MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College men’s lacrosse team won its opening two games of the season and is ranked No. 12 in the second weekly NCAA Division III poll. The Panthers travel to face No. 3 Tufts on Saturday in a NESCAC game.
In their opener on this past Saturday, the Panthers edged host NESCAC rival Connecticut, 8-6, as Parker Lawlor netted the game’s final two goals. 
The Camels held a 2-1 lead after one quarter with Jack Gould putting the Panthers on the board. Henry Riehl tied the game early in the second quarter before the Camels went back on top, 3-2 at 13:28 on a Tucker Mscisz tally. Wes Quinzani knotted the game at 3-3 before the half.
The Panthers outscored the Camels, 3-2, in the third quarter to take the lead. Jake Schneider scored twice and Lawlor once for Middlebury in the period.
Jackson Kleintz scored his fourth of the game for the Camels early in the fourth period to tie the game. Lawlor put Middlebury on top with 8:10 showing on the clock, and Lawlor he added a late goal on an open net.
Panther goalie Will Ernst made nine saves, while defender Eric Rogers caused three turnovers and scooped up three ground balls. Camel goalie Jameson Hill made 12 saves. Middlebury held a 47-28 shots advantage.
On Tuesday, Riehl scored seven goals and added an assist as Middlebury rolled to a 17-7 win over Endicott (0-3) in the Panthers’ home opener.
The Panthers took a 6-5 lead after 15 minutes of play, and then Riehl scored twice in the second quarter as the Panthers took a 10-6 lead into halftime. After a low-scoring third period that saw Middlebury outscore the Gulls by 2-1, the Panthers tacked on five more goals in the fourth quarter to pull away. 
Riehl’s seven goals were one shy of the school single-game mark of eight. Schneider added three goals, while Harry Giarrusso netted two with a pair of helpers and A.J. Kucinski added a goal and four assists. Joey Zelkowitz picked up seven ground balls, while Jack DeFrino scooped six. Ernst made six first-half saves to earn the win. Will Perry played 26:25 with three saves, while Charles Midgley was in net for the game’s final 3:35.
Will Jennings paced Endicott with three goals and an assist. Gull goalie Kenny Sturgess made six first-half saves, while Grant Thompson made four in the second half.