MEDFORD, MASS. – The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College men's lacrosse team saw its historic season come to an end on Sunday, following a 22-8 loss to the nationally-ranked Tufts University Jumbos in the third round of the NCAA Tournament at Bello Field.

With the loss, Fisher, which is ranked fourth in the latest United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) national poll, finishes the season with a final record of 16-3, while Tufts, which is also ranked fourth in the same poll, will move on to face No. 1 Salisbury in the Elite 8. In one of the best seasons in program history, the Cardinals conclude the 2022 season with only three losses, all of which came against top-five opponents (No. 1 RIT, No. 4 Union). 
 
In his final game in a Cardinal and Gold uniform, Nicholas Miller made his presence known as he scored three goals. Ian Evans also contributed in the match as the senior produced three points (1g, 2a). Zach Mitrano finished with two goals for Fisher, while Tucker O'Donnell and Jack Mulvihill each scored once. One of the best defenders in the country, Kyle Rochester, led the defense with two caused turnovers, while Ben Hammond received his third loss of the season (16-3) after allowing 22 goals and posting 15 saves. 
 
After two straight goals from the Jumbos, face-off specialist Joe Post won his battle at the X to give the Cardinals a chance to move the ball around and find an open shot. Fisher looked to its best attacker in Miller for a long shot and goal, cutting the Tufts lead down to one.  
 
From there, Tufts' defense pressured the Cardinals into forcing a turnover, giving the Jumbo's offense a fast-break goal to push the lead back up to two. 
 
Tufts continued to move the ball on offense, eventually finding an open shot but Hammond was able to snag the shot. The Cardinals' offense cleared the ball and found the shifty attacker, Evans, for the team's second goal. 
 
The rest of the quarter was all Tufts, as the Jumbos scored four straight to extend their lead to five heading into the second frame.
 
Following a Jumbos goal in the first minute of the second quarter, Fisher's offense needed to find its rhythm and get back into the game. The Cardinals did just that as they moved the ball to Evans behind the net and the LaFayette native found Tucker O'Donnell cutting to the net for his first goal of the game. 
 
Trailing 8-3, Fisher's Mitrano gathered a ground ball and sprinted down the field. The long pole found open space and bounced a shot past the Tufts goalie for his first goal of the game.
 
From there, the Jumbos would outscore the Cardinals, 3-1, and head into the halftime break with an 11-5 lead over the Cardinals. 
 
Following a third quarter that saw the Jumbos outscore the Cardinals 6-2, Fisher was left with 15 minutes to complete a 10-goal comeback to keep the season alive.
 
Tufts' defensive pressure continued to cause problems for the Cardinals as a forced turnover led to another Jumbos goal, extending the home team's lead to 18-7. 
 
With just over six minutes to play, Miller found the back of the net for the final goal of his career, as the Jumbo's defense locked down the Cardinals' offense and ran out the clock, securing a 22-8 victory and a ticket to the Elite 8. 
 
As a team, the Cardinals were out-shot 65-to-30, lost the face-off battle 18-to-15, and were 11-of-16 on clear attempts. Fisher forced 16 turnovers and was 1-of-2 on man-up opportunities. 
 
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