Sometimes a team just needs to cut its losses and start preparing for a new season. For the Tufts men's soccer team, that statement is certainly true.
Ending its season with a disappointing 2-10-2 overall record, the Jumbos boasted zero NESCAC victories and finished tied for last place in the conference. With six one-goal losses on the season, the Tufts squad was left with only frustration over its many closely contested matches.
"It was a really frustrating season," sophomore defender Stratos Saropoulos said. "It felt like we were losing every game in that same fashion. We fell behind early, and it was just hard to come back. We had a lot of one-goal losses. Some games we kept it real close but just couldn't score in the end."
The biggest problem for the Jumbos this season was goal-scoring. Tufts finished last in the NESCAC with just 11 goals scored in 14 games. In fact, Tufts was dominated in almost every major statistical category throughout the season. However, statistics do not always tell the whole story.
"Obviously if you are not scoring goals, you cannot win games, but we were competitive in every game," junior tri-captain Naji Muakkassa said. "We had a chance to win every game. There was just a lack of results in the end. Our leading goal scorer had two goals. There were four guys tied with two goals. We really didn't have that go-to guy when we needed to score."
The season as a whole was something of a surprise for players. The Jumbos essentially returned all the starters from their 2008 squad that went 4-5-0 in NESCAC play. The team did not view this season as a rebuilding year — in contrast, it had high expectations for the 2009 slate. From the very beginning, however, nothing seemed to go Tufts' way. A 3-2 Homecoming loss in overtime to Colby was especially hard to take.
"There were some games we played very well and lost," Saropoulos said. "There were some games where we played poorly and managed to win or tie. There were a bunch of heartbreakers. Homecoming was a real heartbreaker. We dominated at Bates but ended up with only a tie. It all just didn't click in the end."
"Maybe we were complacent this year and expected to just go out there and get results," Muakkassa added. "It felt a lot different than last year, because nobody expected us to do well in 2008."
While Tufts posted victories against two of its non-conference foes, the overall results for the Jumbos were unsatisfactory. Despite the winless record in conference matches this season, something that has not occurred in over 10 years, the Jumbos' future may hold promise as the players take a hiatus until next fall. For many of the returning players, it is a season that cannot come soon enough.
"I think nobody is going to hang their head," Muakkassa said. "Everyone is looking forward to next season. We are going to start an indoor league next semester. The good thing about this team is that it is cohesive. It is a very tight group. It's not like we are going to stop being a team in the off-season. It is just a very strong group, and I think that is going to carry on to next year."
With graduation in May, five prominent Jumbos will not be returning to Kraft Field next fall. Among the Tufts players who will say goodbye are team standouts senior tri-captains Pat Tonelli and Bear Duker, who were cornerstones of the Jumbos' defensive and offensive fronts, respectively. Though the team will be losing veteran talent, this year's particularly strong freshman class could fill many of the voids left by those players next season.
"The freshmen class has a lot of potential," Saropoulos said. "There are a lot of good players. We had some freshmen get pulled up to varsity near the end of the season, and they really impressed a lot of guys."
"I think next year we are going to go out and not take anything for granted," Muakkassa said. "I think people will maybe take us for granted next season, and we will be able to surprise some teams."
