Tufts, RPI Prevail in Pair of Division III Top-10 Showdowns

Tufts’ season only started four days ago. The Jumbos already appear to be in midseason form.

Ranked fourth in the USA Lacrosse Division III Men’s Top 20, Tufts defeated second-ranked Christopher Newport 18-10 in a non-conference game Wednesday in Medord, Mass.

The game was even more lopsided than the score indicates. The Jumbos scored eight unanswered goals and led 17-5 at one point. Their relentless full-field pressure played a prominent role in the blowout. CNU committed 24 turnovers.

Eleven different players scored for Tufts, led by Jack Regnery’s five goals.

It wasn’t the only top-10 showdown of the day. The other game proved much more competitive.

Ninth-ranked RPI staged a furious fourth-quarter rally on the road to beat seventh-ranked Middlebury 14-12.

The Panthers led for most of the game and were up 11-8 going into the fourth quarter. The Engineers erupted for three goals in a span of 58 seconds to tie the game.

It was tied at 12 with less than two minutes remaining. Erik Ojert scored his third goal of the game to give RPI the lead and faceoff specialist Angelo Venuto took the next draw all the way to the cage to score just seven seconds later.

Middlebury had multiple chances to answer, but RPI goalie Joseph Perry stopped Russell Thorndike for his 19th save and then Thorndike had a shot blocked with 20 seconds left.

Also Wednesday:

• Emmett Lyne scored the go-ahead goal with 1:59 remaining and Dan Donahue made his 21st save with 24 seconds left to lift 10th-ranked Union to a 12-11 win over 19th ranked Williams.  The Chargers led 10-5 at halftime but went cold. They won thanks to Donahue, who made 17 saves in the second half and helped erase 26 turnovers.
• Wesleyan put up a school-record 30 goals in a 30-8 victory over Salve Regina. Fifteen different players scored. Justin Hazard (seven goals, two assists) and Jack Raba (five goals, four assists) led the barrage with nine points apiece. The 15th-ranked Cardinals play Roanoke at USA Lacrosse’s Tierney Field on Sunday.