MEDFORD, Mass. – Sophomore Dan Donahue made a career-high 16 saves and senior Peter Burnes scored a game-high five goals as the #7 Union College men's lacrosse team dealt #3 Tufts University its first regular-season non-conference defeat since 2016 with an impressive 17-12 win on the road at Bello Field.
 
Going on the road in freezing temperatures, the Union defense showed why they are one of the top units in the country, at times completely stifling a Tufts offense that entered the game scoring a nation-best 22.2 goals per game. Donahue made 12 saves just in the first half to keep his team in the game, while the stingy defense, led by seniors Ryan Puglisi (three ground balls, two caused turnovers) and Matt Belluche (two ground balls, one caused turnover) and junior Clint Gourdeau (three ground balls, three caused turnovers), helped deal Tufts its worst home loss since 2008.
 
On the offensive end, Burnes had another incredible night, getting to the crease seemingly at will and finishing with a career-high five goals and one assist. Classmate Hayden Frey added four goals with an assist, while fellow seniors Brian Davis, Keaton McCann and Kieran McGovern chipped in two goals apiece.
 
The game started on a good note for the visitors, as Union denied Tufts on their first two clearing attempts and eventually got a man-up goal from McGovern to take a 1-0 lead. The Jumbos came back with three of the next four goals to grab its first lead at 3-2, but goals from Davis and sophomore Peter Kip put the Dutchmen back in front with 3:03 left in the first and Union never trailed again.
 
Tufts' Jack Boyden scored one of his team-leading four goals to knot the score at four with 1:58 left, but senior Sam Byrne won the subsequent faceoff and Burnes scored his third of the quarter to quickly give Union back the lead. Davis added another in the final seconds and Union was off and running with a 6-4 lead after 15 minutes.
 
The second quarter was all Donahue, as Tufts fired 25 shots at the Union net only to have the sophomore make an incredible 11 saves on 12 on-target attempts to keep the Dutchmen in the lead. Donahue set the tone with two saves on Tufts' opening possession, while the only time the Jumbos could find the net was on a man-up possession. After several huge stops by Donahue, Frey stemmed the tide with a goal from junior Jake Titus with 4:24 left, and McGovern scored on the next possession to put the visitors up three at the half.
 
After McCann and Burnes built the lead up to five at 10-5 early in the third, Tufts scored twice in a minute to get back within three. But the momentum was immediately stopped when sophomore Matthew Paolatto cleanly won the draw and sprinted forward before dishing off to Frey for a put away just seven seconds later. Goals by McCann and Davis got the lead up to six at 13-7, but Tufts did not go away, scoring three in a row to get to within three (13-10) headed to the fourth.
 
But as they have done in most games this season, the Dutchmen owned the fourth quarter on Tuesday night, outscoring the home team 4-2 to secure the victory. Frey scored twice in less than two minutes and Burnes added his fifth to again take a six-goal lead at 16-10 with 8:44 on the clock. After a quick Tufts goal, the defense forced turnovers on four straight Jumbo possessions to milk nearly six minutes off the clock before sophomore Zach Davis finished off the scoring in the final minute.
 
Tufts finished the night with a 53-42 edge in shots, but the Union defense forced Tufts into 31 turnovers – including 12 in the fourth quarter alone – and an 8-for-19 night in clearing attempts.
 
Sporting an 8-0 record for the first time in program history, Union will look to keep the momentum going on Saturday with a 1 p.m. matchup versus Clarkson University at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.