Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Nationally No. 6-ranked Tufts raced to a 9-1 first-quarter lead en route to an 18-7 non-conference men's lacrosse win Tuesday over host Western New England at Golden Bear Stadium. The Jumbos improve to 6-1 while the Golden Bears fall to 1-6 on the season to conclude their non-league schedule.

Western New England senior tri-captain Adam Knapton continues his torrid scoring pace since returning to the lineup after suffering an injury that caused him to miss four games. Including a team-best three goals this afternoon, the All-American attacker has nine goals and an assist in his last two outings.

Beau Wood had game highs of five goals and seven points for Tufts, which won 8 of the first 10 face-offs to build an eight-goal lead in the opening 12 minutes and 45 seconds. Chris Schoenhut added a hat trick and Cole Bailey had four assists among five points, plus John Uppgren contributed two goals and three assists off the bench.

Conor Helfrich went 10-for-19 at the "X" and he had a game-high nine ground balls to set the tone for the Jumbos' strong possession game in the first half, which led to a 15-4 cushion at the intermission.

Classmate Owen Caruso joined Knapton with a multi-point game, recording a goal and two assists. Knapton got WNE in the scoring column at the 9:28 mark of the first quarter when he took a feed from Caruso at the top of the crease and in one motion ripped a low shot from 10 yards out just inside the right post.

Sophomore David Cedrone was solid in the face-off "X" with an 8-for-13 performance to go along with a WNE team-high six ground balls. Senior Jesse DeLucca won 6 of 14 face-offs and contributed four ground balls.

Western New England's first goal of the second quarter at 11:04 was a thing of beauty. Cedrone won the face-off, scooped up the ground ball and then fed senior Colton Craig for his sixth tally of the season, answering a Tufts score just 4 seconds earlier.

Despite their struggles on the scoreboard, the Golden Bears were able to generate opportunities offensively with 46 shots--including 29 on cage. But the Tufts goalie tandem of Patton Watkins (17) and Brian Droesch (5) combined for 22 saves.

Western New England outhustled Tufts with a 49 to 43 advantage in ground balls, including a 15-4 margin in the third quarter, but the Golden Bears couldn't overcome 26 turnovers to the Jumbos' 19 nor the slow start to the contest.

Junior Brandon Body made 14 saves in the WNE goal. Senior Trevor Scott added five ground balls and a game-best three caused turnovers to the defensive end for the Golden Bears.

Western New England continues a season-long four-game homestand on Thursday against Wentworth to begin its title defense of the 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference championship; opening face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.