NEW LONDON, Conn. – Connecticut College took No. 2 Tufts University down to the wire before falling by a 15-14 final on Saturday afternoon in a NESCAC men's lacrosse clash at Silfen Field.

The Jumbos overcame their stiffest test of the season, improving to 11-0 overall and 6-0 in league play. Jack Boyden (Toronto, Ontario) led the way with four goals while Jack Regnery (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) added three goals and an assist. Connor Garzone (Malverne, N.Y.) made 10 stops between the pipes to earn the victory.

The Camels got a stellar outing from Will Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) in goal, as the junior recorded a career-high 23 saves against the nation's highest-scoring offense. Jack Tenzer (Charlotte, N.C.) paced the Conn attack with four goals while Patrick Atkins (Topsfield, Mass.) and JJ Ford (Clinton, Conn.) added two apiece.

Tufts entered the game averaging 21.5 goals per game, and that offensive firepower was on display in the first quarter. The Camels drew first blood off the stick of Atkins in the opening minute, and just over four minutes later he added his second tally to put the hosts in front 2-1. After back-to-back scores gave the Jumbos their first lead, the Camels capitalized on a two-man advantage as Bobby Chang (South Salem, N.Y.) found the back of the net to even the score at 3-3.

Later in the period, Tufts used three quick strikes in a 53-second span to pull ahead 6-3. Nick McLaughlin (Wilbraham, Mass.) completed the first-quarter scoring with 1:06 left to cut the deficit back to two.

Boyden and Regnery each supplied goals in the second quarter as the Jumbos took their biggest lead at 8-4. Tenzer recorded Conn's only tally of the period, and the Camels trailed 8-5 at halftime.

Conn came out fired up in the second half and quickly erased the deficit with five unanswered goals. Aidan McAvoy (Charlotte, N.C.) and Tenzer provided scores in the first two minutes of the half, and nearly six minutes later it was Tenzer who dodged a defender and scored into the low corner to tie the game at 8-8.

The Camels took their first lead of the half when Gus Mazzocca (West Hartford, Conn.) found Liam Horkan (Malden, Mass.) wide open in front of the crease for an easy tally. Nearly three minutes later, Atkins fed Ford to make it 10-8 with 2:44 left in the quarter.

With all momentum seemingly on Conn's side, Tufts clawed its way back into the game in the blink of an eye with three goals in a span of 24 seconds. Boyden supplied the final two scores—including an errant pass into traffic that ended up in the back of the net—to put the Jumbos back on top. 

Conn shook off the salvo and scored with 35 seconds left in the third to tie the score at 11-11 heading into the final period. Colter Lingelbach-Pierce (Etna, N.H.) notched the goal off a feed from Jared Rainville (Watertown, Conn.), one of four assists for the senior on the day.

Tufts notched the first goal of the fourth quarter to take a brief lead, but Rainville answered back 10 seconds later to even things up once again. Ford then put Conn on top 13-12 with an unassisted effort with 7:39 to go, but the margin didn't hold up. The Jumbos took the lead for good with three straight goals, two of which were assisted by Kurt Bruun (Chevy Chase, Md.).

Tufts protected the two-goal cushion until Henry Cabot (Ipswich, Mass.) forced a turnover with 1:20 left. The Camels pushed the ball up the field, and Tenzer ripped a shot into the top-left corner to cut the deficit in half with 37 seconds left.

Mason Kohn (San Diego, Calif.) won the ensuing face-off for the Jumbos, who ran out the clock to remain unbeaten on the year. Kohn finished with a game-high nine ground balls and won 14 of 22 restarts. 

Prior to the game the Camels honored five seniors–Brandon Allen, Jack Venturelli, Sean Fox, Rainville and Mazzocca–in a special ceremony.  

Conn College (4-5 overall, 2-4 NESCAC) will next play at Amherst College on Wednesday, April 12 at 6:00 p.m.