2 ranked wins propel men’s lacrosse to 4–0 start

by Matt Chen Sports Editor

Tufts men’s lacrosse enters every season with the expectation of success, and the start to this one has been no different. In a four-day stretch that has seen the No. 2 Jumbos face two nationally ranked opponents, Tufts showed grit and poise, allowing them to continue their undefeated start to the 2023 season.

On Saturday, Tufts traveled west to No. 12 Amherst for a showdown with their NESCAC rivals. In a back-and-forth game that saw 44 total goals, the Jumbos came back to Medford with a 23–21 win to improve their record to 3–0 overall and 2–0 in the NESCAC.

It was Amherst who started the game strong, leading 9–6 after the first quarter and leading by as many as five goals in the second.

“Defensively we started off slow, giving up too many shots inside,” senior midfielder Joe Murtha said. “[We] weren’t picking up the 50–50 ground balls, giving them too many opportunities.”

Midway through the second quarter, Tufts began to fight back. A goal from firstyear LSM Ben Frisoli kickstarted a 4–0 run from the Jumbos to close out the first half, heading into the locker room trailing by only a goal.

The second half saw both teams exchange goals until early in the fourth quarter when a goal from senior attacker Tommy Swank to tie the game at 20 started the Jumbos’ game-winning stretch. Goals from senior midfielder Jack Boyden, senior attacker Kurt Bruun and sophomore defender George Panagopoulos ensured the Jumbos would return to Medford with a win.

Despite the slow start, Tufts picked up 18 more ground balls than Amherst and won eight more faceoffs.

“We have at least one or two drills that are dedicated for ground balls every practice,” Murtha said. “A lot of the times whenever you get more ground balls, you’re gonna end up on top.”

While every team would like to coast through their regular season schedule, that is simply not the case for most. However, playing difficult games like this early in the season has its benefits, namely getting early experience playing against teams with the talent and hunger to compete in the NCAA Tournament come May.

“When you’re playing a team that has the same talent as you, talent means nothing,” Murtha said. “It just puts us in those situations that we will be in at the end of May.”

Back at Bello Field on Tuesday, Tufts faced off against yet another nationally ranked opponent, this time No. 7 University of Lynchburg. Playing in less-than-desirable weather conditions, the Jumbos improved to 4–0 on the season with a convincing 19–4 win over the visiting Hornets.

The Jumbos’ defense stood sound throughout the first half, forcing 20 turnovers and allowing only two goals from Lynchburg to lead 9–2 at the break.

The second half was more of the same, as the Hornets only managed two more goals, unable to find a way to stop the Jumbos’ attack. Brunn had five goals while sophomore midfielder Charlie Tagliaferri added three of his own.

As a team, Tufts outshot Lynchburg 62–21 and forced 40 turnovers. The Jumbos also picked up 57 ground balls to the Hornets’ 25 and won 11 more faceoffs.

In what has become a pattern early on in the season, the Jumbos have seen contributions from players across all four class years. Whether it is a first-year or a senior captain, Tufts has the privilege of having one of the deepest rosters in all of Division III every season.

In the Amherst game, Frisoli and fellow first-years Ethan O’Neill, Victor

Salcedo and Jack Regnery all had contributions logged on the box score, with numerous sophomores getting on the stat sheet as well.

The Lynchburg game saw multiple underclassmen also log contributions in the box score in addition to the established juniors and seniors.

“We have a lot of fresh guys, fresh legs on the bench to throw in there,” Murtha said. “It really makes a big difference going through the third quarter and fourth quarter stretch.”

Tufts men’s lacrosse has become synonymous with success, having won 11 NESCAC titles and three NCAA Division III Championships. The team enters each season with high expectations and while postseason goals are certainly in the players’ minds, Murtha says the team is focused on taking the season one day at a time.

“While we have our goals in the back of our minds, at the front of our minds, we have every opponent,” Murtha said. “We really have to take every single opponent seriously.”

With multiple NESCAC games left in the season as well as some tough non-conference matchups, this Tufts team is certainly not a finished product. Cutting down on mistakes and being disciplined will be key to seeing how far this year’s team goes in the postseason, but if they are able to, we could be seeing yet another successful season for the Tufts men’s lacrosse program.

“Everyone on the team sees the potential that we have,” Murtha said. “But we know we have to work to maximize that potential every day.”

While this coming week is spring break for most Tufts students, the Jumbos will stay busy and travel to New Jersey on Sunday for yet another ranked matchup, this time against No. 20 Stevens Institute of Technology.

Timothy Valk The Wraparound Be bad for Bedard

It’s not often that the race for last is as intense as the race for first, but this NHL season has toppled that trend.

All eyes — owners, general managers, coaches and fans — are on 17-year-old Connor Bedard, the crown jewel of this year’s entry draft. Bedard is considered to be not only the best player in his draft class but also a rare, “generational” prospect. Many believe he is the best since Connor McDavid entered the league in 2015 — and the two of them share more traits than just a first name.

Bedard, a Vancouver kid, plays for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League and started with them after being granted “exceptional player status” by Hockey Canada in 2020, allowing him to enter the major juniors a year early. He recently competed in the World Junior Championships for Team Canada, breaking the Canadian record for all-time points with 36, knocking the great Eric Lindros off the throne. Bedard is a 5-foot10 playmaking center who thrives in all aspects of the game — footspeed, creativity, shooting, defensive instincts, you name it. Dynamite on the ice and a highlight reel goal waiting to happen, Bedard is a bundle of high-end skill wrapped up in one 17-year-old.

It therefore comes as no surprise that NHL general managers have been ogling at Bedard all year, though honestly, some have been ogling since his toddler self was lacing up skates. A look at the current standings shows that Columbus, San Jose, Chicago and Anaheim are in the thick of the loser’s race. With the current NHL Draft Lottery system, where the last-place team only has a 25% chance of getting the No. 1 overall pick, the importance of finishing at the bottom is diminished, but teams will still do everything they can to stack the odds in their favor.

Whichever team plays the ping pong balls right will be adding an immediate superstar to their roster who almost certainly will shape their franchise for years to come. Remember the name: Connor Bedard.

A few other thoughts from around the NHL:

1. Speaking of McDavid, the Oiler has 56 goals and 129 points through 68 games. Video game stuff.

2. Unlike last year when the playoff picture was wrapped up before January, the Eastern wild card race is on! The Penguins and Islanders currently hold playoff spots, but the Panthers, Sabres, Capitals and Senators are all within 7 points of taking those spots. Florida and Ottawa especially have heated up lately — can they catch up with under 20 games left to play?

3. No team has disappointed more than the Calgary Flames this season, who now sit 6 points out of a wild card in the West. Calgary has been too inconsistent and can’t score enough to remain relevant. Old-school head coach Darryl Sutter is popular among management, but could changes be coming to the bench next season?

4. L.A. Kings cup-winning goaltender Jonathan Quick, who was stunningly traded to Vegas by way of Columbus at the deadline has had himself quite the start in Sin City. A 3–0 record and .939 save percentage — Quick is sticking it to the Kings for moving him.

Enjoy this week’s action as the playoff push arrives in full gear!

Timothy Valk is a sophomore studying quantitative economics. Timothy can be reached at timothy.valk@tufts.edu.