A Jumbo-sized disappointment

The men's soccer team wrapped up its 2003 season on Sunday, falling to Middlebury in the first round of the NESCAC championship tournament. The Jumbos finished 6-7-2 overall and posted a 4-4-1- NESCAC mark on the year.

Though 2003 was an average year by the numbers, the team fought through many close matches and made the necessary adjustments as the season progressed.

"What was good about this season was that the team got better as the season went on," associate coach Andy Nelson said. "We played some of our best soccer at the end of [the year] and put ourselves into a position where we got ourselves into the playoffs."

Another important aspect of this year's squad was how well the Jumbos worked together as a team no matter how they were doing in the standings.

"It was really impressive that whether winning or losing, [the players] always did the best for the team," Nelson said. "You rarely see that kind of attitude."

The major contributors to this team cohesion were the eight members of the class of 2004. Captains Mike Blea, Jesse Dinner and Brian Mikel, along with classmates Alex Berg, Rupak Datta, David DeLuca, Craig Gelormini and Andy Wood led the team and kept it together in the good times and the bad.

"[The seniors] will leave a big void to fill," Nelson said. "We have plenty of talent to fill it, but they had an awful lot of character, and that is key."

Blea moved from his traditional sweeper position this season and became a vital part of the Jumbo offense as a midfielder. He was second on the team in scoring with four goals and two assists to bring his collegiate totals to seven and three, respectively. Blea controlled the midfield with his aggressive style.

"Mike's done tremendously well for us this year," Nelson said. "He fights and competes, and that's something you really need in the middle of the field."

Mikel also worked the midfield alongside Blea. He played in every game and scored a goal when Tufts tied Bates on September 28. With nine goals and 10 assists over his time as a Jumbo, Mikel will graduate as the team's career points leader with 28.

Though Dinner was not an everyday player until later in the season, he helped hold the team together and eventually ended up playing a key part in the late season defense.

"Jesse came in at the end of the season, played really well, and got a regular starting spot," Nelson said. "He gave us another defensive element and some leadership in the wide midfield."

Workhorses Andy Wood, Alex Berg, and Craig Gelormini set a good example for the under classmen with their persistence and heart.

"Gelormini played in five different positions, and could adapt to any of [them]," Nelson said. "He figured out the system really well and was just tremendous. He was the glue that held the back four together with two freshmen side by side."

Datta and DeLuca also helped the Jumbo cause. Datta had an assist in Tufts' crucial win over Colby on Nov. 1. DeLuca knocked in the only Tufts goal in a 1-1 tie with MIT on September 17 to finish with five career goals.

In addition to the seniors, the underclassmen played a huge part in what success the team had this year. Freshman Ben Castellot was the squad's scoring leader with five goals in 14 games. Sophomores Todd Gilbert, Mike Guigli and Mike Lingenfelter accounted for five of the team's 17 season goals. Guigli also led the Jumbos in assists with three.

Juniors Matt Sullivan and quad-captain Scott Conroy shared duties between the pipes this season. When Conroy went down with a concussion against Middlebury on Oct. 25, Sullivan stepped in for the final crucial days of the year.

"Matt came in at the end of the season. That can be a difficult situation," Nelson said. "He didn't even blink an eye. He has leadership potential and will be another plus [for us] next year."

Looking ahead to the 2004 campaign, the Jumbos hope to bring in a good recruiting class to help fill the spots left by this year's eight seniors. They will also look to earn a home game in the first round of the NESCAC championships to ensure what happened against Middlebury on Sunday does not repeat itself.

For this season though, Nelson was as proud of he and head coach Ralph Ferrigno's team as any coach could be.

"They would soak up everything you asked of them and work their socks off," Nelson said. "It's always easy for everything to move a long well while winning, but when you had a season like we had, it is really easy for people to stray. Nobody did that. This team was really top drawer."