Soccer

Soccer

Men's Soccer | 1-0 win over Wesleyan takes the Jumbos one step closer to playoffs

October 26

The men's soccer team took a step towards the playoffs yesterday with a 1-0 win over visiting NESCAC rival Wesleyan. Conference games in this last week of the regular season determine whether or not the Jumbos will be playing on Halloween in the first round of the tournament. "This was a must-win game for us," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "Ironically, we didn't play as well as we did against Williams on Saturday, but we did get the right result this time." Tufts was coming off a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat by Williams last Saturday in which the Ephs came from behind to win the game in the last few minutes of the second half. The NESCAC loss sent the Jumbos to 6-5-1 overall and 2-5 in the league. The win against Wesleyan was crucial for the Jumbos to remain in seventh place in the league and in playoff contention at 3-5 in league play. "This win will give us momentum going into the last game of the season and into the playoffs," sophomore defender Jon Glass said. "It was a great rebound after the heartbreaking loss to Williams. Every conference game is so important." The Jumbos opened the game on a sunny afternoon ready to take it to the Cardinals. Wesleyan, however, had momentum from its weekend 1-0 upset win over league powerhouse Amherst. "Wesleyan is a good team," Ferrigno said. "They had a good win against Amherst on Saturday and we knew they would be tough like all of the NESCAC teams. That's how they proved to be." Tufts opened the game with senior captain Scott Conroy in net for a rare start. Conroy has been hampered by injury all season and stayed true to form in this match, but was forced to leave the game after the first half with a thumb injury. He did, however, notch three saves and helped keep the game scoreless in the first 45 minutes. The two teams battled back and forth for the first half without breaking the 0-0 stalemate. It was not until five minutes into the second 45 minutes that Tufts finally broke the tie with a goal from freshman forward Dan Jozwiak. Classmate Bob Kastoff sent an arching cross from the outside in front of the goal. Jozwiak used his height advantage over the Wesleyan defense and headed the ball past the Wesleyan keeper for his first collegiate goal and the only tally in the match. The Jumbos continued to hold off the Cardinals' offense and orchestrate several attacks of their own after the goal. For the first 15 minutes after Jozwiak scored, Tufts put pass combinations together and had several quality shots. The Jumbos nearly knocked in an insurance goal with 23-minutes remaining. Junior forward-turned outside midfielder Todd Gilbert one-touched a pass from the right side of the 18-yard line to classmate center midfielder Mike Guigli. Guigli drove a thundering shot towards the upper corner of the net, but missed just over the crossbar. After the near-goal, Tufts was forced to buckle down on defense for the remainder of the match. Glass and freshmen Matt Maloney, Derek Engelking and Andrew Drucker held off a frenetic Wesleyan attack by winning balls in the air and filling space in front of senior keeper Matt Sullivan. "We knew we had to get the win on the defensive end," Glass said. "We did a great job doing what we needed to do in clearing the ball. The freshmen really stepped up and helped secure the win." The inexperience in the back was not an issue in the match as this group of four defenders is beginning to gel as a unit. "We're young, but every game we're showing improvement," Glass said. "Even though it's the end of the season, it's better late than never." Sullivan shouted instructions to his young defenders while making several key saves late in the game. With 16:46 remaining, Sullivan blocked a close-range shot after the Cardinal offense fed three passes through the Tufts back four. The shot proved the closest Wesleyan would come to equalizing the score despite numerous drives in the final minutes. "It was only a one-goal game, so I was worried at the end," Ferrigno said. "We didn't threaten on offense after we scored as much as we did against Williams. It was hair-raising." Tufts would clinch the seventh and final spot in the NESCAC tournament with a win over last place Conn. College on Saturday. However, if the Jumbos lose and Trinity upsets Middlebury, Trinity would tie the Jumbos with a 3-6 league mark. The Bantams would then win the seventh bid to the tournament because they beat Tufts in head to head competition earlier in the season. "We could still mathematically not make it to the playoffs," Ferrigno said. "We have to take Conn. College seriously and, if all goes as planned, playoffs will begin on Sunday." In their final practices this week, the Jumbos will concentrate on getting as healthy as possible for Saturday's match, as well as keeping their heads in the game. "We need to get our minds ready more than anything else," Glass said. "We have to keep our composure."

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Soccer

Men's Soccer | Men downed in final minutes, 2-1

October 24

The men's soccer team's 1-0 lead and chance to upset the visiting Williams Ephs was blown away with the stiff October wind late in the second half on Saturday afternoon. After holding Williams scoreless for nearly 78 minutes, the Jumbos surrendered two goals to lose their Parents Weekend match, 2-1. "Obviously it was disappointing to lose," freshman Greg O'Connell said. "We held them off for so long. Our season has just been that way: we have a few unlucky bounces and then we come up on the short side of the stick." With the wind in their faces to start the game, the Jumbos faced a barrage of Williams shots in the first half. The Ephs outshot the Jumbos 14-5 in the first forty-five minutes, but failed to find the back of the net. Tufts' defense consistently cleared the ball and senior keeper Matt Sullivan thwarted several dangerous Williams chances. "We were just trying to stay defensively sound," O'Connell said. "You have to give credit to our back four and especially Sullivan. It wasn't always the prettiest, but we got the job done in the first half." With the score still tied 0-0 at the halftime intermission, Tufts knew it had a chance against a powerful Williams squad that won the NESCAC in 2003 and currently sits atop the league this year. "As a team, we were pretty happy with the way we played in the first half," O'Connell said. "Williams is a perennial powerhouse in the NESCAC." After the break, Tufts took the field with the wind at its back and momentum on its side. The Jumbos took it to the Ephs for the first 30 minutes of the second half. The defense, anchored by sophomore Jon Glass and freshmen Matt Maloney, Andrew Drucker, and Derek Engelking, pushed up to catch Williams off-sides on several occasions. The back four also protected the net in front of Sullivan, clearing the ball out to the midfielders and up to the forwards. "In the second, Sullivan was able to put his goal kicks and punts further up the field with the wind.," O'Connell said. "We kept playing our game and went right at them. I think we took them by surprise." After several opportunities, O'Connell made the most of a throw-in from junior Mike Lingenfelter, scoring the first goal of the match to put Tufts up 1-0 in the 53rd minute. O'Connell received a loose ball out of the air and sent a line-drive shot into the right side of the goal past sprawling Williams junior goalie Nicholas Armington. "The throw-in went into the box and was a fifty-fifty ball in the air," O'Connell said. "I was right behind when the ball hit the ground and so I just hit it with my left on the volley. There wasn't too much space, so I just snuck it in there." Junior forward Todd Gilbert and freshman forward Dan Jozwiak had breakaway opportunities after O'Connell's goal. Gilbert's shot sailed just over the goal, while Jozwiak's attempt hit Armington as he dove to the ground. Tufts held Williams scoreless, and even on its heels, for the next 25 minutes. The Jumbos controlled the middle of the pitch and took quality shots on goal. It looked as though the Ephs had evened the score at the 70 minute mark, but the goal was disallowed because the Williams forward was off-sides. The Jumbos had the upset in their sights as the clock continued to run late in the second half. A lot can happen in 12 minutes, however, and it finally rained on the Ephs' scoring drought in the 78th minute. Williams sophomore forward Dana Leary received a pass from junior Josh Bolton, eluded the Tufts defense, and poked the ball past Sullivan to even the score at 1-1. With the momentum shifted in Williams' direction, Tufts began to play desperate soccer. The team had less control over the middle than it did earlier in the half and was also giving more opportune chances to the Ephs. In the 85th minute, Williams capitalized on its new-found drive and scored the final goal of the game to put the Ephs up 2-1. Sophomore Patrick Huffer nailed a shot into the upper corner of Sullivan's net after a pass from classmate Brett Olson. The goal sealed the match for Williams and sent Tufts off its own field empty handed. With the win, Williams takes sole possession of first place in the NESCAC with a 9-2-2 (6-1-1 NESCAC) mark. The Jumbos remain in seventh place, just barely eligible for a playoff spot, at 6-5-1 overall and 2-5 in the league. Tufts will play out its season against NESCAC opponents on Tuesday at home against Wesleyan and then again at home against Conn. College on Saturday. This week's games will determine the Jumbos' fate in the postseason as it clings to seventh place. "We just have to look forward to the next game and go game by game from there," O'Connell said. "We need to stay focused and play the way we can."

