The #18/fifth-seeded Middlebury men's lacrosse team fell by a 23-10 score on Saturday to #1/top-seeded Tufts in the NESCAC Semifinals. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Jumbos got on the board with 1:30 expired in the first quarter when Garrett Kelly fired a shot into the upper-right corner.
• Tufts rode that early momentum, recording four of the next five goals for a 5-1 lead with 6:47 left. Jack Regnery capped the spurt with an underhanded bid. 
• Russell Thorndike ended the run, ripping a shot that bounced into the lower-left corner 50 seconds later to pull the visitors to within three (5-2).
• The hosts posted a trio of tallies to close out the quarter, recording an 8-2 advantage on a player-down goal that bounced by Ben Frisoli with 26.2 ticks remaining.
• The Jumbos continued that surge into the second stanza with the initial four markers, highlighted by Regnery who earned his fourth tally of the contest on a rebound from point-blank range, for a 12-2 lead with 7:20 left.
• A player-up marker by Finn McCarthy and a goal by Thorndike 56 seconds apart pulled Middlebury to within eight (12-4) two minutes later.
• The Jumbos answered with three-consecutive scores, including the second of the contest by Hauser, for a 15-4 lead with 3:18 left.
• Billy Curtis tallied on the doorstep with 2:49 left, while Curtis connected with Thorndike to complete his hat trick for a 15-6 score at the halftime break.
• Tufts continued its surge after the intermission, scoring the first three goals of the frame. Chase Beyer capped the spurt on an underhanded shot with 6:12 showing on the clock to make it an 18-6 contest.
• Curtis sandwiched a pair of tallies around a Hauser score for the Jumbos to close out the third quarter, sending the hosts into the final frame ahead 19-8.
• Tufts posted four of the six goals in the fourth quarter for the final 23-10. 

NOTES

• Michael Muscarella saw his first collegiate action in goal for the Panthers.
• Curtis recorded his fourth hat trick of the season, including two in the last four games.
• The programs played for the 63rd time with Middlebury owning a 33-29-1 advantage.
• Saturday's contest was the 10th meeting between the sides in the NESCAC Tournament and the fifth in the semifinal round.

Middlebury awaits its NCAA Tournament fate when the field is announced on Sunday night at 9:00 p.m.