BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin men's lacrosse team couldn't complete a furious fourth quarter comeback and fell to Tufts, 18-14, in the championship game of the NESCAC Tournament Sunday at Whittier Field.
In a battle of the nation's top two teams, the Jumbos (17-1) avenge a loss ten days ago to Bowdoin and deal the Polar Bears (16-1) their first loss of the 2026 campaign. The two squads also are ranked as the top two teams in Division III NPI and Bowdoin will likely receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship when the
bracket is announced Sunday evening at 9 p.m.
Match Highlights
- Back to back goals by Chris Berry and Sam Raye-Steiner gave the Polar Bears a 3-2 lead after one quarter of play but the Jumbos controlled the second quarter to take a lead they would never relinquish.
- After tying the game moments into the second quarter, the visitors rolled off a 12-1 run, entering halftime with a 10-4 lead and extending it to 14-4 midway through the third quarter.
- Bowdoin found their stride, using a 4-2 surge to close the gap to 16-8 at the end of the third quarter.
- The Polar Bears outscored the Jumbos 6-2 in the fourth quarter, including the last five goals of the game, but could get no closer than the final four-goal margin.
By The Numbers
- Jack Regnery (five goals, two assists) and Will Emsing (two goals, five assists) led the attack for Tufts.
- Casey Ryan paced Bowdoin with three goals and two assists while Chris Berry and Hudson Greene also scored three times.
- Brooks Kitchel had four caused turnovers and four ground balls for the Polar Bears while Alec Delgado stopped ten shots in net.
- Tufts owned a 20-16 edge in faceoffs, marking just the second time that Polar Bears had been beaten on the dot this season.
- It also marked the first time Bowdoin had been down by more than two goals in the second half, and more than three goals in any game this season.
Up Next
- The Polar Bears are likely to receive an at-large bid and home regional next weekend at Whittier Field when selections are announced at NCAA.com Sunday night at 9:00 p.m.