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Women's Soccer | Williams escapes Kraft with 2-2 tie

October 24

The women's soccer team came into Saturday's Parents Weekend contest in the midst of a five game unbeaten streak in the NESCAC. The squad did not disappoint the numerous fans in the stands, extending the streak to six straight games by fighting to a 2-2 double overtime tie with the Williams College Ephs at Kraft Field. "We had moments when we played our best soccer today, but there were also times when we were just standing there watching them," said senior co-captain Sarah Gelb, who was in the lineup after missing two games with an ankle sprain. "We played really well in the first half but unfortunately we came out flat in the second and they took advantage." The tie pushed the Jumbos' record to 6-3-3 overall, including a 4-1-3 record in NESCAC play. It kept the squad in third place in the conference, just one game back of Amherst and one and a half behind Middlebury with one to play. A win over Connecticuit College next Saturday, coupled with an Amherst loss to Williams, would put Tufts in position to overtake the Amherst Jeffs as the second seed in the conference when the playoffs begin next Sunday. The Jumbos also secured a top four seed in the NESCAC tournament, meaning they will host a first round playoff game on Sunday. "We really focused on not getting beaten at Kraft [Field]," Gelb said. "We're still undefeated at home, and we're in fine shape in the NESCAC heading into the playoffs." Tufts, clearly energized by the home crowd, came out firing to start the game. The Jumbos gave the fans something to cheer about early when in just the third minute of play, freshman center midfielder Martha Furtek bent a corner kick over Ephs sophomore goalkeeper Abby Taylor to put Tufts up 1-0. The goal was Furtek's third of the season, tying her for the team lead in goals (three) and points (eight) with junior Sarah Callaghan. Williams seemed to be demoralized by the goal and suffered a loss in intensity for the next ten minutes, a problem the Jumbos themselves faced earlier in the season. Tufts capitalized on Williams' lethargy, giving itself a two-goal cushion just eight minutes later. With 10:12 elapsed in the first frame, senior co-captain Becky Greenstein lofted a free kick through the Williams defense and found the head of junior Ariel Samuelson. Samuelson did not disappoint, heading the ball to the near post past Taylor for her second goal of the season. "I think we surprised ourselves by scoring those two goals really quickly," Callaghan said. "We went out really hard, and then it was like we had used up all our adrenaline and just couldn't keep that up for the rest of the game." The Jumbos continued to fight hard through the half, earning numerous chances deep in the Williams zone. Tufts, however, was unable to complete any of those opportunities and went into halftime sporting a 2-0 lead. At halftime, coach Martha Whiting stressed the importance of not letting up the intensity, keeping sharp for the entire 90 minutes, and playing like the game was tied at zero. "She told us to keep up the intensity and not let them gain any momentum by scoring any goals," Gelb said. "We wanted to transition better from defense to offense," Callaghan said, "and step it up and put a few more goals in." The midgame break didn't seem to work in the Jumbos favor, however, as Williams' senior forward and leading scorer Lindsay Dwyer added to her already impressive season just 49 seconds into the half, tallying her seventh goal of the 2004 campaign on an assist from sophomore defender Jessica Hing. The Jumbos settled down after Williams got within one, playing essentially even soccer with the Ephs, though still not looking as sharp as they did in the first frame. The Ephs, like any good team does, took advantage of the slip in intensity on the part of Tufts and evened the score at two 19 minutes later. Sophomore midfielder Alix Oliver sent a through ball in the air that senior Brittany Esty, the team's second leading scorer with five goals and one assist, headed into the goal just out of the reach of Tufts' senior keeper Meg McCourt. Both squads seemed to settle down after the goal, with each getting a few offensive chances but mainly staying back on defense to prevent any late scores. The teams fought through two overtimes, with both McCourt and Taylor holding their own in their respective nets to keep things even until the final buzzer. The Jumbos outshot Williams 26 to 18 on the afternoon, with the Ephs having a slight edge in corner kicks, eight to seven. The Jumbos will face off against Conn. College next Saturday in their final game of the regular season. Having no midweek contest this week will allow the squad to fully heal any injuries for the game and the ensuing playoff push. The Jumbos will look to stay positive this week in practice and mainly work on keeping the intensity level high for 90 straight minutes. "We're really going to focus on playing together as a team and playing to our full potential," Gelb said, "because if we do that for all 90 minutes, we will win."

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Men's Soccer: Jumbos aim to get back on track this weekend against Williams

October 21

While most people have their attention focused on the Boston Red Sox, coach Ralph Ferrigno and the men's soccer team are concentrating on their crucial NESCAC matchup against Williams on Saturday afternoon. After being defeated by Trinity last Saturday, the Jumbos cannot afford another defeat as they currently sit in seventh place in the conference at 2-4. Although the Jumbos managed to play a solid game against the Bantams, the Trinity offense triggered two goals in the second half to clinch its third win in a row and end Tufts' winning streak. The victory took the Bantams to a 3-6-2 record and dropped the Jumbo record for the season to a 6-4-1 (2-4, NESCAC). Despite the defeat, however, not all hope is lost for the team. The Jumbos currently sit in seventh place in the NESCAC, half a game ahead of Trinity and a full game ahead of Colby. They still have three more NESCAC matches left this season, with all of them coming before the home crowd. This should bode well for Tufts, which has been a solid squad at Kraft field this season, posting a 3-1 record. By contrast, when away from the comfort of Medford, the Jumbos have been reduced to a .500 team on the road, posting a 3-3-1 away record this fall. Overcoming the Williams College Ephs on Saturday's Parents' Weekend bout will prove to be no easy task for the Jumbos. Williams is 8-2-2 this season, with a 5-1-1 conference record having lost only to a tough Bowdoin Polar Bears team earlier in the year. The Ephs currently sit in second place in the NESCAC. The Jumbos, however, are one of two teams to have beaten the Polar Bears this season, and thus have a formidable shot at taking out the Ephs. The Jumbos will need to reverse history, though, if they are going to come away victorious. They have not beaten the Ephs in the last few years, having gotten crushed last year in Williamstown, 6-0. The one guiding light for Tufts is that the biggest Jumbo killer, then-senior tri-captain Khari Stephenson, is off playing professional soccer and thus will not be in the lineup on Saturday. Tufts' offense will have to come out extremely sharp on Saturday if it is to oust the Ephs. The Jumbos have been able to score just two goals on the Williams defense in past five years, while the defense has surrendered allowing 15. However if there is something that Bostonians are starting to learn thanks to the Red Sox, history doesn't really matter. The youthful defense, led by sophomores Jon Glass and Aaron Nass, along with senior goalies Matt Sullivan and captain Scott Conroy will need to keep the Williams strikers in check for the Jumbos to avoid a repeat of last season. The first ten minutes of the game will be crucial, as both teams will look to set the tone early and control it for the rest of the contest. Parents visiting this weekend will be greeted with a pivotal game as the men's soccer team cannot afford to continue losing. Although the youth of this team has already proven to be a useful resource for Ferrigno, it is time for them to step up and show that this Jumbo team has what it takes to beat tough opponents. For Tufts to assure itself a spot in the postseason, it will need to win all of its remaining three games. The wins could also help the Jumbos earn a higher seed in the postseason tournament. While hosting a first round game is virtually out of the question at this point, earning the fifth or sixth seed would provide an easier first round opponent for the Jumbos, rather than a seventh seed which would force them to play the likes of Williams or Amherst in the first round. Game time on Kraft field is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday.

