Defense Shines As #18 Men’s Lacrosse Downs #13 Amherst 9-6 In NESCAC Quarterfinals

The #18/fourth-seeded Middlebury men’s lacrosse team utilized great defense to stifle #13/fifth-seeded Amherst and earn a hard-fought 9-6 victory in the NESCAC Quarterfinal round. The Panthers forced 20 total turnovers and held the Mammoths to just a .656 clearing percentage. HIGHLIGHTS Middlebury got out to a fast start, as Russell Thorndike found the back of the net after just 50 seconds. Billy Curtis doubled the lead with 3:20 elapsed, before Thorndike bagged his second marker with 8:30 showing on the clock to give the hosts a 3-0 advantage. Amherst quickly leveled the contest at three apiece as they answered with…