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Kurt Bruun

Dialed In: Your Lacrosse Fix for Wednesday, March 15

March 15, 2023
Matt DaSilva
Michael Last / Tufts

Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. A nor’easter was no match for Tufts and its throwback threads Tuesday.

Playing in sustained 20-mph winds and snowfall, the second-ranked Jumbos throttled seventh-ranked Lynchburg 19-4 at Bello Field in Medford, Massachusetts.

Tufts dominated every facet of the top-10 showdown, outshooting Lynchburg 62-21 and more than doubling the Hornets in faceoffs (18-7) and ground balls (57-25). The teams combined for 66 turnovers (40 by Lynchburg) in the inclement weather. Kurt Bruun led the onslaught with five goals.

The Jumbos were already the toast of the internet with the retro uniforms they unveiled for the game, including a shoutout by noted college gear watchdog Uniswag.

Tuesday’s performance will only amplify all that Tufts talk.

2. Syracuse snapped a four-game losing streak with a 16-8 win at Hofstra.

Joey Spallina had four goals and three assists for the Orange, who evened their season record at 4-4. Owen Hiltz added a hat trick and three assists in the win. Will Mark (13 saves) reached double figures for the seventh time in eight games.

In other NCAA men’s lacrosse action Tuesday:

  • Ed Shean scored five goals, Jack Myers had five assists and Drew Blanchard won 12 of 14 faceoffs to lead No. 15 Ohio State to a 19-6 win over Detroit Mercy, snapping the Buckeyes’ three-game skid.

  • Eight different players scored for Canisius in a 13-5 victory over St. Bonaventure, the Griffins’ first win of the season. Goalie Tommy Kunz made 13 saves while allowing just five goals.

  • Charlie Cunniffe and Peter Lehman each had hat tricks and Cunniffe added a pair of assists in Lafayette’s 18-9 win over Hampton. Faceoff specialist Evan Prince was 15-for-19.

3. Jenna Collignon scored her seventh goal with 2:44 remaining to lift No. 17 Yale to a 15-14 win at No. 15 Duke. 

The Bulldogs led for most of the game but fell behind when Olivia Carner deposited a free-position goal to give the Blue Devils a 14-13 lead with 7:22 remaining. But Katie DeSimone (six goals) and Carner picked up a pair of costly yellow cards and Yale took advantage, tying the game with 3:49 left and winning it a minute later.

In other NCAA women’s lacrosse action Tuesday:

  • The Nealon sisters connected on a last-minute goal as Penn State defeated Towson 13-12. Kara Nealon converted a feed from Regan Nealon for the winner with 45 seconds left.

  • In another thriller, Sam King scored with 16 seconds left to give Stetson a 14-13 victory over Saint Francis. Samantha Paglino led the Hatters with five goals (two assists) on 5-for-16 shooting. Red Flash goalie Elyssa Enrique made 24 saves in the loss.

  • No. 10 Florida won its fourth straight game, executing on both sides of the ball in an 18-5 win over Colgate. Fifteen different players scored for the Gators.

  • UMass is doing UMass things, piling up wins while somehow continuing to fly under the radar. The Minutewomen defeated Brown 14-9 to improve to 7-1 on the season, the Atlantic 10 frontrunners lone loss coming to Boston College.

  • A Division III result of note: No. 6 William Smith remained unbeaten with a 19-11 win over No. 15 Bowdoin. The Herons are in our house Saturday. They play No. 5 Salisbury in the FCA Invitational at USA Lacrosse in Sparks, Md.

4. Clemson women’s lacrosse coach Allison Kwolek has breast cancer.

Fresh off its first-ever ACC win and an appearance in the national rankings, the team delivered the sobering news Tuesday.

Kwolek indicated she would miss a few games while undergoing treatment and said doctors are optimistic about her prognosis thanks to early detection.

Ranked No. 14 in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20 after beating Duke over the weekend, the Tigers host No. 4 Boston College on Thursday.

WHAT WE’RE READING

  • Our high school preseason rollout continued with a breakdown of the Nike/USA Lacrosse West Region boys’ and girls’ top 10.

  • Inside Lacrosse editor in chief Matt Kinnear with a story on Mike Pressler, one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history now working with high school athletes at Highland Park in Texas.

  • The Premier Lacrosse League is everywhere, now including an article in Scholastic Kids Press.

  • With the No. 2-ranked Syracuse women’s lacrosse team currently undefeated going into a game Wednesday at Loyola, a timely retrospective by the Daily Orange on the Orange’s genesis 25 years ago.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

A long-pole buzzer beater from 35 yards out by Syracuse’s Saam Olexo. With two goals in nine seconds, the Orange took a 5-4 lead into the second quarter and cruised from there.

WHAT’S ON TAP

  • In addition to No. 2 Syracuse at No. 12 Loyola, Wednesday’s women’s slate also includes No. 7 Virginia at Richmond, Georgetown at No. 9 Maryland and Siena at No. 13 Army.

  • A massive Division II women’s game: No. 4 Le Moyne at No. 1 West Chester.

  • Stony Brook hosts St. John’s in the day’s lone Division I men’s game.

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