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Men's Soccer: Shutout at Trinity snaps three-game win streak

October 17

You can't win if you can't score.

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Women's Soccer: Women's soccer makes it three straight NESCAC victories

October 17

For the second Saturday in a row, the women's soccer teamexacted some revenge on a NESCAC opponent.

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Men's Soccer: Men fall to physical Bates squad, 5-2

October 3

A boisterous crowd and Homecoming momentum were not enough to propel the men's soccer team past Bates on Saturday as the Jumbos fell to the Bobcats, 5-2. The loss came in a physical match and dropped Tufts to 3-3-1 on the year and 1-3 against NESCAC opponents. "We just made five mistakes," junior forward Todd Gilbert said of the five goals his team surrendered. "That is a lot of mistakes for any team at this level and Bates capitalized on all of them; that's a sign of a good team." Bates' offense had scored 18 goals in its last three matches coming into the game against Tufts. The Bobcats also sported a 4-1 overall record and a 1-1 mark against NESCAC teams. Though quieting the Bates offense seemed a hefty task on paper, the Jumbos were not overly intimidated before the game. "We weren't too concerned with Bates' offense coming in because of their past opponents," Gilbert said. "They were playing teams like Conn. College and New England College so we didn't really concentrate on what they had been doing." Perhaps a little more concentration on stopping Bates' offense would have been advantageous for the Jumbos as the Bobcats put five tallies on the board over the course of the game. Going into the game, the Jumbos had given up just eight goals in all of their previous six games combined. Starting senior keeper Matt Sullivan surrendered the first two goals in the first half, and classmate and captain Scott Conroy gave up the other three scores in the second 45 minutes after having not played for several weeks. "I felt good going in, but I was pretty cold," Conroy said. "It was pretty unexpected that I would play." Despite the final score, Tufts actually drew first blood in a very physical match. In the 21st minute, freshman forward Bob Kastoff scored his first collegiate goal to give the Jumbos a 1-0 advantage. Gilbert was driving to the net when he was tripped up in the middle of the box by two Bates defenders. The ball squirted loose and Kastoff drilled in the clean-up goal. The Bobcats would not remain scoreless for long, however, as a questionable handball call in the box gave Bates senior captain Dan Bradford a penalty kick in the 30th minute. Sullivan blocked Bradford's initial low shot, but could not keep Bates from knocking the ball in on the rebound. Aggressive play and penalties characterized much of the match. After last year's game in which several players received red cards for their fouls, the Jumbos were not surprised by the way this game was played. "Historically the games against Bates have been very physical," Gilbert said. "We knew coming it was going to a rough game, but that's pretty much our style. We were hoping to throw Bates off their game by taking it to them physically, but it didn't work out so well." Bates tallied the go-ahead goal just before halftime when freshman Brent Morin sent an unassisted shot from the 18-yard line past a sprawling Sullivan and into the opposite upper corner. Bates was quick to score again after the intermission when junior David Shear looped a long shot to Conroy's right. Down 3-1, the Jumbos were beginning to see the game slip for their fingers until Gilbert brought Tufts back to within one on a penalty. "I got a feed in the box and took a touch," Gilbert said. "Two defenders converged in on me. One won the ball and then got me right afterwards. It might not have even been a penalty." Tufts was not upset with the ref's dubious call in this case, however, and was awarded a penalty kick. Gilbert took the shot and scored the second and final goal for the Jumbos on the day. Bates went on to score two more goals, one in the 72nd and one in the 85th minute. Both goals came off of unassisted shots from junior forward Terence O'Connell. His first tally was the result of a Conroy mistake. "It was a looping spinning ball that took a bad bounce off the grass," Conroy said. "It went up against my foot and that was that. My head was down, and then everyone on the field stopped playing after that. I take responsibility." The final goal of the game came on O'Connell's breakaway up the middle of the field. Conroy came out off his line to charge down the striker, but O'Connell made a move around the keeper as Conroy went to the ground in an attempt to block the ball. Tufts is in the midst of a three game losing streak to NESCAC opponents. With the season at its midpoint, the Jumbos will need to break out of this trend to secure any hope of a playoff berth. The team has a small break this week with three days of practice before facing Endicott College on the road on Thursday. After that, it's on to Bowdoin to kick off yet another NESCAC game on Saturday. "It's terrible not to be able to win against NESCAC teams because those are the only games that really matter," Conroy said. "Right now we're not looking so good when it comes to the tournament. We need to beat one of the top teams and definitely take Wesleyan, Trinity and Conn. College to have a shot."Check out The Tufts Daily's 2004 Homecoming slideshow!

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Women's Soccer: Tufts battles to a 1-1 tie in double OT at Amherst

September 26

A short lapse of intensity on the defensive side late in the second half led to another disappointing finish for the women's soccer team, which left Pratt Field in Amherst, Mass. still winless on the season. The Jumbos, who had scored earlier in the second frame, came away with a 1-1 deadlock against Amherst, their second tie of the season, to move to 0-2-2 overall (0-1-2, NESCAC) and into a tie for seventh place in the conference with Connecticut College. Despite not coming away with the win, the Jumbos were happy with their play and felt they dominated the game. "I think we played much better today than we have in previous games," senior co-captain Becky Greenstein said. "We were clicking in the midfield and with our forwards, and really moving the ball well." The Jumbos welcomed back three of its starters with open arms on Saturday, as senior Jen Baldwin and juniors Sarah Callaghan and Lydia Claudio were available to play. However, the absence of senior center fullback Catherine Benedict due to a stomach injury, combined with Tufts' lack of offense over the past few games, forced coach Martha Whiting to shake up the lineup a little bit. Senior Alina Schmidt moved from center defensive midfield to replace Benedict at center fullback, while Greenstein moved over from the right side to play center mid, and junior Lindsay Garmirian started at right halfback. In addition, Whiting inserted two freshmen, Martha Furtek and Joelle Emery into the lineup, with Furtek starting at offensive center mid and Emery at right fullback. Junior Ariel Samuelson started at forward alongside Baldwin, with Claudio and Callaghan coming off the bench. "The different lineup we had today really worked well," Greenstein said. "We decided we would just go out and play today, not stress about the win, and that's what we did." Senior goalie Meg McCourt started the game in goal and was relatively untouched in the first half, only having to make one save. Whiting substituted Annie Ross in the second half, who made two saves but surrendered the game-tying goal. McCourt was reinstated for the overtime periods and again held the Lord Jeffs scoreless. After a scoreless first half on both sides of the ball, Baldwin and Greenstein were finally able to put the Jumbos on the board, ending a scoreless streak of over 290 minutes of play spanning four games. Baldwin took a nifty feed from the co-captain, turned, and ripped a shot past Amherst sophomore goalie Piper Crowell to put Tufts up 1-0 at the 52:15 mark. However, over the course of the next 15 minutes, the Jumbos experienced what Greenstein called a "mental slip." In the 67th minute, the Jeffs took advantage of a free kick inside the 20 yard line, and senior Ashley Harmeling, the reigning NESCAC Player of the Year playing in her first game of the season, snuck a shot past Ross to knot the game at one. "They took the free kick so quickly that we did not have a chance to set up for it," Greenstein said. "They had an opportunity and capitalized on it, good work by them, but I still feel we dominated the majority of the game." The squads battled through both overtime periods, but neither was able to score, ending the game at a 1-1 stalemate. The Jumbos head into a three-game homestand this week virtually needing to go 3-0 to build some much needed momentum. The action starts up on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. against the non-conference Gordon Scots, a team Tufts smoked 7-0 early last season. On Saturday, Tufts faces off against a tough Bates team in its first of two Homecoming contests, while the squad will take on non-conference Worcester State on Sunday to wrap up the weekend.

