Perkins, Santos win NESCAC Player of the Week honors after strong Homecoming weekend

Gus Santos

Sophomore forward Gus Santos used a strong performance against the Bates Bobcats on Sunday to catapult himself to win the NESCAC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week. Santos, the 2011 NESCAC rookie of the year, became the first Tufts men’s soccer player to be named Player of the Week since 2005, when Mattia Chason (LA ’07) was given the award.

After going winless in its prior three games, coach Josh Shapiro’s squad was in desperate need of an offensive spark on Sunday against Bates. Santos responded by fueling the Jumbo offense in their crucial 4-0 victory over the Bobcats, recording one goal and one assist in the blowout. 

He has been the center of the resurgent Jumbos attack all season, providing the team with speed up front and leading the team in points and shots taken. With the win on Sunday, the Jumbos improved to 5-1-2 on the season and now sit tied for third place in the NESCAC standings.

 Kelsey Perkins 

Coming off a four-goal week, including a hat trick in the Jumbos’ victory over No. 12 Amherst on Homecoming, senior Kelsey Perkins became the second Tufts field hockey player given player of the week honors in 2012 after junior midfielder Emily Cannon won the award a week ago.

Perkins scored all three of Tufts’ goals in regulation on Saturday, including two in the first six minutes of the second half to earn her first career hat trick. Teammate Lia Sagerman netted the winning goal in overtime to drown the Lord Jeffs and improve the Jumbos’ record to 7-1 on the season.

Entering Saturday’s matchup against conference foe Conn. College, Perkins leads the team in goals with six on a .545 shooting percentage. Five out of the squad’s six remaining games are against NESCAC competitors, giving Perkins and the No. 13 Jumbos even more opportunities to prove themselves among the conference’s best.