The men's lacrosse team, already off to a sizzling start for its 2009 campaign, continued its winning ways on Saturday, defeating No. 12 Wesleyan 12-10 in a roaring comeback effort played at Bello Field.
The Jumbos, ranked No. 9 in the nation, erased a second-half 9-5 deficit to stay perfect on the season. With the victory, Tufts remained tied with Bowdoin for first in the NESCAC standings.
"It was a huge win," senior tri-captain Jordan Yarboro said. "The comeback was definitely something else. At halftime, [coach Mike Daly] said that the next 30 minutes would define what type of team we were. Instead of packing it in, we took charge."
"It was a big win because they were a very good team," junior tri-captain Mike Droesch added. "It took mental toughness to come back from that deficit. At halftime, the coaches' message was to relax and keep playing the way we've been playing."
The Cardinals, who had won six straight games heading into this weekend's matchup, came out aggressively at the start of the game, firing off 10 shots in the first quarter to just four for the Jumbos. That aggression paid off on the scoreboard, as Wesleyan built up a 7-3 lead with 3:13 remaining in the first half.
"I don't think Wesleyan came out doing anything too special," Yarboro said. "Our defense lost sight of the fundamentals a little bit."
Wesleyan maintained a four-goal edge, extending it as far as 9-5 until midway through the third quarter, when senior tri-captain Clem McNally -- who recorded a game-high six goals -- rattled off a trio of scores to bring the Jumbos within one. Sophomore attackman D.J. Hessler assisted on the first two of those goals, while classmate Ryan Molloy fed McNally on the third. Hessler, who had five assists on the day, was particularly effective from behind the net, where he would often set up plays or direct traffic.
"Clem, D.J. and Ryan work well together," Yarboro said. "It's difficult against Wesleyan because they're a heavy zone team, so you have to be patient offensively and wait for your chances."
Wesleyan senior Adam Kirk scored a goal with 25 seconds to go in the third quarter to extend the Cardinals' lead back to two goals, 10-8, but the Jumbos countered with four straight goals to end the game. Sophomore midfielder Matt Witko scored the go-ahead goal with less than six minutes remaining, while senior midfielder Chase Bibby's goal with 20 seconds left on the clock served to pad the score.
"In the second half we did a good job of sticking with the game plan and just executing better," Droesch said. "I give credit to them for the way they came out, and I think we lost our composure a bit. But we regained it."
In the second half, we settled down and were jumping out when they tried to dodge," Yarboro added. "We were able to win the ground balls and clear the ball, and we know what our offense can do when we get them the ball."
The statistics tell the story of a game Tufts had to fight hard to win. The Jumbos were outshot for the first time all season, and Wesleyan won 14 of the 26 faceoffs. Senior goalie Matt Harrigan managed nine saves on the day despite allowing all 10 Cardinal goals through the first three quarters.
Next up for Tufts is a contest with Bates -- a team that Tufts has defeated eight consecutive times dating back to 2003 -- at home tomorrow. Though the Bobcats currently sit at the bottom of the conference standings, the Jumbos anticipate a competitive game. Bates lost a tight game, 11-8, to Wesleyan earlier this month.
"They're a good team," Yarboro said. "They're a fighting team; they won't give up. We've got to play the full 60 minutes, and as a defense, we have to win the ground balls and give our offense some work."
"We still have a lot of games left," he continued. "We need to keep improving on our mistakes. We're still looking for that complete game."