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Men's Soccer: Team shut out despite momentum and solid play

September 26

The men's soccer team took the momentum gained from last Wednesday's come-from-behind win over Salve Regina into its away game against league rival Amherst on Saturday. The Jeffs, however, would not allow Tufts to start a win streak and blanked the Jumbos 2-0. Though the score might appear otherwise, the Jumbos felt they lived up to the challenge Amherst presented. "We should have won the game," said senior captain Scott Conroy, who did not play because of a knee injury. "We took it to them and outplayed them, but there are some days where you just can't put the ball in the net." Amherst jumped out to an early 1-0 lead just 3:58 into the match. Jeffs sophomore Rob Madden took advantage of a flat-footed Tufts start and fielded a cross from junior Joe Gannon to promptly shoot the ball past Tufts senior keeper Matt Sullivan. "There were a lot of gaps in our defense for the first few minutes," Conroy said. For the rest of the first half, Tufts generated scoring chances to no avail. One of the Jumbos' best chances came about 20 minutes after Amherst broke the stalemate. Sophomore forward Mattia Chason crossed the ball to junior forward Todd Gilbert, who failed to connect. "It was an inch past my foot," Gilbert said. "I was right in front of the net." Tufts tried to take advantage of Amherst's weak outside defenders and below-average goalie by sending the ball up the wings and making big crosses. The Jumbos had trouble driving the ball up the middle of the field due to Amherst junior defender Ben Lavely's imposing presence. "Lavely was really good in the air," Gilbert said. "He was one of the few strong defenders they had. We tried to exploit their outside weakness." Junior center midfielder Mike Guigli along with Gilbert and Chason continued to orchestrate offensive attacks for the rest of the first half after adjusting to Amherst's three-four-three formation. "We pretty much dominated play after their first goal," Gilbert said. "We should have tied it up right away, but still created a good amount of chances in the first half." "Guigli had an amazing game," Conroy said. "He was very creative in the midfield. [Gilbert] and [Chason] also played really well up top." Opportunities became less frequent for the Jumbos after the halftime intermission. Amherst had a few more scoring chances, but didn't score again until the final minute of play. "Everyone was pushed up trying to get the equalizer," Gilbert said. "Amherst dropped the ball into no man's land [behind our defenders]." Jeffs sophomore Mike Wohl scored the final goal of the competition after a feed from Madden. A miscommunication between Sullivan and sophomore defender Aaron Nass allowed Wohl to essentially dribble the ball into the net after the rest of the Tufts side was caught too far up the pitch. With the loss, Tufts moves to 2-2-1 on the season and 1-2 in NESCAC play. The Jeffs continue their undefeated season at 4-0 overall and 2-0 against league foes. Tufts will square off again against Rhode Island College on the road tomorrow. Like last Wednesday's match against Salve Regina, this game will help the Jumbos prepare for their weekend NESCAC play. "We have to get back on track and score some goals," Conroy said. "We need to beat Rhode Island and carry that momentum into the weekend." Tomorrow's game will give the young Tufts lineup another needed chance to gain more game experience. Chason, along with freshmen Matt Maloney, Greg O'Connell and several others have been seeing more playing time as of late. Gilbert feels that the more time these young players spend on the field, the better it will be for the team as a whole. "They are all good players and just need some more experience," Gilbert said. "The lineup is starting to come together really nicely now after a few changes." Experience can't come fast enough for this team as the young Jumbos will look to master Bates in Homecoming Weekend NESCAC competition on Saturday.

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Men's soccer aims for home field advantage in playoffs

October 23

The Tufts men's soccer team knows that Saturday's match against Middlebury is not just another game. Barring a collapse against Colby, the game effectively guarantees a home field advantage in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs. It will also mark the first time the Jumbos have strung together two conference victories. With the playoffs looming just around the corner, momentum is absolutely crucial as this may be one of the biggest games of the season. It is not always the better team that advances, but often the hottest team. "It would be tremendous for our confidence to get a few wins behind us going into the playoffs," associate head coach Andy Nelson said. Right now it is not about getting into the playoffs, as it was the case for Tufts just two weeks ago. At that time the Jumbos had a meager 1-2-1 conference record, desperately hanging on to the seventh spot. Since then the Jumbos have defeated Trinity and Wesleyan, and passed them in the standings. Middlebury looks to be the next victim on the list. The standings currently show the Panthers in fourth place with a record of 3-2-2 with the Jumbos breathing down their necks in fifth place at 3-3-1. To steal fourth place, Tufts cannot settle for anything but a win. A tie will still leave it just one loss short of Middlebury. "This is certainly a very important game," Nelson said. "We have done well against the bottom teams in the division, but not the top teams. A good showing on Saturday would prove that we can play against the better teams." Tufts' can thank Middlebury's poor performance just as much as its own solid play for the opportunity. Middlebury sprinted out of the gate to a 6-0 record, shutting out the first five. They even managed to escape the murderers' row of Bowdoin, Amherst, and Williams, the top three teams in the NESCAC, with a record of 0-1-2. While not a stellar record, most NESCAC teams would be more than happy with those results against that trio. In spite of those performances, the letdown came last Saturday as the Panthers gave Bates their first conference win of the season, 2-0. This gave Tufts the window of opportunity. "After starting out really well they lost to Bates, which was very important," said quad-captain goalkeeper Scott Conroy. "We have the momentum over them." The top seven teams advance to the NESCAC tournament, with the first place team, currently Williams, receiving a bye for the first round. The fourth place team will host the fifth place team next Sunday, with the following weekend's semifinal games hosted by the number one seed. No matter the result of Saturday's game, there is a good chance that these two squads will be facing each other next Sunday. As far as the Jumbos are concerned, they will rely on solid, physical defense, and Conroy between the pipes. The Jumbos have also gotten an added boost from their offense of late. In the Wesleyan game the familiar faces of senior Mike Blea, a defender masquerading as a goal scorer, and freshman forward Ben Castellot both scored. Each tallied their team-leading fourth goals of the season. Middlebury boasts an offense that has been somewhat anemic of late and could be seen as the culprit of the Panthers' late season decline. Feasting off weaker opponents earlier in the season, Middlebury only won one of its first six games by a margin of less than three goals. However, disregarding a 5-0 trouncing of a weak Norwich team, over the past four games the Panthers have been able to push just one goal across. The Jumbos know the stakes, but they aren't that worried about Middlebury. "We want to worry about us, not them," said Conroy. "We've been doing a good job of playing our game lately."

