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MEDFORD, Mass. – For the second straight season, the RIT (16-3) men's lacrosse team had its season ended at the hands of Tufts University. This time in the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals, 15-13 on Wednesday. The Tigers finish the 2012 season with a 16-3 record, while the Jumbos advance to the national semifinals where they will face Cortland.
After trailing by four in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, RIT rallied back, scoring three late goals, including one by Kyle Aquin (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean De Brebeuf) off an assist from A.J. Tingle (Cary, NC/Green Hope) that pulled the Tigers to within two goals at 15-13 with 2:01 to play. But two crucial turnovers by the Tigers in their offensive end sealed the win for Tufts.
Senior Tyler Russell (Livonia, NY/Livonia) led all scorers with five goals on the afternoon. He finishes with 128 career goals which is seventh all-time at RIT. He scored five goals in last year's semifinals versus Tufts.
Tingle added five points on four goals and an assist, while Aquin added two goals. Allister Warren (Toronto, Ontario/Malvern Collegiate Institute) and James Cunningham (Fairport, NY/Fairport) each had a pair of assists. Anthony DeLeo (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) took the loss for RIT allowing 15 goals and making 13 saves.
Tufts held a 49-43 shot advantage. The Tigers held a 34-27 ground ball advantage and were 15-of-32 on clearing attempts. RIT went 0-for-2 with the extra man, while Tufts went 1-for-2.
Tufts led 4-3 after the first quarter, and were up 7-5 at the half. Tingle scored one goal in the opening quarter, and added another in the second quarter.
Russell tallied two in the first quarter, including the Tigers second goal to give RIT a 2-1 lead. He would add another with 10:56 to play in the second quarter to give RIT a 5-4 lead.
The Tigers went scoreless over the next 12:16, breaking the drought when Russell converted a fast break off an assist from Tyler Shaw (Tully, NY/Tully) at the 13:40 mark of the third quarter. The Jumbos scored four straight in that stretch, opening up an 8-5 lead in the third quarter.
After Russell's goal made it 8-5, Jordan Collins-Hartwig (Buffalo, NY/Clarence) tallied an unassisted goal to make it 8-7 Tufts.
A Sean Kirwin goal for Tufts made it 9-7, but the Tigers clawed their way back into the game with consecutive goals from Tingle and Aquin to tie the score at 9-9 with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter. Aquin's goal came after an extended possession by RIT, that spanned nearly four minutes.
Two late third-quarter goals by Tufts gave them an 11-9 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The jumbos kept the momentum to start the fourth, scoring two straight goals, opening up a 13-9 lead on a goal by Peter Bowers.
After a goal by Russell, made it 13-10, Beau Wood scored off an assist from Cole Bailey, making it 14-10 Jumbos with 7:42 remaining.
RIT battled back once again. Tingle scored off an assist from Cunnigham on a fast break with 4:53 remaining to cut the lead to 14-11.
Brendan MacDonald (Georgetown, Ontario/Trinity-Pawling) scored off an assist from Warren with 2:53 remaining to make it a two-goal game at 14-12.
A Bailey goal with 2:34 to play in regulation gave the Jumbos a 15-12 lead.
But Aquin answred back for RIT on his second of the game to make it 15-13.
The Tigers had chances, but could not convert.
This trip the quarterfinals was the third straight for RIT which has gone 33-4 in the last two seasons.