MEDFORD, Mass. — For a team that had never participated in the NCAA Division III tournament up until this season, Bates College entered the round of 16 with a massive target on its back. 

That’s because on April 7, the Bobcats went into Medford, Mass., and put a halt to the top-ranked and defending NCAA champion Jumbos’ 24-game winning streak.

A month later, Bates couldn’t replicate that result, falling 13-8 to Tufts in the round of 16 on Saturday. Nip-and-tuck through three quarters, the Jumbos scored five of the final six goals to exact revenge on the Bobcats. 

“That was sort of the game that got us into the national conversation a little bit,” Bates coach Peter Lasagna said of the April 7 meeting. “Tufts is also very good at repaying debts. We knew that but I don’t feel that affected the way we approached the game or played the game. We scored the first goal and it was pretty much back and forth for most of the game until the fourth.” 

Bates attackmen Charlie Fay and Jack Allard were key contributors in the Bobcats’ regular-season win over Tufts, netting five and four goals, respectively. The Jumbos kept them both at bay, limiting both to a goal and an assist each.

“We told our guys they were going to pay real close attention to Jack Allard and Charlie Fay, who both had great games against them before and they did that,” Lasagna said. “That’s sort of how they play defense anyway. They’re going to force other people to beat them.” 

John Uppgren and Cole Bailey provided the bulk of the Jumbos’ scoring, each netting four goals. Uppgren added two assists. 

It was a back-and-forth contest through three quarters, with neither team leading by more than three goals. Allard and Kyle Webster netted goals in the first quarter as the Bobcats (11-6) grabbed a 2-1 lead after the first 15 minutes. 

Tufts (18-2) responded by scoring four of the next five to take a 5-3 lead. Jack Strain cut Bates’ deficit to one shortly after, only to have Zach Richman and Uppgren push the Jumbo advantage to 7-4. Fay scored his lone goal with seven seconds left in the first half as the Bobcats went to the locker room trailing 7-5. 

Uppgren’s second of the game 50 seconds into the second half ballooned Tufts’ advantage back to three goals before the Bobcats went on a late run to close the gap. Kyle Webster and Max Breschi scored two minutes apart to get within 8-7 in the final minute of the third quarter. 

“You wouldn’t have know if you were watching the game that one of these teams is the defending national champion and the other one has never been in the NCAA tournament before,” Lasagna said. “I thought our guys were ready for the moment and embraced it.” 

The Bobcats nearly tied it in the final moments of the frame while up a man, but a shot from Allard hit off the post and stayed out of the net.

In the end, Tufts’ experience in the NCAA tournament was the difference. The Jumbos, who have won two NCAA championships since 2010 and are heading back to the NCAA quarterfinal round for the sixth straight year, broke the game open in the fourth with five unanswered goals to build a 13-7 lead. Uppgren and Bailey tallied four of the five. 

“That’s a factor and that has a lot to do with how they play the game,” Lasagna said of Tufts’ NCAA tournament experience. “I think we certainly had them rattled a couple different times in the game. Our goalie played great again and I think their shooters were starting to really question things because Joe (Faria) played so well. But they’ve been there and those players have all performed at high levels in those kind of games and that helps you.” 

Faria finished with 13 saves. 

Tufts held a 26-16 advantage in shots — 15-8 in the fourth quarter. 

It may not have been the way the Bobcats wanted to end their season, but with their first NCAA tournament appearance, first NCAA tournament win, four New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-New England Division III selections and both a NEILA coach of the year and NESCAC co-coach of the year to their credit, it was a banner year. 

“I couldn’t be more proud,” Lasagna said. “We did a number of things we’ve never ever done before in the history of the sport at the college. I’m especially happy for and proud of the seniors who took it upon themselves a year ago to say their last season was going to be something memorable. It started literally a year ago with their leadership and their commitment and the standards they set over the summer and in the fall. If you think about how far we’ve come in a year’s time, I coudn’t possibly be more proud of these guys.” 

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