The men's soccer team is off to its worst start in six years, dropping its fourth straight game this weekend with a 2-0 loss to Amherst on the road. With the victory, Amherst (5-0, 3-0 NESCAC) remains perched atop the league standings, while the Jumbos (0-4-1, 0-3-1) are still in search of their stride.
However, junior tri-captain Greg O'Connell said that he gleaned some positives from the loss.
"I thought we played great," O'Connell said. "Our team spirit was high going in and we knocked the ball around well. Our passing definitely showed improvement and was crisper than what is has been."
Tufts had two excellent opportunities early but could not convert. A solid Jumbo buildup in the opening minutes culminated in senior tri-captain Ben Castellot's cracked shot from the edge of the penalty area, which missed just wide.
Several minutes later freshman Bear Duker ran onto a deflected ball in the box and went for the goal, forcing Amherst goalkeeper Jeff Grover to make one of his two saves on the day.
"We had opportunities, but we just couldn't get it done in the final third," junior midfielder Alex Botwinick said.
Those opportunities included five corner kicks and 12 shots, which only produced two on-goal efforts.
The Jeffs struck first in the 26th minute. Junior midfielder John Kneeland scored a fortuitous goal when Tufts senior tri-captain Jon Glass attempted a clearance out of the penalty area. Kneeland deflected the ball, which ricocheted back past both Glass and Tufts freshman goalkeeper Pat Tonelli.
"The goal was extremely fluky," O'Connell said. "Jon went to clear the ball, and it took an unlikely bounce [off Kneeland]. Pat had absolutely no chance.
"It was just one of those unlucky things that happens in soccer, and that's kind of the way our season has gone so far."
Amherst padded its lead in the 34th minute, when sophomore striker Nick Lynch swung a ball into the six-yard box from the left wing, where it deflected off of junior defender Andrew Drucker's chest and into the goal. It was the first goal of the season for Lynch, who was one of the top 10 scorers in the NESCAC as a freshman.
"There might have been a little miscommunication between [Drucker] and the goalie, and it froze our guys for long enough that when he went for the ball, it deflected off of him and in," O'Connell said. "The grass was wet, so the ball came in with funny spin."
It was not the first time that miscommunication in the back has cost the Jumbos a goal. In both the season-opening draw against Colby and the 4-3 overtime loss against MIT, opponents notched preventable goals early in the game.
"I think that as a team, you can always improve in every aspect of the game," O'Connell said. "Right now our team shape and communication could use some work, but not more than any other area."
Amherst has provided tough opposition for Tufts in recent years. Dating back to the 2002 playoffs, the Jumbos have dropped four out of five against the Jeffs, including three straight shutout losses on the road.
Amherst's defense has been excellent this year, conceding only two goals in five games, and after they weathered the Jumbos' initial offensive flurry, threats from Tufts were rare.
Botwinick, though, denied that numbers could tell the story of Saturday's match.
"We competed, we challenged for 50-50 balls, won more than our share of tackles, and had our chances to win the game," he said. "I think as a team, our effort was great, and coach [Ralph Ferrigno] was pleased."
"There's no reason to dwell on the loss," O'Connell agreed. "Soccer is a very mental game and we'll just have to bounce back on Tuesday."
