MEDFORD, Mass. – The No. 8 Wesleyan men's lacrosse team turned in a solid effort but fell short in a 19-14 defeat at No. 1 Tufts on Saturday afternoon from Bello Field. Wesleyan (9-3, 5-3 NESCAC) sees their four-game unbeaten run halted while the Jumbos (10-0, 8-0 NESCAC) continue a prolonged winning run that dates back to 2024.
 
Tufts put their stamp on the game in the early going, using a 5-1 run in a span of less than seven minutes to seize the lead. After a pair of Thomas Girimonti '28 goals, the Jumbos netted four unanswered tallies to take a 10-4 lead into halftime.
 
Wesleyan didn't wilt, starting the second half on with four unanswered goals to suddenly make it a two-goal game. Matt Morrow '27 scored three of the four goals in that scoring run to bring the deficit down to just two, but Tufts surged over the last 7+ minutes of the third quarter and into the fourth, using a 6-0 run to separate and make it a 16-8 game.
 
It was 17-9 Tufts with under 10 minutes to play before the Cardinals finished strong, using a 5-1 run to make it a four-goal game before finishing with a 19-14 defeat in Medford to the two-time defending national champions.
 
Wesleyan outshot Tufts 43-41 for the game and 27-20 over the second half alone. Face offs were nearly even (19-18 Tufts) and both teams went 2-for-4 on the man-up.
 
Morrow finished with four goals and one assist while James Bailey '26 had two goals and three assists. Will Miller had two goals and one assist while Girimonti and Kyle Short '28 each had two goals.
 
Charlie Wilmot '26 totaled three ground balls, two caused turnovers and one assist while Charlie Hill '28 had two caused turnovers and two ground balls. Jackson Tinari '26 went 8-for-13 on face offs while Conor Selfridge '26 had nine saves in net.
 
The Cardinals have a full week to prepare for their next contest which is a 1 PM start at Williams in a game that would see Wesleyan take home the Little Three title with a win over the Ephs.