Teams: Men's Lacrosse: Schedule & Results

STRONG START PROPELS #8 JUMBOS TO 10-5 VICTORY AGAINST #15 MIDDLEBURY

COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE FINAL SCORE
Tufts 10, Middlebury 5

At Medford, MA
Saturday, April 24, 2010

Game Box Score

Junior long-stick middie Alec Bialosky scored two second-half goals to help protect the Tufts lead

MEDFORD -- Sophomore Sean Kirwan (Boonton Township, NJ) scored two of his game-high four goals during a 5-0 opening run by the Tufts University men's lacrosse team, leading to a 10-5 Jumbo victory against Middlebury College in a NESCAC game between nationally ranked squads on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon at Bello Field.

The #8 Jumbos, who tied their program record for regular-season wins, improved to 12-1 overall and 7-1 in NESCAC. Sophomore goalie Steve Foglietta (Oceanside, NY) stopped 13 of Middlebury's 18 shots on goal in the game. The #15 Panthers, who dropped to 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the league, lost for the first time in four games. Junior David Hild (West Hartford, CT) led the visitors with two goals.

The Jumbos were up 4-0 at the end of the first period. Kirwan netted two of the goals, while junior D.J. Hessler (Monkton, MD) had a goal and an assist. After Tufts sophomore Kevin McCormick (Laytonsville, MD) scored at 10:09 of the second quarter making it 5-0, Middlebury got on the scoreboard when Hild scored at 8:23. However, Kirwan tallied his third of the game and the Jumbos went back up by five at 6-1.

The Panthers finished the first half strong with goals by freshman Erich Pfeffer (Glastonbury, CT) and sophomore Tim Cahill (Glastonbury, CT) pulling them within 6-3. When junior Andrew Conner (Alexandria, VA) scored the opening goal of the second half at 12:02, Middlebury trailed by two at 6-4.

At this critical juncture, the Jumbos scored the next two, including junior long-stick middie Alec Bialosky's (Moreland Hills, OH) goal at 4:50 of the third for an 8-4 advantage. Middlebury's Hild made it a three-goal deficit (8-5) again, but Bialosky scored his second at 11:03 of the final period. Tufts would blank Middlebury in the fourth quarter, and added a goal by junior Ryan Molloy (Setauket, NY) to finish it off.

Foglietta was sharp all game for Tufts, making 13 saves to hold Middlebury to its fewest goals of the season. Bialosky added an assist and two ground balls to his game, while Hessler recorded a goal, two assists and four ground balls. Senior Evan Crosby (Yarmouthport, MA) had four ground balls defensively.

Middlebury finished with a healthy 17-12 advantage in face-offs. Freshman Brian Foster (Medfield, MA) was six for eight, and sophomore Peter Jennings (Wellesley, MA) was six for 11. Sophomore Alex Englert (Wellesley, MA) scooped up four ground balls for the Panthers. Junior Ryan Deane (Grosse Pointe, MI) made 14 saves in Middlebury's cage.

Tufts plays its regular-season and conference finale next Friday night (Apr. 30) under the lights at Bello against Bowdoin beginning at 7 pm. Middlebury is at Williams that day for a 6 pm start.

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