Jumbos get huge NESCAC win over Trinity

The men's soccer team began a crucial two-week stretch that could make or break its season with a victory against the Trinity Bantams last Saturday on Kraft field.

The 2-1 win came largely in thanks to freshman striker Ben Castellot, who netted both Jumbo goals. The victory allowed Tufts to pass Trinity in the standings and take sole possession of sixth place in the NESCAC.

Castellot began the scoring in the 16th minute on a great pass by sophomore halfback Mike Guigli. Guigli's lead pass flew over the defense and to the foot of an on-running Castellot. Castellot did the rest, placing the ball by the goalkeeper and into the lower right corner of the net. It was his second goal of the season and second in as many games.

The Jumbos kept the pressure on through most of the first half, with many opportunities to go up by two. They took five of an eventual nine corner kicks in the first half but came up empty. Despite not scoring, however, it was clear that the Jumbos were the better team. Slowly, this fact wore down the Bantams and they showed their frustration on the field.

The tension boiled over early in the second half when Bantam senior Phil Flakes punched Jumbo quad-captain Mike Blea in the face. Flakes was immediately given a red card, leaving the Bantams at a disadvantage, playing 10 on 11 for the rest of the game. Four years ago in the Jumbo-Bantam game, Flakes was also the culprit in a similar incident that caused his ejection.

"Traditionally it's a heated game," Blea said. "We always play them close and it is very intense. It was the same way last year when we beat them in overtime."

Even though they were a man down, the Bantams managed to tie the game less than ten minutes later. A pass over the Tufts defense found Trinity senior Jared Rubin open. Rubin deposited the ball into the back of the net and the Jumbos were back to square one.

With 30 minutes left in the half, the Jumbos found themselves in an all-too-familiar position, as they needed one clutch goal to secure the victory. This goal has been elusive for the squad all too often this season, as the Jumbos only have scored two goals this season after the 70 minute mark. Whether it has needed a goal to give itself a cushion or to break a tie, it just has not been there for Tufts yet this season.

However, Castellot possibly showed a sign of things to come as he came through with the game-winning goal. In the 72nd minute, sophomore forward Todd Gilbert sent a low ball that split the defense, landing on Castellot's foot. Finding only the goalie between him and the back of the net, Castellot made a nice move, sidestepping the keeper and putting the ball into the open goal.

"The goal was very big for the team and myself," Castellot said. "It took me a while to get adjusted to college soccer. It's a totally different level. The guys are bigger, faster and stronger. Now I am feeling much more comfortable."

The Jumbos held on for a crucial NESCAC victory. The win elevated Tufts to .500 in the conference with a record of 2-2-1. It was also crucial for momentum purposes. In the next two weeks the Jumbos' schedule has three conference games, all against opponents that are ahead of Tufts in the standings. This weekend they will begin that run in Williamstown, Massachusetts, against a Williams team that is currently in first place.

"We know what they (Williams) can and can't do," associate head coach Andy Nelson said. "This week we'll concentrate on ourselves and learn from things that happened Saturday."

Then the Jumbos will travel to fifth place Wesleyan next Tuesday and then return home to play third place Middlebury a week from Saturday. If Tufts survives this stretch with a solid record, they will easily have solidified one of the seven spots in the NESCAC tournament.