Late Rally Comes Up Short as Men’s Lacrosse Loses to Tufts in NESCAC Final

5/3/2026 | Men’s Lacrosse | Box Score

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.