OWINGS MILLS, MD (March 14, 2025) -- The top-ranked Tufts University men's lacrosse team scored seven third-quarter goals, erasing a 3-1 halftime deficit to defeat Hamilton College 14-8 in the first day of action at the 2025 Callum Robinson Mustang Classic, hosted at Mustang Stadium on the campus of Stevenson University.
The win moved Tufts to 3-0 overall on the season and 3-0 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, but it wasn't easy in the early going for the Jumbos. Tufts was unable to get much going offensively in the first quarter, as it was held without a goal in the first quarter for the first time since April 15, 2015 against Amherst College.
Hamilton would net the game's first two goals before junior
Brooks Hauser got the Jumbos on the board with 11 minutes left in the half on a goal from from
Max Ettinghausen.
The Jumbos would have good looks through the rest of the half, but Hamilton goalkeeper Jack Fried made nine first-half saves to send his team into the intermission up 3-1.
The lead would be short lived in the second half for the Continentals, as Tufts stormed out of the locker room with two goals in the first 72 seconds to tie the game at three after the fourth goal of the season by sophomore
Will Emsing.
Tufts took its first lead of the game minutes later as junior
Jack Regnery tallied his 17th of the season unassisted, but Hamilton responded to even things back up at four with 10:44 to go in the third frame.
Just over a minute later, Tufts took the lead for good thanks to an incredible catch and finish from Ettinghausen off of a Regnery pass to make it 5-4. Quick goals from
Charlie Tagliaferri and
Garrett Kelly forced a timeout by the Continentals after the Jumbos took a three-goal edge at 7-4. Just before the end of the third frame, Tufts took advantage of a late turnover and
Brooks Hauser buried a shot with three seconds left to make it 8-4 going to the final stanza.
The two teams would trade goals in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, but senior defender
Joey Waldbaum netted his first of the year after a nice feed from
Beau Keough to double up Hamilton at 10-5. The play came after an amazing individual effort from Tagliaferri to start the action, as he eluded five Hamilton defenders to find Keough.
Waldbaum doubled his goal ledger 30 seconds later with another goal off of a clear, and Ettinghausen struck from senior
Callum Wood to give Tufts' its largest lead at 12-5. Hamilton pulled to within four with 4:36 to go on Thomas Healy's eighth goal of the year, but Ettinghausen and Hauser answered for the Jumbos to seal the win.
Senior goalkeeper
Conner Garzone was strong in between the pipes for the Jumbos especially in the first half, as he tallied 13 saves while allowing just eight goals on the day. Regnery had five points on three goals and two helpers, picking up three ground balls, and Ettinghausen had a hat trick along with three grounders as well.
Hauser added three scores for Tufts to add to the offense, and Tufts was once again stellar at the "X" as
Parker Merril was 9-of-11 with three ground balls while face-off teammate
Victor Salcedo was 8-for-12 with a team-high nine loose balls.
Garrett Kelly picked up four ground balls to go with a goal and an assist, and senior
Cam Delcristo had two caused turnovers and a ground ball for Tufts.
The Jumbos held a huge shot edge in the game, out-shooting the Continentals 64-36 in the game, posting a decided 45-22 advantage in ground balls thanks to an 18-7 split in face-offs.
Healy had four goals for the Continentals (1-3, 0-3 NESCAC), while Fried had 18 stops in the loss.
Tufts will get a little over 24 hours to recharge before battling No. 3 RIT Saturday at 6:15 in the second day of action at the Mustang Classic. Saturday's game is a rematch of the 2024 NCAA National Championship game, which Tufts won 18-14 to earn its fourth national title in program history last May.
--JUMBOS--
