The men's soccer team's non-conference struggles continued Tuesday night as the Jumbos fell to Plymouth State 3-2 in overtime, ending their three-game winning streak.
After dominating much of the match, the Jumbos conceded a late equalizer in the 79th minute to Panthers senior Tommy Schrey. But Schrey was not done, slipping through the defense in just the second minute of overtime and beating junior keeper Zach Cousens for the game-winner.
Despite owning possession in the first half, Tufts fell behind early as Plymouth State sophomore Alex Martins gathered a loose ball in the box before drilling it into an open net. The Jumbos responded late in the half as junior Matt Blumenthal fought past a Panthers defender, leaving him one-on-one with the keeper. Blumenthal stayed composed, slotting it into the lower left corner for his second goal of the season.
Tufts outshot Plymouth State 6-3 in the first half but was not able to break through again until the second half. Six minutes in, the Jumbos were awarded a free kick just outside the box. Senior Ben Green stepped up and lofted a top-class shot in the upper left reaches of the net, giving the Jumbos their first lead of the night.
But despite Green's heroics, Schrey was too much for the Jumbos late in the game. The loss drops Tufts' overall record to 4-3-1. Tufts will not have much time to dwell on the loss, though, with a key conference match at Colby coming up this weekend. Another win would begin to solidify a place in the top tier for the Jumbos, as the Mules sit tied with Amherst just one point behind them in the NESCAC standings.
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by Ethan Sturm
