russ Chase (Nantucket, MA), sophomore Brad Luckhardt (Needham, MA) tallied two assists for Connecticut College.
Junior Luke Chicco (Merrick, NY) had 11 saves in the Tufts goal.
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