This Saturday could be a homecoming to remember, or one to forget, for the men's soccer team. The Williams Ephmen come to Medford as the number-one men's soccer team in Division III, and the game could have playoff implications for both teams.
Tufts is coming off a 7-4 win over the Lasell Lasers on Wednesday afternoon. The game against Lasell was a non-conference game against an over-matched, but spirited, opponent, and essentially served as a tune-up for Saturday's homecoming date with Williams.
"I was experimenting a bit today," coach Ralph Ferrigno said afterwards. "I was trying some players in different positions."
While Tufts did score a number of goals, the most important event of the game came with 12 minutes to go in the second half, when sophomore starter Garrett Dale went down with an ankle injury. Dale, the team's fourth leading scorer with six points, on three goals, was replaced in the game by freshman Alex Berg, who scored the seventh and final goal.
"I'm not expecting him to play against Willams," Ferrigno said. (DOES THIS REFER TO DALE OR BERG?????)
The Ephs remain undefeated and untied with seven NESCAC wins and 11 overall. Williams has never trailed in any game this season.
"Our goal at this point is to win the last three games of the season and the NESCAC tournament," Williams assistant coach Jim Watts said. "After that, we will start thinking of bigger things."
The Jumbos enter their last NESCAC home game of the season at 6-3-2 overall and 3-2-2 in conference games. Tufts is locked in a battle for fourth place in the NESCAC with Amherst, and could certainly use another victory to help them in the race.
Williams plays aggressive soccer, attacking the goal even when holding the lead. Thanks in large part to this offensive-minded game plan, the Ephs have out shot opponents 294-96 this season and outscored them 45-11. Five of the top ten scorers in the NESCAC hail from Williams, including the top three; sophomore Alex Blake (33 points), junior Ted Giannocopoulos (20 points), and junior Josef Powell (18 points). Freshman Khari Stevenson and senior Mike Cortese share fifth place with 14 points.
Blake has scored 15 goals in ten games this year, nine goals more than the next best in the NESCAC. He was the NESCAC Rookie of the Year last season, and has been named NESCAC Player of the Week twice so far this year.
"He's a special player, obviously," Watts said. "He's had an exceptional year. He is one of the most talented players in the nation."
Defensively, the team features an experienced back line and goalkeeper co-captain Ryan Spicer, whose GAA of 0.77 is good for third best in the NESCAC. Still, defense is an area that Williams' coaches would like to see improved.
"We score a lot of goals, but we're giving up about one a game," Watts said. "A lot of them have come on middie breakdowns late in the game. Most of our opponents' goals have come late in the game."
Williams' most recent victory over Amherst was an example of this. The Ephs led the game 2-0 in the second half, but allowed the Lord Jeffs back within striking distance with a goal halfway through the second half. The 2-1 win over Amherst was only the second time this season that the Ephs have failed to win by more than one goal.
Tufts also comes into the game in good shape. The Jumbos have won three straight and three of their last four NESCAC games. The Jumbos will have the home field advantage, and the Homecoming festivities should serve as additional motivation.
"Homecoming does have an effect," MacGregor said. "We always have our best crowds for Homecoming, and it really helps you get up for the game."
If previous matchups between the two teams are any indicator, the large crowd should get an impressive show.
While Tufts is 0-4-1 in its last five games against the Ephs, it has played as well against Williams as anybody. All four Jumbo losses ended in 1-0 scores. Last season's matchup took place in the rain and mud of Williamstown. Thirty-four seconds into the game, Blake connected on a pass from Powell to give Williams a one-goal lead. It would be all that the Ephs would need, as the game was scoreless from then on. Williams out shot the Jumbos 25-10, but the defense and McDermid (six saves) kept the Brown and Blue close. That 1-0 score was the closest that any NESCAC team came to Williams last year.
Since 1990, Williams has been the most dominant team in New England in Division III. Williams is 135-19-18 during that span, outscoring opponents 379-113.
"They are a very good program, very well organized," Ferrigno said. "Then again, so are we."