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Soccer

Men's soccer suffers blowout loss

October 19

The Tufts University men's soccer team suffered one of the worst losses in its history on Saturday, bowing out to NESCAC conference rival Williams College 6-0. "As a team we performed fairly well," senior quad-captain Mike Blea said. "But, we didn't get the result we wanted" Coming off a solid performance against Trinity last Saturday that resulted in a 2-1 win, their second home win this year, the Jumbos were looking to keep the ball rolling. However they ran into a brick wall against Williams. The Ephs are currently atop the NESCAC conference with a record of 6-0-1 in the conference and are ranked seventh in the nation amongst Division III schools. The game was not as lopsided as the score would indicate. The Jumbos had many chances to score but couldn't come through with results, a problem that has been relatively consistent for Tufts throughout the year. The Jumbos were out-shot by just six, 21-15, and Tufts had six corner kicks, twice as many as the Ephs. "We just didn't put away opportunities and they did," Blea said. "The ball just didn't go in the net for us" Williams scored in bunches, with its first three goals coming in a span of just under six minutes. The first goal for the Ephs came in the 11th minute, when Williams senior Ryan Olsen made a nice pass to the right side of the field to fellow senior Khari Stephenson. Stephenson corralled the pass and blasted the ball into the left side of the net. Olsen also was credited with the assist on the second goal. However, this time the pass went to his younger brother, freshman Brett Olsen. Older brother Ryan again made a solid pass to the right side of the net, where Brett was waiting to finish. This goal came in the 16th minute and put the Jumbos in an even larger hole. "[The Olsen's] are both good players," Blea said. "Brett, the younger brother up front, is a fast kid and that gave us some trouble." The Ephs were not finished, and their relentless attack came through once again less than two minutes later thanks to some familiar faces. This time it was little brother Brett collecting the assist and Stephenson notching his second goal of the game. The 3-0 deficit that the Jumbos found themselves in with over 25 minutes left in the half matched the largest deficit they have faced thus far this year. NESCAC rivals Bowdoin and Amherst both defeated Tufts by that margin earlier this year. The scoring subsided for much of the rest of the game, as the Jumbos held their own against the Ephs. The three goals were a tough mountain to climb against any team though, especially against perennial powerhouse Williams. Williams has had Tufts' number over the past few years, but this can be said about the Ephs for pretty much all of the NESCAC conference. After the long scoring lull, the pace quickly picked up with a bang in the 70th minute, as the combination of Brett Olsen and Stephenson combined for yet another goal. This time it was Stephenson feeding Olsen for his second goal of the game. Both Olsen and Stephenson finished the day with 2 goals and 1 assist. The scoring came in bunches once more for Williams, as it tacked on two more goals in the next 16 minutes. The loss dampened the mood of a Tufts squad that was coming off a two game winning streak and the naming of freshman forward Ben Castellot as the NESCAC player of the week. It was the second time a Jumbo player had been given the honor this year. Junior goalkeeper Scott Conroy was named co-player of the week for his play in the second week of the season. "Early on in the season I couldn't find my rhythm," Castellot said. "Over the past week I have been feeling much more comfortable." Castellot came back from an injury that sidelined him for the Endicott game and played extremely well, finding the back of the net once in the team's 3-2 win against Salve Regina and twice against Trinity, accounting for both Jumbo goals in the 2-1 win. Castellot is currently tied with senior quad-captain Mike Blea for the team lead in goals with three.

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Soccer

Men's soccer to face archrival Williams on Saturday

October 16

As the weather becomes more blustery, and the vibrantly colored leaves begin to fall from New England's trees, the men's soccer team is gearing up for the final stretch of its regular season. With just five games remaining in this 2003 campaign, the Jumbos will begin a crucial week of NESCAC games on Saturday in Williamstown, Mass. versus the Williams Ephs. "We always expect a tough game against Williams," junior quad-captain Scott Conroy said. Last year, the Jumbos fell to Williams 0-2 at home. However, the Ephs lost their all-time leading scorer, Alex Blake, as well as their first team All-NESCAC and All-New England back, Dylan Smith, to graduation this past spring. Despite these losses, the Ephs are still the defending back-to-back NESCAC champions and are looking to extend their streak to three in a row. So far this season, Williams is 8-1-1 overall and sits atop the league with an undefeated 5-0-1 mark. The Ephs' only loss came in its opening match at Babson on Sept 9. Even after Blake's graduation, Williams features one of the most potent offenses in Division III men's soccer. Tufts has been working on ways to hamper the Ephs' attack and create offensive opportunities for itself. "[Williams has] always shown that [it] can score," Conroy said. "But we know that [its] weakness is in the back. We have been working on possessing the ball and giving it out to the wide players for crosses. This way, we can test the strength of their keeper and backs and hopefully keep the ball away from their attacking players." For this scheme to work, Tufts will need to limit Williams senior midfielder Khari Stephenson's time of possession. Stephenson earned NESCAC Player-of-the-Year and first team All-American honors in 2002. The Jamaica native played for his country's national team over the summer and has netted ten goals already this season. Stephenson has also been hot over the last few weeks. He scored two goals against Bates and again versus Colby in consecutive games, thus meriting NESCAC player of the week honors for the week of October 6. In addition to Stephenson, sophomore midfielder Josh Bolton is another one of Williams' offensive weapons. Bolton is second on the squad with eight goals this season and has added two assists as well. Tufts, however, will roll into Williams on Saturday with momentum coming off two straight wins and a week off to revitalize before this important match. For offense versus Williams, Tufts will likely look to freshman forward and reigning NESCAC player of the week, Ben Castellot. "Ben is a big time player," Conroy said. "He's as fast as anyone in the conference and can take anyone one on one. He stepped it up against Trinity to score two goals, but we really need him to keep up that kind output for us to notch some wins." Notching wins will be key for the Jumbos over the next two weeks. After Williams on Saturday, Tufts will travel to Wesleyan on Tuesday. The Jumbos will then face Middlebury at home the following Saturday. At this point in the season, league wins become more and more critical. Only the top seven out of ten teams qualify for the NESCAC post season tournament. Tufts currently sits in sixth place, but this position is likely to change depending on this week's results. Tufts will take one game at a time in hopes of securing a playoff berth, and the first step along this road to the post season will be the Williams game. "A win against Williams would be pretty huge," Conroy said. "It would send a message to the rest of the conference saying that we can, and will play."

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Soccer

Men's soccer blows late lead to tie Middlebury

October 27

Although this was not a hockey game, the men's soccer team did skate to a 1-1 tie, on a windy, rainy Saturday afternoon in Vermont against Middlebury. The tie ensures that Tufts, 8-4-1 overall, and 3-4-1 in the NESCAC, make the playoffs. "Unfortunately we couldn't get the win yesterday, we outplayed them for 80 minutes of the game," senior tri-captain Matt MacGregor said. Tufts and Middlebury played 68 minutes before either team could net a goal. This scoreless drought was ended thanks to formidable teamwork from junior Brian Mikel and senior David DeLuca. Mikel sent a pass to DeLuca who sent the ball screaming past Middlebury goaltender David Lindholm. The assist was Mikel's third of the season and the goal was DeLuca's second. This was Tufts first viable scoring possibility since MacGregor sent a shot off the post 11 minutes into the contest. "I was at the top of the box and received the ball off a throw in right around the 18 and I chested it down and turned," MacGregor said. "I had a little space in front of me and ripped it with my right foot. From where I was standing it looked like it was going to go in, but it bounced on the front of the post and back out." With DeLuca's goal, the Jumbos were riding on cloud nine. Then after one misdirected shot, with 1:30 left in regulation, from Todd Maloney the Jumbos' ride ended. "In the last ten minutes they kind of took it over," MacGregor said. "We were trying to preserve the win by playing defensively, they crossed the ball and we lost our man at the back post and they just snuck it in." Overtime was a waste of time. After playing two fifteen minute halves, the score remained 1-1 and the game ended in a tie. Sophomore keeper Scott Conroy had six saves over the 120 minutes of soccer. While a double overtime game is mentally and physically fatiguing, the tie clinched a playoff spot for the Jumbos. With just one conference game left against last place Colby, neither Bates nor Connecticut College can catch Tufts as they are up by one and a half games. "We're pretty excited we got a playoff spot, now we need to win the game on Saturday," MacGregor said. "Hopefully with a win and a couple other teams losing we could move up in the standings before the playoffs. Either Williams and Bowdoin will take the two spot, so if we can get out of the seventh spot we don't have to play either of them in the first round." Before the playoffs start, the Jumbos have to fight through a scrappy Colby team that has nothing to lose. The While Mules only have one conference victory and reside in the basement of the NESCAC. "They are going to be a decent team, they are playing for pride at this point," MacGregor said. "We are expecting them to come out strong, and we need to use the momentum on Saturday to come out with a victory." Whether or not the team wins on Saturday, the health of players is paramount. In order to have a shot at running the playoffs, the squad needs all key players healthy. Many players are beat up from the rigors of a long season and freshman standout Todd Gilbert is currently out with a bad ankle sprain. "He's one of our good attackers," MacGregor said. "With him out we have less of an attack so we would like to see him get back in there next week if possible." With a loss on Saturday, the Jumbos will either head to Bowdoin, who they lost to 2-1 in overtime earlier in the season, or Williams, who defeated Tufts 2-0. With a win, they have the chance of playing Amherst or Middlebury. The playoffs are single elimination, so the team must play at its highest level. "We're looking forward to the game on Saturday," MacGregor said. "And hopefully if everyone's healthy we can start making our run for the playoffs."

