Men's lacrosse downs WNEC 15-4 under the lights

    After the men's lacrosse team's heartbreaking loss to Trinity on Saturday, the then-nationally ranked No. 5 Jumbos hoped that it could be spun as a positive — serving as a reality check to keep the squad grounded and working hard. Based on last night's 15-4 routing of the No. 9 Western New England College (WNEC) Golden Bears, one could say — at the very least — that the Jumbos' fire has been reignited.
    Senior goalie Matt Harrigan had the best game of his season thus far, making 15 saves and taking charge of a stifling Jumbo defense that gave up its second-lowest goal total this season. Harrigan stepped strong to the ball all night and made several key quick-reaction and body saves that helped smother any hope the Golden Bears had of mounting a comeback. Not to be outdone was WNEC freshman goalie Brewster Knowlton, who had 15 saves himself and did a particularly good job of swallowing bounce shots and keeping his balance for quick clears.
    Unfortunately for Knowlton, the No. 10 Jumbos hit their stride late in the second quarter as they turned a 4-3 lead into a 9-3 lead in the span of 1:41 heading into the half. Tufts picked up on Knowlton's affinity for the bounce shot and started firing high, well above his 5'6" body, which led to success throughout the night.
    Sophomore D.J. Hessler, the NESCAC's leading points scorer, added on eight more points to his season total with five goals and three assists. Hessler was both the dealer and recipient of several beautiful lacrosse sequences, including a slow-break goal off a cross-crease pass from junior Zach Groen. Hessler also dished out three assists to classmate and co-attackman Ryan Molloy, including the only two goals scored in the third quarter.
    See tomorrow's Daily for further coverage.