ROCHESTER, NY – For the second straight season the top-ranked RIT (21-1) men's lacrosse team had its undefeated season end in the NCAA Division III Semifinals by No. 5 Tufts University (20-2). On Sunday, the Tigers fell to the Jumbos 19-12 in front of a packed house at Tiger Stadium. Tufts advance to the National Championship Game to face Lynchburg College from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. on Sunday, May 24.

"Tufts made some big plays down the stretch," said RIT head coach Jake Coon, who is 109-15 in six seasons at RIT. "Their goaltender made some great saves in the second half and they scored some key goals. It was a hard-fought game throughout the game. I'm very pleased and proud how our guys battled down the stretch."

RIT outshot Tufts 53-51, while the Jumbos won the ground ball battle 47-40. RIT went 17-of-18 on clearing attempts, and won 13-of-33 face-offs. The Tigers went 0-for-3 on man-up, while holding the Jumbos to zero goals in two chances.

The Tigers entered today as the highest scoring team in Division III, averaging 18.20 goals per game. RIT outscored its opponents 394-174 this season and scored at least 12 goals in a game 21 times. The 394 goals scored is a school mark, along with 274 assists.

Allister Warren (Toronto, Ontario/Malvern Collegiate Institute) led RIT with four points on three goals and an assist. Kyle Aquin (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean De Brebeuf) added two goals and an assist, while Eddie Kiesa (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) had a goal and two assists. Kyle Sterzin (Fairport, NY/Fairport), Steven Ricci (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Sutherland), Cory Ashmore (Sutton, Ontario/Sutton District) and Chad Levick (Newmarket, Ontario/The Hill Academy) each scored goal, while Matt Hossack (Port Perry, Ontario/Port Perry) scored a pair of goals, grabbed eight ground balls, won 10 face-offs and caused five turnovers. Pat Johnston (Norwell, MA/Norwell) got the loss in net, making 18 saves.

Aquin finished his RIT career with 176 goals, one shy of the school mark held by Chris Copeland, who played from 2001-04. His 224 points are seventh best. Warren finished his career with 236 points, fifth most all-time at the university. Kiesa's 190 points are 10th best.

Lee's 98 points in 2015 are the second most in one season at the university. Despite the loss, Johnston set a school mark with 21 wins this season and finished his career 56-5. The 56 career wins are also a program record.

Kyle Howard-Johnson led Tufts with six goals. John Uppgren added five goals, while Cole Bailey had a goal and three assists. Zach Richman tallied five goals and Garrett Clarke had a goal and two assists. Alex Salazar picked up the win in net for the Jumbos, making 18 saves.

RIT jumped out to a 3-0 lead, nine minutes into the contest. Aquin gave RIT an early lead on his goal off an assist from Warren 31 seconds into the game. Warren took a feed from Aquin with 9:44 to play, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Kyle Sterzin (Fairport, NY/Fairport) gave RIT a 3-0 lead on his goal with 6:11 to play off an assist from Levick.
 
Tufts got two straight from Howard-Johnson and Uppgren, pulling to within a goal on Uppgren's 68th goal of the season. The Tigers closed out the quarter with two straight goals, taking a 5-2 lead on Warren's second of the contest and 39th of the season.

The Jumbos scored five straight goals to open the second quarter, taking a 7-5 lead on Howard-Johnson's second of the game. Uppgren scored two of the Junbos five goals in that stretch.

Aquin broke the run, tallying his second of the half off an assist from Kiesa. Hossack took the ensuing face-off and scored seven seconds later, tying the score at 7-7 with two minutes to play in the half.

Tufts scored seven goals in the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers 7-3 over that span. Zach Richman opened the scoring on his 33rd goal off an assist from Uppgren, giving the Jumbos a 8-7 lead. Warren and Ricci scored consecutive goals, giving RIT a 9-8 lead on Ricci's goal at the 8:21 mark of the half.

The Jumbos scored three straight goals, taking an 11-9 lead on Howard-Johnson's third of the game at the 3:22 mark. Hossack tallied his second of the game with 2:58 to play in the third. RIT looked to tie the game at 11-11 when Lee put home a rebound in front of the Tufts net, but the referees ruled Lee in the crease and waived off the goal. The Tigers never really recovered afterwards.. The Jumbos would answer right back with three straight to close out the quarter leading 14-10. Howard-Johnson scored the final two goals of the quarter, including one with three seconds to play.

Tufts out scored RIT 5-2 in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Uppgren, Richman Clarke and Howard-Johnson all scored for the Jumbos. Ashmore and Kiesa had the Tigers goals in the quarter.

The Tigers appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season and 17th time in school history. Overall, RIT is 19-17 all time in NCAA Tournament games. It is the sixth straight season the Tigers have reached the quarterfinals, and third straight season in the semifinals. 

Tufts is 5-1 all time versus RIT. The two teams met for the fifth straight season in the NCAA Tournament today, with Tufts winning four of the five contests.

The senior class of Ashmore, Aquin, Brad Gillies (Oakville, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas), Johnston, Kiesa, Jarret Schmauder (Franklin, MA/Franklin), Warren, and Baird Wilber (Guyanoga Valley, NY/Penn Yan Academy) finished their collegiate careers with a 76-8 record. The 76 wins are the most over a four-year span in program history.