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Soccer

Men's soccer falls in valiant effort

October 20

The men's soccer team played well, but its efforts were not strong enough to subdue Alex Blake and Williams College. While Tufts' first half was not bad, the Jumbos were on the attack during the second. Unfortunately they could not finish, losing the match 2-0. Overall, the Jumbos played a complete game, which was necessary for the team to even have a shot against a top caliber squad such as Williams. "We knew we were going to have to play our best game to win," senior Garrett Dale said. "In the second half we gained more confidence and showed the game could have ended a bit differently." The Jumbos were forced to play catch-up for 86 minutes of the game, as Williams jumped on the board in the first four minutes of the game. Eph senior Blake is the returning National Player of the Year and the Jumbos were well aware of this. Blake went down the sideline and then passed to the center to teammate junior Ryan Olsen, who put in Williams' first goal. "Throughout the season it has been a pattern of us giving up scores in the first 15 minutes" junior tri-captain Mike Blea said. "In those games we have comeback, but you can't give a team like Williams a goal in the first 15 minutes." The Jumbos and Ephs went back and forth for most of the first half with Williams up one goal. In the second half, the Jumbos especially senior Dave DeLuca came out with a different look in their eyes. "Dave DeLuca played a key role coming in and pressuring center of the park," Dale said. Tufts forced the ball deep into Williams' zone, forcing corner kicks and sending shots a bit off goal. Even with the pressure, the Jumbos could not score an equalizer. "I don't get too frustrated, that's sort of the reality of soccer," Blea said. "It's frustrating we couldn't score and we have had problems finishing throughout the season." With a tying goal still in the Jumbos eyes, Blake put away the game for the Ephs. Blake scored unassisted in the 80th minute of the game. The score is Blake's 15th goal in 11 games. "We had Blake under control the entire game," Blea said. "But the last goal he beat two of us on the dribble, so it was defendable, just poor defending." The loss dropped the Jumbos below .500 in the NESCAC at 3-4 (7-4 overall) and into seventh place. In NESCAC soccer, the top seven teams make the playoffs, with three teams sitting out of the dance. The Jumbos have two NESCAC matches remaining against third place Middlebury and last place Colby. "It is a lot of pressure especially going into a game like Middlebury," Blea said. "We have Middlebury and Colby left, it is a lot of pressure. Not making the playoffs would be a huge disappointment." These games will determine if the Jumbos can remain in the top seven and make the NESCAC playoffs. The loss to Williams is not an easy pill to swallow as it does make the road to the playoffs that much more difficult. "It makes winning these last games against Middlebury and Colby that much more important," Dale said. "We're confident that we can make it happen." The team travels to Johnson & Wales for a Tuesday non-conference match-up. The Jumbos are 4-0 in out of conference games. The game is the last tune-up for the squad's final two NESCAC competitions. "I really don't know much about them," Blea said. "I think coach designs our schedule so we didn't know so much about the team so we would actually come out to play instead of relying on what we know about the other team." The Jumbos are not out like a fat kid in dodge ball and do expect to bounce back like Cris Carter. "We're not going to let this loss retard our momentum," Dale said. "We'll be full steam ahead come Tuesday and proceeding games."

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Soccer

Women's soccer uses early momentum to put away Cardinals

October 15

The women's soccer team scored three goals in the first 15 minutes en route to a 4-2 win over the visiting Wesleyan Cardinals yesterday. The Jumbos, ranked 20th in the nation and third in New England in Monday's NSCAA poll, improve to 8-2 overall, and 5-1 in the NESCAC, where they now hold a full game lead over Williams and Amherst (4-2). Junior forward Jess Trombly scored two of the goals, netting the first just 59 seconds into the match. The Jumbos took the opening kickoff straight down the field, and Trombly sent a feed from sophomore Jen Baldwin past Cardinal keeper Kelly McFarling to give Tufts the early lead. Baldwin made it 2-0 just over four minutes later, hooking a left-footed cross from the corner into the frame. The score gives Baldwin a team leading 12 points on five goals and two assists, while Trombly is second with five goals and one assist. "She's definitely a key part of the offense," coach Martha Whiting said of Baldwin. "She can score goals and she can set people up. She's a good player, and she makes the players around her better." Tufts continued to dominate, and extended its lead to 3-0 in the 15th minute, with Trombly tallying her fourth goal in two games after a scramble in front of the net. Baldwin took the first shot, and when McFarling could not hold on to the ball, Trombly was there to finish it off. "We started off really well in the first half _ the first 20 minutes we were doing great," senior co-captain Alle Sharlip said. "We were doing everything that we have been working on in practices the past couple weeks." But Tufts finally slowed down after the third goal, suffering from what the team hopes will not become a trend of letting down after taking an early lead. "I think we got into our tendency of getting comfortable," senior co-captain Cara Glassanos said. "We had a 3-0 lead in the first 20 minutes, and we just thought that the game was over. We didn't play well." "We sort of let down a little bit and got relaxed, and maybe a little cocky," Sharlip added. Despite the drop in intensity, Tufts was able to keep the Cardinals off the board through the end of the first half. The Jumbos picked it back up in the second period, when they extended their lead to 4-0 in the 66th minute, as freshman Lydia Claudio netted the first score of her collegiate career. Trombly was in the mix again, firing a shot that bounced off backup goalkeeper Christina Farrell. Claudio was there to put away the rebound, adding what would turn out to be some much-needed insurance. With the comfort of a four-goal lead, Tufts' intensity level plummeted, giving Wesleyan the chance to claw its way back into the game. The Cardinals capitalized, scoring two goals in a three minute span and causing Whiting to scramble to get her starters back on the field. "They started to pick it up, and I have to give them credit, because they really did play hard," Whiting said. "They're streaky, and if they had any consistency, they'd probably be pretty good. They started to beat us to the ball, and they really use their bodies well. We got pushed around a little bit." The first of Wesleyan's goals came with 14:10 to play. Junior midfielder Leila Bozorg took a cross in the box from the right side and hammered a strong shot past Jumbo keeper Meg McCourt for the first goal of her career. The second goal came two and a half minutes later, after McCourt initially stopped a shot on a Cardinal breakaway, but could not hold onto it. The deflection rolled off to the side, where Wesleyan's top scorer, freshman forward Natalie Cohen, was there to put it away. Tufts rebounded after the second goal, picking its intensity back up and keeping Wesleyan from getting any closer, sealing the 4-2 win. The Jumbos out-shot Wesleyan 24-9 on the day and, on an even more positive note, have scored nine goals in their last two games after netting just three in their first four. "I knew it was there all along, and it finally started to click for us," Whiting said. "We're really starting to play smart and get used to each other, anticipating what the other one is going to do. Everything is just starting to click offensively." "I think what we've done these past two games is to play simple," Glassanos added. "We're playing to feet, we're pulling it back and not forcing it. We're not trying to dribble through five people, we're just playing the easy ball and the goals are just coming." The Jumbos now must focus all their attention on Saturday's opponent, the 8-3 Williams Ephs. The always-tough Ephs will be looking to get back on track after a 2-1 loss to Middlebury last weekend. "We're just going to have to play our best," Whiting said. "They're very speedy, they have a great passing game. We're very similar, and I think it's going to come down to whoever wants it more that day. We have to come ready for a fight, because that's what it's going to be." "If we play to our potential, we can beat anybody, and certainly we can beat Williams," Sharlip said. "If we played like we did the first 20 minutes of this game, we'll beat Williams, but we have to come out and play like that."

