This spring, the defending national champion men’s lacrosse team notched an impressive 12-2 regular season, but still has a long road ahead, as the No. 2 seed looks to repeat in this year’s upcoming NCAA tournament. Saturday, the Jumbos, who enjoyed a first-round bye in the NCAAs, held off Union College, winning 6-5 at home, although the Jumbos never led the Dutchmen by more than two in the second-round matchup.
“In the Union game, we were all fired up to play but I think we might have underestimated them a little bit,” senior quad-captain defensive midfielder Alec Bialosky said. “We got lulled to sleep on defense a few times and we weren’t quite playing at full speed a hundred percent of the time which could come back to bite us. Going forward, we need to have that laser-lock focus and look at the little things.”
In the regular season, the Jumbos topped the NESCAC, posting an impressive 8-1, in-conference record, and after dropping their final game to Bowdoin, the Jumbos rebounded in the NESCAC tournament. In the conference tournament, the Jumbos played some of their toughest lacrosse yet, and in a thrilling overtime finish, Tufts outlasted Middlebury 13-12, securing its second 2011 victory over the Panthers and repeating as NESCAC champions.
Tufts led Middlebury by four until the visiting Panthers staged a five-goal run to give them their first lead of the game with fewer than three minutes remaining. After junior midfielder Kevin McCormick tied the game again, Middlebury senior attackman David Hild delivered a silencing goal with a minute remaining to seemingly ensure a Middlebury victory.
“At this point in the season every team we play is capable of going on runs. If we make little mistakes they’re going to capitalize on them,” senior quad-captain attackman Ryan Molloy said. “In the fourth quarter, we want to come out and play for sixty minutes and maybe we had a five, six, seven-minute letdown. They’re a good team, they’re going to capitalize on those mistakes.”
In the final minute, however, Tufts regained possession, and after sophomore defensive midfielder Sam Diss cleared the ball across the restraining line, coach Mike Daly called a Jumbos timeout.
After the huddle, the Jumbos fired two shots off the mark, but senior quad-captain midfielder Matt Witko maintained his composure, firing a top left-corner rocket past goalkeeper Ryan Deane to tie the game with nine seconds remaining and force extra time.
In overtime, the two teams traded possessions until Bialosky forced a turnover on the Panthers, allowing Molloy to complete a pass to junior attackman Sean Kirwan for the golden goal.
“On that groundball I got, [sophomore defender] John Heard was doing a great job on-ball, forced a pass and we slid to the guy he threw it to so he had to make another pass and the kid just dropped it. It was pretty simple,” Bialosky said. “Then we just attacked, which is our philosophy. We never slow it down, and we just got off that quick pass to Ryan, to Sean, to the goal.”
“It’s the nature of the NESCAC to play in so many close games that we’re in that situation over and over again throughout the season. So we’re not nervous; we’re kind of excited and anxious and looking for the opportunity,” Molloy added. “Thank god Alec came up with that groundball and pushed transition and because of the way we play we’re able to not take a timeout and score that goal and end the game.”
In the conference semifinals, Tufts delivered an equally exciting last minute victory over Bowdoin. In the fourth quarter, the Jumbos led the Polar Bears 10-5, when Bowdoin launched a five-goal, six-minute scoring campaign to tie with four minutes left.
After several threatening Bowdoin possessions, freshman goalkeeper Patton Watkins controlled a Gilman clear from senior goalie Jake McCampbell, and aired a last-ditch clear out with just 12 seconds remaining. Senior quad-captain attackman D.J. Hessler controlled the outlet and flicked it to Molloy.
Molloy then faked out McCampbell, launching a low bounce-shot past the goalkeeper’s left side and into the back of the net with 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock to seal the victory.
“Honestly, at that point, I was just hoping that they didn’t score,” Molloy said. “When Patton caught the ball I thought he was probably going to hold it but then he sent it down the field and really nothing was in my mind other than that instinct took over. D.J. threw it to me and I didn’t even realize how much time was on the clock. I just made sure the ball went in the net.”
Although the Jumbos finished the NESCAC tournament with two of their more stunning victories, Daly’s squad proved itself time and time again in high-pressure situations throughout the season. Seven of the Jumbos’ games have been decided by one goal.
“Something that my high school coaches used to say is, ‘If you win by a lot it shows your talent, but if you win by a little, it shows your character.’ No one on our team ever quits when we’re down,” Bialosky said. “As long as there’s still time on the clock, we’re still fighting to get the ‘W,’ so all those one-goal games they add up. They’ll help us in the long run.”
Molloy added, “We definitely have the urgency. Nothing is guaranteed anymore. You have to earn every day, earn every practice. We’re not thinking ahead. We’re focusing on practice today, practice tomorrow, and then the next game, because it could be our last.”
More of my coverage of the NESCAC and NCAA tournaments can be found on InsideLacrosse.com.
Bowdoin, Middlebury, Union
Also, for video footage of how the NESCAC semis and finals ended, check out Arlin Ladue's footage on youtube: Bowdoin Goal with 0.4 Seconds Remaining, Overtime Victory Over Middlebury in Finals
Ladue also produced a documentary on the Jumbos' 2010 championship season:
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