MEDFORD – Down by five goals against Eastern Connecticut entering the fourth period, the seventh-ranked Tufts men's lacrosse team scored six times in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime, and then won 13-12 on a goal by freshman D.J. Hessler (Monkton, MD) in the second OT.

The upset-minded visitors from Eastern Connecticut (0-3) did not trail all game until the final score. They jumped to a 7-4 halftime lead behind five goals from junior D.J. Simmons (Mystic, CT). They added to their lead in the third period with four more goals for an 11-6 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Playing with desperation, Tufts scored four times in the first five minutes of the fourth period to make it an 11-10 game. Three came off the stick of sophomore attackman Patrick Devine (Braintree, MA). Eastern went up 12-10 on Matthew Savage's (Southington, CT) second goal of the game at the seven-minute mark. The Jumbos answered with goals by Doug DiSesa (Wynnewood, PA) at 6:06 and Brett Holm (Longmeadow, MA) at 4:36 for a 12-12 tie that would last until the end of regulation.

Tufts goalie Matt Harrigan (Darnestown, MD) stopped two shots in the first overtime period. Two minutes into the second overtime, Eastern Connecticut had possession behind its goal under heavy Tufts pressure. A loose ball eventually squirted out in front of the net, where Hessler was able to grab it alone and score the game-winner with 1:56 on the clock.

The winning goal was the fifth point of the game for Hessler, who had three goals and two assists. Devine and junior Peter Whitney (Baltimore, MD), who had two goals and an assist, were also multiple-point scorers for the hosts. Harrigan finished with nine saves.

Tufts was able to slow down Simmons in the second half. He finished with the five goals and a game-high 10 shots. Senior Tyler Prescott (Norwalk, CT) and freshman Brendan Hoppey (Shoreham, NY) each had two goals and an assist for the Warriors. Junior goalie Kyle Savage (Southington, CT) stopped 15 shots overall. Senior Jon Snedeker (Southington, CT) was solid on defense with five ground balls.

The Jumbos finished with a 54-36 tally in shots, led by nine from senior Matt Caple (Wellesley, MA). Tufts also won 18 of 29 face-offs, with sophomore Mike Droesch (Setauket, NY) taking 12 and freshman Brett Olson (Huntington, NY) finishing 6 for 8. Thirteen penalties were whistled, but Caple scored the lone man-up goal.

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MEDFORD, Mass. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team trailed only once in its bid to upset No. 7 nationally-ranked Tufts University, but it came at the worst possible moment -- six minutes into sudden-death overtime -- and provided the Jumbos a 13-12 double overtime victory Tuesday afternoon.

A 14-2 loser when the teams last met at Bello Field in 2006, Eastern (0-3) led by five goals entering the final period before Tufts (2-0) got back in the game by scoring four unanswered goals. Tufts tied the match 12-12 with 4:36 left in regulation and won it two minutes into the second four-minute overtime when freshman D.J. Hessler scored his third goal of the match – all of which came after halftime. Possessing the ball under heavy pressure behind their own goal, the Warriors lost possession. The ball rolled in front of the net to the feet of an unmarked Hessler, who scored easily to end the match with 1:56 left in the second overtime.

The Warriors moved out to an 11-6 lead by scoring the final three goals of the third period on strikes by junior Matthew Savage (Southington), sophomore Vinny Tornatore (Norwalk) and freshman Brendan Hoppey (Shoreham, NY). The Jumbos scored 33 seconds into the fourth period, then pulled to within two goals, 11-9, by scoring twice in a span of 16 seconds minutes later in the period.

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2008-03-11