Tufts men’s lacrosse made the trip to Waterville, Maine last weekend, on a mission to preserve their unbroken win streak in 2025 and secure another conference victory for the Jumbos.
The game marked junior superstar Jack Regnery’s return from injury, and he made a statement, earning a hat trick before the end of the first quarter on his way to four total goals on the day. Tufts dominated every offensive category in the contest, notching 70 shots on goal to Colby’s 29, winning 19 of 28 face-offs and controlling 42 ground balls, double Colby’s total. Goals from Regnery, junior Brooks Hauser and sophomore Will Emsing added to the Jumbos’ 7–3 lead going into halftime, and they pulled away in the third quarter, with senior Cam Delcristo setting the tone by scoring only 27 seconds into the frame. But it was the Jumbo defense that put the game out of reach for the Mules. Tufts forced 25 Colby turnovers, earning extra possessions that turned into scoring chances for the top offense in the NESCAC. The Mules pulled within six points in the late minutes of the third, but the Jumbos responded with four unanswered goals to stifle any opposing momentum, on their way to a 15–7 win.
The start of the 2025 campaign could not be more promising for the reigning NCAA Division III national champions, and team leadership has been impressed by how players have embraced new and increased responsibilities. Assistant Coach Owen Sedransk noted junior Garrett Kelly and Emsing as breakout players so far in 2025.
“[They’re] both playing on the first line middie right now, sort of transitioning from being a younger player to being more of a leader on the team throughout the off-season, very vocal kids at practice,” Sedransk said. “Obviously Will Emsing was a freshman last year, so sort of getting adjusted to college ball, and I feel like he’s settled into his role on the team as a first line middie now. And then Garrett Kelly is just focused on getting bigger, stronger, faster in the off season. I think both of them are off to a great start so far.”
Emsing notched his 10th goal of the season in the game against Colby, while Kelly had an assist to bring his season point total to 19.
Highlight-reel offense has become a fixture of the program in recent years, and the Jumbos are known for delivering high-scoring games, but Sedransk commended the defense for leading the way as tone-setters by suffocating opposing offenses.
“Obviously over the last few years, all the talk in the world has been about our offense, how we score so many goals [every] game, but there hasn’t been so much talk about our defense. Having three guys who have been four-year starters, who are all seniors, starting at Close D, and then obviously Garzone, fifth year, in the cage, has really been lockdown for us,” Sedransk said. “Having a lot of senior leadership on the defensive end … really makes us a confident group ready to go out there, ready to shut down offenses and not give up too many goals during the games.”
Though the Jumbos’ record indicates a string of dominant performances, they have faced adversity, most dramatically in an overtime win against No. 3 Christopher Newport University. Players are battle-tested regularly in practices to prepare for the inevitable challenges of competing in a conference with as much talent as the NESCAC. The coaches design practices to be competitive and, at times, cutthroat.
“We always say we have to have our best practice of the year every single day, and so it’s super important for us just to be getting 1% better every single day. And bringing the competitiveness is something that’s also huge … The guys may be friends off the field, they may be buddies, they may be roommates, but on the field they are competitors, they are athletes, and so it’s important that they’re really going at each other, being competitive in practice, bringing the hate for one another. That makes the guys better,” Sedransk said.
After a midweek victory against Williams, another conference matchup with Wesleyan looms for Tufts on Saturday, and the Jumbos look to reach double-digits in the win column. With only a couple of days of practice between games, every repetition requires more focus to sharpen skills in short periods of time.
“I think that one of the main focuses is just toughness. Any NESCAC game is gonna be a battle, it’s gonna be a ground ball battle, it’s gonna be a battle in the middle of the field,” Sedransk said. “Staying mentally and physically tough throughout the game and picking up ground balls, doing the tough guy work, doing the dirty work will allow us to be successful this weekend.”
