The Middlebury men's lacrosse team made a late comeback at third-ranked Tufts (3-0, 1-0), but it wasn't enough as the #12 Panthers (2-1, 1-1) came up on the short end of a 16-13 game on Friday night at Bello Field. Middlebury returns to action on Tuesday with a road game at St. Lawrence.

The teams were tied 9-9 after Middlebury's A.J. Kucinski scored with 5:19 remaining in the third quarter. The Jumbos netted the next five goals including three by Michael Mattson, to lead 14-9 at the end of the third. The Jumbos scored twice in the final 13 seconds of the quarter, one by Mattson and then a face-off win and goal by Tucker Mathers.

Middlebury scored four of the next five goals to pull within 15-13 with 10:21 remaining. Henry Riehl, who had seven goals versus Endicott on Tuesday, started the Panther run with a pair of strikes less than a minute apart. A man-down goal by Kucinski got Middlebury to within two, but it would not score again.

The Jumbos were led by five goals from Mattson, three goals and an assist by Ben Connelly and Lucas Johnson, who added two goals and two assists. The goaltending tandem of Ben Shmerler (12 saves) and Robert Treiber (5 saves) combined for 17 stops in the Jumbo net. Treiber earned the win as Tufts emerged out of a 6-6 tie at the half.

Riehl's five goals led Middlebury, while Kucinski finished with three goals and an assist. Jake Madnick won 21-30 face-offs for the Panthers, who also had a 53-49 advantage in shots. The visitors played a pair of goalies as well, with starter Will Ernst making four saves and Will Perry stopping eight in the second half. Joey Zelkowitz and Madnick paced the Panthers with six ground balls apiece.

Middlebury opened a 4-2 lead early, but the Jumbos scored twice in the last 1:12 of the first quarter to tie the score at 4-4 after 15 minutes. The teams also traded goals in the second quarter with two each for the 6-6 halftime score.

The Jumbos and the Panthers continued to go back and forth early in the third. Johnson assisted a pair of Tufts goals that put the hosts up 8-6, but Middlebury answered with the next two and tied it 8-8 on a Riehl goal at 7:30. After John Cordrey and Kucinski traded goals, Tufts went on its run that would give the hosts the lead for good.