Teams: Men's Lacrosse: Schedule & Results

JUMBOS LOSE FIRST NESCAC GAME AT WILLIAMS, 11-5

COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE FINAL SCORE
Williams 11    Tufts 5

At Williamstown, MA
Monday, April 16, 2007

Game Box Score

Chris Connelly scored three of the five Tufts goals

WILLIAMSTOWN -- The Williams men's lacrosse team handed the Tufts Jumbos their first NESCAC loss of the season by a score of 11-5 on Monday. Mike Vrla and Tim White both scored three goals for the Ephs (6-3, 4-2 in NESCAC). Tufts fell to an overall record of 9-2, 5-1 in NESCAC.

The first three quarters were marked by very intense, strong play from both sides despite the rainy, chilly weather. Not until the fourth quarter did either team establish a lead greater than two goals. White opened up scoring for Williams, followed by a Mike Vrla tally at the end of the first quarter to give the Ephs an early 2-0 lead.

Senior Chris Connelly (Wilton, CT) of Tufts answered for the Jumbos with an unassisted goal to open the second quarter. Tufts would score twice more after Mike Vrla scored for Williams off a Dixon Hargrove feed. After Connor Ginsberg (New Haven, CT) scored to pull the Jumbos within 3-2, the first half ended with a flurry of goals in the final two and a half minutes. Connelly scored another unassisted goal for Tufts to tie the score at 3-3. Williams won the ensuing face-off that resulted in a Tim White goal just 14 seconds later. Kevin Connolly of Williams scored less than a minute later to bring the Williams advantage to 5-3 at the half.

Connelly completed his hat trick with the only goal of the third quarter to slice the Ephs' lead to 5-4. Tufts sophomore Chase Bibby (Marblehead, MA) tied the game at 5-5 early in the fourth quarter. However, Williams would then go on a 6-0 run to close out the game. Six different players scored those six goals.

Sophomore Matt Harrigan (Darnestown, MD) played a spectacular game in goal for Tufts, making 16 saves. Mike Gerbush of Williams made nine saves, including six in the second half. Williams held a 39-28 advantage in shots and narrowly won the ground-ball battle, 31-27. The fourth quarter Williams run was made possible because the Ephs won six of eight face-offs in the period.

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