Coming off their first win in two weeks, the men's soccer team fell just short of making it two in a row against the nationally ranked No. 15 Trinity Bantams, losing 1-0 on Saturday. The game marks the team's fifth one-goal loss of the season and drops the Jumbos' record to 0-5-1 in the NESCAC and 2-7-2 overall.
The Bantams, who sit second in the conference, struck early when junior midfielder Peter Marlette assisted freshman Anthony El-Hachem from the right side just 5:54 into the game. Despite an intense effort from the Jumbos' offense, Tufts was not able to even the scoreboard.
"I think [Senior goalkeeper Pat] Tonelli kept us in the game with a lot of big saves and we did a good job counter-attacking with scoring opportunities throughout the first half," sophomore Matt Blumenthal said. "We're working on staying positive and not getting down and looking at the good opportunities we did have at goal."
And there were plenty of good opportunities for Tufts on the day. Although none of the Jumbos' four shots in the opening 45 minutes were on goal, they came out in the second half with a sense of urgency. The new aggression showed, as four of Tufts' six shots in the half were slammed on goal, forcing Trinity sophomore goalie Grant Schonberg to make four saves to maintain the lead. Senior forward Dan Schoening launched three of Tufts' shots on goal in the half, while junior midfielder Ron Coleman contributed on as well.
"I think many players played well, but we couldn't come together as a team to put together more than individual attempts at the goal, which is probably why we missed a lot of our chances," sophomore defender Rafael Ramos-Meyer said. "And we couldn't capitalize; we need to work on finishing our chances and on our organization."
The intensity became palpable when yellow cards were given to both teams as the game became more physical, with Trinity's lead in danger and the Jumbos' frustrations rising. Combined, the teams racked up eighteen fouls.
Unfortunately, the Jumbos' offense continued to post a series of near-misses, finishing the day with 10 shots and four corner kicks, the same number as Trinity.
The defense, for its part, stayed strong in the 84 minutes after the one goal, with Tonelli racking up seven saves on 16 Trinity shots. And, as evidence of Tufts' continuing attention to detail in its game, the team was caught offsides only once after previously averaging over three per game.
"Recently there have been plenty of injuries on our back line; it has been kind of rag-tag and we have been trying to find the right players," Ramos-Meyer said. "I think we found a very strong unit. It was the first time all four of us have played together and I think we found a very good unit, and I think our strong play comes partially from a desire not to lose anymore.
"I think [sophomore] Jesse Poon is a big reason for our success; he came in and got a shot and he has played wonderfully," he continued.
It seems minor improvements are all the team needs to come out with a conference win, with one-goal games plaguing their record. Tomorrow, the Jumbos will have a chance to get back in the win column against the Conn. College Camels, who sit at sixth in the NESCAC with a 3-3 record.
"We just want to come out with high intensity like [we did on Saturday], because we definitely think we can get the win," Blumenthal said. "We beat them last year, and we just have really high hopes."
Indeed Tufts beat Conn. 2-1 in 2008 and the Jumbos' defense has been solid, with Trinity recording the only goal for the opposition in the Jumbos' last 188:35 of play. Tufts will need to continue to be strong, as the Camels have tallied a 4-1 win over a strong Amherst team already this season. Tufts' offensive line will also have to find a way to convert on opportunities against a stingy Camels defense that has recorded shutouts in four of the team's six overall wins.
"I think what we need to do is really focus on what we did well as a team, which was defend pretty well and move the ball well," Ramos-Meyer said. "We need to improve on things like finishing and being able to break down other teams' defense, and if we can work on that a little bit, we still have a shot of making the playoffs. If we make it to the playoffs, it is like a whole new season."
