MEDFORD, Mass. – The Endicott men's lacrosse team fell to the two-time defending NCAA national champion and No. 3 nationally ranked Tufts University Jumbos, 11-10 (OT), on Tuesday night in non-conference action at Bello Field.
Kyle Howard-Johnson (Chatham, N.J.) potted the man-up overtime game-winner for the Jumbos at the 3:33 mark of the extra session off a feed by Connor Bilby (Chatham, N.J.) to extend their winning streak to six straight games.
Endicott goalie Cameron Bell (Falmouth, Maine) was the difference in the contest as the senior collected 20 saves (64.5 save percentage) – including 15 in the second half alone – before Tufts claimed its only lead of the game when it mattered most in overtime.
Colin Bannon (Westport, Conn.) led the Gulls offensively with five goals on 14 shots. Will Farfalla (Glen Rock, N.J.), Tommy Hughes (Coram, N.Y.), Matthew Faucher (Western Springs, Ill.), Mitchell Tapley (Falmouth, Maine), and Luke Wallahan (Pleasant Hill, Calif.) all buried one goal each to round out the scoring for Endicott in the loss.
Ben Andreycak (Pleasantville, N.Y.) compiled three goals and three assists for a six-point effort to pace the Jumbos, while Zach Richman (Woodmere, N.Y.) registered a hat-trick to highlight the offensive efforts for the hosts. Jake Gillespie (Topsfield, Mass.) also added two markers, while Garrett Clarke (Ridgewood, N.J.), John Uppgren (Stillwater, Minn.), and Howard-Johnson buried one goal each on the night.
Tied 8-8 late in the fourth quarter, Endicott put together a 2-0 run via goals from Faucher and Hughes that were only separated by six seconds. Faucher notched his ninth goal of the season at 4:49 before Hughes won the ensuing face-off, weaved his way through the Jumbos' defense and rifled home his sixth tally of the year to push the Gulls ahead, 10-8.
Tufts responded with goals from Uppgren at 3:23 and Andreycak at 2:25, respectively, to force overtime. Howard-Johnson then went on to lift the Jumbos to victory with his 21st goal of the season just 27-seconds into the extra session.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Tufts leads the all-time series against Endicott, 14-3, which dates back to March 22, 2003.
- Hughes also dished out an assist in the game to notch his third multi-point game of the season.
- At the face-off X, Hughes 11-for-23 (five ground balls).
- Bell has recorded 20 or more saves twice this season (24 vs. Bates on 2/28/16, career-high).
- Endicott entered tonight's contest ranked No. 10 overall in the latest New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) poll.
FOR THE FOES
- Tufts is ranked No. 3 overall in both the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) and Nike/Lacrosse Magazine national polls.
- Uppgren was selected as the Lacrosse Magazine's Preseason Player of the Year to begin the 2016 season.
- Bell and Uppgren will be teammates on the Boston Cannons (Major League Lacrosse) later this spring.
- Andreycak has tallied five or more points in four games this season, including 28 in his last six games.
- Andreycak's six points tonight also serves as his season-high, so far, in 2016.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (4-8, 3-1 CCC) hosts Wentworth this Saturday on Senior Day at Hempstead Stadium at 12 p.m. Tufts (10-1) welcomes Amherst to its campus this Saturday at 1 p.m. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
