For most of Sunday afternoon's match against NESCAC foe Trinity, it seemed the men's soccer team simply wouldn't be able to finish off the Bantams.
Following 90 minutes of scoreless play against the visiting Bantams, the Jumbos had gone 205 consecutive minutes without a goal −− the team's longest scoreless streak of the season −− and were coming off an embarrassing 3−0 drubbing at the hands of No. 4 Amherst.
With three minutes left in the first sudden−death overtime period, the Jumbos looked like they were going to beat Trinity senior goalkeeper Grant Schonberg and finally break their scoring drought. Freshmen midfielders Maxime Hoppenot and Kyle Volpe combined with junior defender Michael Walker to fire four shots at the Bantams' goal from point−blank range. The Bantams, however, somehow managed to keep the ball out with three blocked shots and, finally, a save from Schonberg, leaving the Jumbos frustrated yet again.
The Jumbos, however, brought another offensive rush less than a minute later. Volpe sent a looping pass that landed at the feet of freshman midfielder Gus Santos, who had run past Trinity sophomore defender Shaun McGann and was making a streaking run down the left wing. Santos took a couple of touches and calmly poked the ball around Schonberg, into the back of the net for his second tally of the season and the lone goal of the weekend for Tufts.
According to coach Josh Shapiro, the Jumbos' ability to stretch the field made them more dynamic offensively and eventually led to the game−winning goal.
"We think it's very hard to defend us if you have to defend 70 yards of width," he said. "That's going to make Gus [Santos], [junior forward] Franco Silva, and the other fast guys up front more dangerous. Ultimately, a great ball from Kyle unlocked them and Gus showed what he can do and won the game for us."
Shapiro elected to play six freshmen at the beginning of overtime. Santos, Volpe and Hoppenot were joined by defenders Sam Williams and Peter Lee−Kramer, plus midfielder Kento Nakamura. Less than a month into the 2011 campaign, the first−years have already shown maturity beyond their years, impressing their head coach and earning his trust.
"I think they're growing up quickly," Shapiro said. "I think Sam Williams doesn't look like a freshman anymore. Peter [Lee−]Kramer is beginning to not look like a freshman anymore. Kyle Volpe and Kento Nakamura are becoming integral parts of our midfield. It's definitely an encouraging sign."
Sophomore defender Ben Ewing offered high praise for Williams and Kramer −− the Jumbos' two starting center backs.
"It really is no different playing with two freshmen on defense," he said. "Sam and Pete are both exceptional players, and neither one of them lacks the confidence to play at this level."
Tufts appeared to be the stronger team throughout Sunday's match, generating five shots on goal and 14 total tries against the Bantams. It was a strong response from Tufts, which needed a promising offensive performance after Saturday's 3−0 loss to Amherst.
"It was crucial for us to beat Trinity," said Ewing, who has been a mainstay at right back for the Jumbos. "We played well, got the result we deserved, but most importantly, we regained our momentum that we can bring into [Saturday's] game against Conn. College and the rest of the season."
Although the Jumbos played tight with the Lord Jeffs early on, Amherst registered a trio of goals in just 11:34 of game action at the beginning of the second half to quickly put Tufts away.
Sophomore forward Jae Heo scored the first on a header in front of the goal. Junior forward Spencer Noon pounced on another header to double the advantage. And junior midfielder Alejandro Sucre added the third, after controlling a Heo rebound and slotting the ball past Jumbos' senior goalkeeper Alan Bernstein.
Shapiro thought the match was actually much closer than the 3−0 score showed.
"It was a game that we felt was pretty even between the penalty boxes," he said. "We didn't see our lines well enough, and they made more precision plays than us. We have to realize that soccer isn't all about what happen between the boxes."
Ewing echoed his coach's sentiments and even took something positive out of Saturday's disappointing result.
"We learned that we can play with anyone in this league," he said. "But when it comes down to it, you have to make plays in the penalty boxes. Amherst did that and we didn't."
Having regained their momentum against the Bantams, the Jumbos' focus will turn to the Conn. College Camels, who come to Kraft Field on Saturday. The Camels are 5−3 overall and 3−3 in the NESCAC after splitting their weekend matches against Bowdoin and Middlebury.