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Soccer

Men's soccer pulls out win in rainy conditions

October 14

In rain, mud, and overall abominable conditions, the men's soccer team squeaked out a much needed 3-2 victory in overtime against those fighting cocks known as the Trinity Bantams. Tufts rebounded like Rodman to end a three game slide against NESCAC opponents while also cooling off a hot Trinity team that came into the game winning its last two. "When you get bad weather it's harder on the defenders than the forwards," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. The mud and rain mix made it difficult to control the ball, but the Jumbos still came out strong. Junior tri-captain Mike Blea stepped up from his defensive position to score his second goal of the season. Blea's goal was the only one of the half, leaving Tufts up 1-0 heading into the second stanza of play. Trinity was never down by more than one goal the entire game. Junior midfielder John Klaus scored the equalizer in the second half to push the game to a 1-1 tie. After that, a star emerged: freshman forward Todd Gilbert scored his first of two goals midway through the second to regain the lead for Tufts 2-1. "There is not really extra pressure because you are expected to make mistakes," Gilbert said of being a freshman. "As an attacker you are expected to score goals. It's just even better at this level if you are a freshman." With Tufts playing defensive ball to prevent overtime, the worst happened. A Bantam, sophomore forward John Ziadie, struck gold, sending a shot past sophomore goalie Scott Conroy (seven saves) to tie the game 2-2. Although Tufts held the lead for most of the game, Trinity actually had a legitimate opportunity to win the contest before overtime. With about two minutes left in regulation, a Trinity player sent a corner kick towards the goalie box, drawing out Conroy. But a Bantam got his head on the ball, sending it into an open goal. In what can be considered the play of the game, junior defender Andy Wood stepped into the goal and struck the ball out of harm's way with a blow from his left foot. This was the last of Trinity's regulation time chances, sending the game into sudden death. The Jumbos wasted very little time to seal the deal in overtime. Trinity never saw the offensive side of the ball as Tufts pushed deep into the Bantam's zone. Gilbert received the ball and then made a series of jukes, causing the Trinity defender to lose his footing. Gilbert then tapped a soft roller past Trinity goalie, junior Michael Doherty, to end the game. "I always try and do-up defenders in the box," Gilbert said. "And once he slipped I knew it was me against the goalie and I prevailed." The goal was Gilbert's fourth of the season. "It felt real nice because I choked in a couple previous games on big shots," Gilbert said. "So to get this one meant a lot to me." The win moved Tufts up to 3-3 in the NESCAC and 6-3 overall. The team is currently in sixth place in the conference. "It's the top seven that qualify, with still three games to go for every team," Ferrigno said. "There is a lot that can happen. The old cliche is take it a game at a time, this is very much relevant here." The Jumbos have won their last two competitions. Today, the men's soccer team puts its trunks on the line against Swarthmore of Pennsylvania. This non-conference match-up brings together two teams of similar schools but different regions. "It's nice to play an out-of-region team," Ferrigno said. "It's a peer school and I'm sure it will be a good game. From our perspective, it is important we come out to play."

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Soccer

Men's soccer escapes with narrow victory

October 8

Yesterday's 2-1 men's soccer victory over Salve Regina can be compared to the Baltimore Ravens last two nationally televised games. The Jumbos had an overwhelming amount of offense in the first half, but played just enough defense to squeak out a victory in the end. "We played well in the first half," senior tri-captain Matt McGregor said. "Second half we were absolutely horrible." About 25 minutes into the game, the Jumbos drew first blood. Senior Garrett Dale netted his fifth goal of the season on a free kick five yards outside of the goalie box. Salve Regina goalie Jason Keough had no chance to stop the shot as the ball hooked in. With the game set at 1-0, junior midfielder Brian Mikel dribbled around four Seahawk defenders and sent a shot into the goal, pushing Tufts lead to 2-0. But even with the two goals in the first half, the team was not content. The Jumbos felt they had Salve Regina on the ropes and could have put the team away. "We created a lot of chances in the first half, but we didn't finish like we should have," McGregor said. "I thought the first half we passed well," junior defender Andy Wood said. "We could have scored more to wrap it up." The second half was a far cry from the pressure the Jumbos put on the Seahawks in the first. The team lost its momentum and surrendered a goal with 35 minutes left in the contest. Salve Regina's leading scorer, Jerrod Anderson, received a centering pass into the box and beat sophomore goalie Scott Conroy. "[Salve Regina] is a decent opponent based on its second half performance," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. The Seahawks, only down 2-1 at this point, started playing like a completely different team. They advanced into Jumbos territory and put a barrage of centering passes and corner kicks on the Tufts goal. Towards the end of the match, Tufts had multiple opportunities to put the game away, but hit post on two shots. "We're happy we got a win," McGregor said. "As far as a 2-1 victory, we should have beat this team by a lot more." Junior tri-captain Jesse Dinner made a series of several skillful moves to feed Mikel, who barely missed his second goal of the game. A touch later, Dale had a narrow opening for a goal and struck post _ typical of the luck the Jumbos have had in recent games. "We have several players who can score," Ferrigno said. "Hopefully that department will come." Conroy returned to goal last Saturday, replacing junior Joe Coletti, who served as a replacement while Conroy was on the injured reserve with a fractured elbow. Ferrigno, the coach , believes that Conroy is one of the best goalies in the conference, but Coletti was able to hold down the fort in his absence. "I feel just as confident with Joe as in Scott," Wood, the defender, said. "Both are good goalies and distribute the ball well." The defense claims some of the blame for some of the goals given up recently. During the first four games, when Tufts was 4-0, defenders surrendered only four total goals. The last four games, the Jumbos have gone 1-3, giving up twice as many goals. "We have had a couple of lapses in concentration," Wood said. "And they've succeeded in finishing their chances." Ferrigno plans on improving all aspects of the game in order to defeat conference foe Trinity. The Jumbos will travel to Hartford, CT this Saturday to engage in battle with the Fighting Cocks known as the Bantams.

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Soccer

Men's soccer to take on top ranked Polar Bears

October 3

The men's soccer team (4-2, 2-2) travels to Bowdoin this Saturday to clash with the Polar Bears (5-1, 3-1) who benefited from the Jumbos two home losses last weekend and seized the top ranking in New England. With a 2-1 record against the Polar Bears over the last three years, the Jumbos hope that they can get their season back on the winning track at Bowdoin. The squad suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss to Bates and a hard-fought battle to Wesleyan 2-1 last weekend. The then-nationally-ranked Jumbos endured their first taste of defeat and used this week to wash the bitter flavor out of their mouths. Having a day off on Monday and four days of practice gave injured players time to recover. "I think this week was huge," junior tri-captain Mike Blea said. "There is a slim possibly that [Scott] Conroy (injured goalie) will come back. This weekend we need to come out and play." While Bates was ranked below the Jumbos, this week's opponent is ranked first in the NESCAC, which gives the team something to look forward to. "It's going to be a tough game because they are now the number one team ranked in the region," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "They have some good players and they are well organized." The Jumbos have enjoyed success against the Polar Bears in the past. Last season, the Jumbos won 2-1 at home. Two years ago, Tufts lost at Bowdoin 1-0, but rebounded and made another trip to Maine where the Jumbos captured the ECAC Championship 3-1. That championship victory can be largely credited to senior forward Garrett Dale, who scored two goals. This season, Dale and fellow senior tri-captain Matt McGregor lead the team in points with seven and six respectively. This senior leadership will be vital to the team's goal of defeating Bowdoin. "I think that the big thing coming into the game is that (Dale and McGregor) are both seniors," Ferrigno said. "They are going to have to work very hard. Bowdoin being the home team will take it at us, Matt and Garrett will have to work hard to get balls." There are some concerns about the team's defense, as it outscored 5-1 in the two games last weekend. Two of the team's three captains, Blea and junior Jesse Dinner play defense, meaning there is no lack of leadership around the goal. "Me and Dinner need to communicate a lot better," Blea said. "The biggest problem is that we need to be more productive in getting the ball to our midfielders." Junior Joe Coletti has been in goal for most of the season, in place of the injured Conroy, a player who some consider the best goalie in the NESCAC. In four games, Coletti is 2-2 with a save percentage of .731, allowing 1.75 goals per game. While Coletti has been playing well in goal, it is difficult to overlook Conroy's numbers, .818 save percentage, allowing 0.93 goals per game with a 2-0 record. "Joe has played solidly," Ferrigno said. "One of the hard things is that he's not coming in to play, he's coming in to replace a top goalkeeper. But largely he has done well." Ferrigno is unsure about how long Conroy will be out. Conroy had x-rays yesterday, but Ferrigno still plans to, "take it as it comes". Rather than worry about Conroy's health, the team is focused on beating Bowdoin. The Polar Bears are a good match-up for the Jumbos as they play with similar styles. "I think it should be relatively even," Ferrigno said. "We both have good players down the middle of the field, obviously we had a couple of setbacks last weekend. We have to get beyond that. Up until last weekend everything was going great, I hope the team gets track at Bowdoin." Although Bowdoin is now the top-ranked team in New England, it does not mean it cannot be beaten. The Jumbos feel like they did not play to their potential last weekend and that they are a better team than the Polar Bears. "I think Bowdoin is a good team, but I think we are definitely better," Blea said. "If we come out and play with the mindset that we are going to win, we should have no problem winning."

