While most people have their attention focused on the Boston Red Sox, coach Ralph Ferrigno and the men's soccer team are concentrating on their crucial NESCAC matchup against Williams on Saturday afternoon. After being defeated by Trinity last Saturday, the Jumbos cannot afford another defeat as they currently sit in seventh place in the conference at 2-4.
Although the Jumbos managed to play a solid game against the Bantams, the Trinity offense triggered two goals in the second half to clinch its third win in a row and end Tufts' winning streak. The victory took the Bantams to a 3-6-2 record and dropped the Jumbo record for the season to a 6-4-1 (2-4, NESCAC).
Despite the defeat, however, not all hope is lost for the team. The Jumbos currently sit in seventh place in the NESCAC, half a game ahead of Trinity and a full game ahead of Colby. They still have three more NESCAC matches left this season, with all of them coming before the home crowd. This should bode well for Tufts, which has been a solid squad at Kraft field this season, posting a 3-1 record. By contrast, when away from the comfort of Medford, the Jumbos have been reduced to a .500 team on the road, posting a 3-3-1 away record this fall.
Overcoming the Williams College Ephs on Saturday's Parents' Weekend bout will prove to be no easy task for the Jumbos. Williams is 8-2-2 this season, with a 5-1-1 conference record having lost only to a tough Bowdoin Polar Bears team earlier in the year. The Ephs currently sit in second place in the NESCAC.
The Jumbos, however, are one of two teams to have beaten the Polar Bears this season, and thus have a formidable shot at taking out the Ephs. The Jumbos will need to reverse history, though, if they are going to come away victorious. They have not beaten the Ephs in the last few years, having gotten crushed last year in Williamstown, 6-0. The one guiding light for Tufts is that the biggest Jumbo killer, then-senior tri-captain Khari Stephenson, is off playing professional soccer and thus will not be in the lineup on Saturday.
Tufts' offense will have to come out extremely sharp on Saturday if it is to oust the Ephs. The Jumbos have been able to score just two goals on the Williams defense in past five years, while the defense has surrendered allowing 15. However if there is something that Bostonians are starting to learn thanks to the Red Sox, history doesn't really matter.
The youthful defense, led by sophomores Jon Glass and Aaron Nass, along with senior goalies Matt Sullivan and captain Scott Conroy will need to keep the Williams strikers in check for the Jumbos to avoid a repeat of last season. The first ten minutes of the game will be crucial, as both teams will look to set the tone early and control it for the rest of the contest.
Parents visiting this weekend will be greeted with a pivotal game as the men's soccer team cannot afford to continue losing. Although the youth of this team has already proven to be a useful resource for Ferrigno, it is time for them to step up and show that this Jumbo team has what it takes to beat tough opponents.
For Tufts to assure itself a spot in the postseason, it will need to win all of its remaining three games. The wins could also help the Jumbos earn a higher seed in the postseason tournament. While hosting a first round game is virtually out of the question at this point, earning the fifth or sixth seed would provide an easier first round opponent for the Jumbos, rather than a seventh seed which would force them to play the likes of Williams or Amherst in the first round.
Game time on Kraft field is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday.
