Instead of spending its spring break lounging on the beach and sunbathing, the men's lacrosse team swept a three-game slate against three tough opponents. The intense schedule began on March 20 in a game against a Colby squad that had lost to the Jumbos twice last season and ended with a crucial 10-9 squeaker at home versus Williams.
The Tufts squad returned home after a long week with one final date on its spring break agenda: last Saturday's against Williams at Bello Field. The Jumbos' home opener was a nail-biter; although Tufts never trailed Williams, they never led the Ephs by more than two goals.
"[The Williams game] is always a big rivalry game; I still remember being knocked out of the conference playoffs by them my freshman year," junior goalie Bryan Petillo said. "We knew it was going to be a dogfight. We expected that. Every game from here on out is a big game."
After many lead changes in the first half, junior D.J. Hessler netted a quick goal early in the third to put the Jumbos up 6-4. Williams came back to tie it again, with junior Corey Jacobs scoring his second of the game at 6:21 to push it to a 6-6 stalemate. The Jumbos offered a swift reply, finding the net twice more as senior Jamie Atkins scored and assisted for an 8-6 lead at the end of third quarter.
Williams junior Matt Cranshaw assisted consecutive goals to senior Richard Reuter and junior Mike Ryan to bring the two teams back to a deadlock at nine apiece, before Tufts junior Matt Witko scored the game-winner with less than six minutes left to play.
In the final few minutes of the game, Petillo made three key saves to deny a Williams response. Petillo and Ephs senior goalie Stephen Vrla both finished with 14 saves. Tufts narrowly edged Williams on a 39-36 in ground balls, while face-off wins favored the visitors 12-9.
"It was tough throughout the entire game; they stayed with us the entire time, but finally we were able to finish it," sophomore Kevin McCormick said. "The games we played were the toughest so far this season. Having no distractions during the break helps us prepare for the rest of the season."
The contest went back and forth until Colby evened the score at 9-9 late in the fourth quarter on a goal by junior Mark Squicciarino. But with 3:54 left in the game, Hessler notched the game-winning goal off of a pass from junior Alec Bialosky.
The Jumbos maintained the lead for a 10-9 victory, with Tufts sophomore Steven Foglietta making 12 saves, including five in the final quarter. Hessler and sophomore Sean Kirwan both finished the game with three goals.
"We just stayed with our plan, stuck to the basics and maintained our confidence," Kirwan said. "We worked hard in the off-season, and prepared ourselves for the difficult situations in practice."
On Wednesday, after trailing 9-7 at halftime against a stout Skidmore defense, the Jumbos regrouped to win 15-10 at Hofstra University's Shuart Stadium in spring break action. Tufts took the reins on the game in the second half, outscoring the Thoroughbreds 8-1. McCormick took over offensively in the third quarter, rattling off a spurt of two goals and one assist to classmate Kirwan.
"We prepare for real game situations in practice, so we are ready for the same situations whether we are behind or ahead" McCormick said. "Tough situations really never get the best of us."
In the fourth quarter, Tufts notched goals from five different players to seal the win. Petillo, who had entered the game in the third quarter, ended the game with six saves, including four in the final period.
"Both goalies have been playing well, but it was coach's [Mike Daly's] decision [to bring Petillo in]," Kirwan said. "Petillo stepped up, and that's exactly what we needed him to do."
"Coach often says to be ready when your chance comes," Petillo added. "Going into the game in the second half, I was focused strictly on being ready. It helps mentally to go through the games like we have played. Coming back after being down and maintaining a lead are real tests of mental fortitude."
The spring break victories pushed the Jumbos' record to 5-0 overall, including an unblemished 3-0 in conference play. With the win over Williams, the squad remains atop the NESCAC standings and will take on Wesleyan on the road this Saturday. The important thing, though, will be staying focused.
"It was a busy week; there was something intense planned all week long. The trip was a nice chance to be together and to keep everyone focused. It was something that we all signed up for," Petillo said. "Coach tells us that we have a target on our backs, and that is something we relish."