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Soccer

Men's soccer drops the ball

September 29

The men's soccer team entered homecoming weekend ranked first in New England and sixth in the nation with a 4-0 record including 2-0 in the NESCAC. After two losses, (Bates 3-0 and Wesleyan 2-1), the Jumbos will most likely lose their national prestige. "We won our first four games, but they weren't against anybody," junior tri-captain Mike Blea said. "We got a bit overzealous with the ranking. We came in here expecting our rankings to carry us. The losses might be the best thing for us." The most recent loss for the Jumbos came yesterday at Kraft Field, where a 1-1 tie late in the first half turned for the worse in front of the Jumbos goal. Junior goalie Joe Coletti blocked a line-drive Wesleyan shot, leaving the ball free in front of Tufts' goal. A Wesleyan player followed for the game winning score. "You can't give any NESCAC team two goals," junior tri-captain Jesse Dinner said. The Jumbos did have one golden chance to tie with two minutes left in the game when junior forward Adam Lorenzetti sent a centering pass to freshman forward Todd Gilbert. Gilbert sent the ball over the goal to squander Tufts' last opportunity to force overtime. "It was one of the best performances of this season, we just got unlucky," Coletti said. A strong effort against Wesleyan was difficult to achieve after an embarrassing Homecoming defeat at the hands of last place Bates. Knowing that they would have a hard fought battle against the Cardinals, the Jumbos efforts were a testament to the team's character. "We came back today and played better," senior tri-captain Matt McGregor said. "Yesterday we didn't even compete. We didn't play well at all." With the top spot in New England, the Jumbos expected a cakewalk through Bobcat territory. What they got, however, was a slap in the face and a reminder that no game is played on paper. Coming into Saturday's match-up, Tufts was expected to win as they were undefeated and Bates was winless in NESCAC play. "Unfortunately, yesterday was one of the worst performances in 12 years," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. The Jumbos did not lack opportunities as they had 15 shots on goal (eight in first half) to Bates' eight. While Tufts could not turn chances into goals, Bates capitalized on an early opportunity, scoring just nine minutes into the first half. Bates wrapped up the upset with two goals less than ten minutes apart in the middle of the second half. The loss continued a troubling trend for the Jumbos, which extends back to 1995, during which Tufts has been a superior team, for the most part, yet had diffculty beating Bates. Dating back to 1995, Bates leads the series 4-3-1. "It was a rough weekend, (Saturday) was a horrible game, we didn't show any emotion," Dinner said. "At least we showed some emotion (Sunday). We still have a lot to work on and a lot of injuries. Hopefully, this week off will get us prepared for Saturday." These two losses almost assure Tufts of being left out of this week's national soccer rankings which might reduce the pressure on the team. "Being ranked is a nice thing," Ferrigno said. "But being ranked at the end of the season is the best thing." "It will make us work that much harder next Saturday," Dinner added. Ferrigno plans to move forward past these two defeats. He also feels that his team needs time to digest the losses and move on to have a clear mind for next Saturday's game at Bowdoin. The Jumbos have today off and then will work their way back into a regular practice schedule. Although the Homecoming loss to Bates was disappointing, the weekend was not ruined for alumni who came back to cheer on their alma mater. "It's good to come back and see the team play," Brad Stitchberry (LA '02) said. "They have had some success this season. It's disappointing they have played well and not got good results the past two games. It's tough to come back and just watch."

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Soccer

Men's soccer topples Amherst

September 15

The soccer team continued the winning ways it displayed last season in its first NESCAC game on Saturday, an away match against the Amherst Lord Jeffs. With the victory, the Jumbos now stand in a four-way tie with Colby, Wesleyan and Williams for first place in the conference. Down early in the game, the Jumbos felt the pressure of their opponents, yet rebounded quickly to seal the win. The victory moved Tufts to 2-0 on the young season while spoiling the Jeff's season opener, sending them away with a 0-1 record. Amherst is traditionally one of the tough opponents, and the Jumbos wanted to test their strength against a NESCAC opponent. The game began ominously when Amherst nearly scored twice in the first few minutes of the game. The Lord Jeffs were the first to draw blood, as senior midfielder Chris Kane took a pass from freshman Joe Gannon for a goal in the game's 17th minute. "In the first 15 minutes we were really playing poorly," sophomore goalkeeper Scott Conroy said. The Jeffs' goal sent out a wake-up call to the Jumbos. Almost immediately afterwards, Tufts responded with a goal of its own. Senior co-captain Matt MacGregor scored his first goal of the season unassisted to tie the game 1-1 1:49 minutes later. "We reacted well to the goal. We didn't get down and we stuck it out," MacGregor said. MacGregor's goal brought about a shift in the game's momentum, bringing the Jumbos back into their playing style. "It was pretty much a feeling of relief when he scored. Up until that point we had been getting dominated by Amherst," freshmen Todd Gilbert said. Deflating the Jeffs' hopes with the first goal, the Jumbos were able to regain control and score again before going into the half. Nearly ten minutes off of MacGregor's first goal, the Jumbos netted what turned out to be the game-winning goal, as junior co-captain Mike Blea scored on a rebound off of freshmen Mike Guilgi's deflected shot. The Jumbos had been looking to score on rebounds, as Amherst freshmen goalie Greg Lockwood was susceptible to allowing goals off of rebound shots. Going into the half up 2-1, the Jumbos felt confident that the win would be theirs. "The second goal pretty much took them out of their game," Gilbert said. The Jeffs did not give in easily, though, as they came out strong in the second half, putting pressure once again on the Jumbos defense. But late into the regulation period, Gilbert added an insurance goal, putting the Jumbos up 3-1 and securing the victory. Despite their poor performance early in the game, the Jumbos were pleased with the game. After failing to move the ball well and convert on opportunities in their previous game against Lasell, the team moves onto their next match-up with a more solid victory under their belts. "What we needed against a team like this was for everyone to give 100 percent and I think we did," MacGregor said. "We took advantages of the opportunities we had better than we did against Lasell." Offensively, the team was able to take 14 shots on goal. While Amherst had the opportunity to take 25, Conroy played well and had eight saves. Most of the Jeff's goal attempts occurred in the first half, when their pressure was strong. The men remain busy this week, with an out of conference game against MIT on Wednesday and then return to their NESCAC schedule on Saturday against Connecticut College. Both games will be played on the road. "This is the first game in a lot of games and while we're excited about the way we've played we need to stay level headed. We can't get ahead of ourselves," MacGregor said

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