The men's soccer team fell to the Amherst Lord Jeffs yesterday at Kraft Field, as a late goal knocked the fourth-seeded Jumbos out of the first-ever postseason NESCAC Tournament. Fifth-seeded Amherst escaped with the victory by virtue of a surprise header goal off a corner kick with 2:29 to go in regulation, amidst muddy, drizzly and cold playing conditions.
"We made a lot of good chances," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "But we didn't put the ball in. I thought we played well all game."
Throughout the match, players from both sides slipped and slid all over the field, which was covered with mud and puddles. Freshman midfielder Brian Mikel was also forced to leave the game early on, when he collided with another player in the air and suffered a nasty gash in his head.
"You aren't going to play a perfect game on a field like this," Ferrigno said.
The loss also marks the second time this year that Tufts has fallen victim to the Lord Jeffs, with both setbacks coming in Medford. Coach Ferrigno's squad also dropped a 2-0 decision to Amherst during the regular season on Sept. 27.
"Amherst is a poor team," Ferrigno said. "They didn't play well but they won. That's soccer."
The Brown and Blue saw their hopes of winning the NESCAC tournament slip away when Amherst junior defender Ryan Goodband rose above the pack in front of the Tufts goal to get his head on a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Piercario Valdesolo. The kick went to the middle of the box, catching several Tufts defenders off guard, before Goodband punched it in to the middle of the net.
"I don't think we were prepared," sophomore defender Rupak Datta said. "We were just watching the ball as it went it."
In a performance that mimicked their last meeting with the pesky Lord Jeffs, the Jumbos dominated possession for the majority of the game, but could not convert on a number of quality scoring opportunities. Junior tri-captain and midfielder Brad Stitchberry nearly gave his team the lead before the intermission, when he ripped a shot to the lower right corner from point blank range. But Amherst junior keeper Bill Orum dropped to his right and turned it back to keep Tufts at bay. Orum continued his mastery of the hosts, earning his second shutout against the Jumbos and fifth overall this season.
"We dominated the game," Datta said. "We really controlled, that's what's frustrating...it's too bad it had to end like that."
The second half featured a much more tenacious Lord Jeff squad, as they poured on the pressure. Senior keeper and tri-captain Steve McDermid was credited with five saves on the afternoon, as he dove all over the goal at various points in the contest. Seconds before giving up the winning score, the four-year starter blocked what appeared to sure goal. Amherst freshman midfielder Vivian Johnson dribbled into the box after beating two Jumbo defenders and fired a shot to the lower part of the net. McDermid extended his fingertips just far enough to tip the ball out of bounds, after diving to his left.
"Steve made some huge saves," Datta said. "He came up big so many times, it's too bad it had to end like that."
Tufts had its share of chances in the second half as well, highlighted by two near misses on open shots by sophomore midfielder Garrett Dale. The best of those two came with 16:30 to go in the game, when Dale cocked and fired after taking a pass from Stitchberry. The shot looked to be on target to clear the inside of the far post, but ended up rolling just wide and out of bounds. For the afternoon, the Jumbos were outshot by an 8-5 margin, while each team had five corner kicks.
"They took advantage of their chances...we didn't," junior midfielder Pat Brophy said. "In the second half they put a lot more pressure on. They were good in the air so it was tough to defend.
Brophy and the rest of the Jumbos now stand at 8-5-2 overall, as they await a likely ECAC Tournament bid. This fall will be the last time that any NESCAC team is invited to the ECAC Tournament, as a result of the new conference playoff format.
"We have a few injuries that we will be able to rest in the next week to get ready," Ferrigno said.
