It was a season of highs and lows for the men's soccer team.
The young squad at once showed signs of brilliance and mediocrity as it rolled through the fall to an 8-6-1 overall record and a 4-5 NESCAC mark.
The Jumbos saw some wins slip through their fingers, but often played up to the high level of competition presented by New England's teams.
All in all, 2004 was a season for many of the team's youthful members to experience and learn the ups and downs of college soccer.
"[Our season] was better than the record might suggest," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "This was the youngest team I've ever had, but it was also the farthest any team of mine has progressed in a season, and I've had some pretty good teams."
Tufts began the fall campaign on a high note, beating NESCAC rival Colby at home on Sept. 11. The team then rode that momentum into its first non-league game of the year against then-eighth ranked in New England, MIT.
That match illustrated how the Jumbos were able to step up and run with powerhouse teams as Tufts tied the formidable Engineers 1-1 after double
overtime.
After the strong start, however, Tufts was unable to win consecutive games.
For three weeks, the Jumbos won their non-league games during the week only to fall to NESCAC opponents on weekends. After losses to league rivals Williams, Amherst and Bates, Tufts finally broke that trend on Oct. 9 with a 3-2 win over then-first place Bowdoin.
"For excitement, the Bowdoin game would be tough to top in any season because of the fashion in which it was won," Ferrigno said. "The highlight at the end of the day, [however], was the way the group gelled together."
Tufts finished out its season clinching the seventh and final playoff spot with a 3-1 home win over Conn. College last Saturday. It was then on to second seeded Middlebury the next day for the first round of the NESCAC tournament. There, the team saw its semifinals bid squelched in the final minutes as the Panthers came from behind for a 4-3 overtime victory.
"We played awesome on Sunday, and I use that expression without any reservations," Ferrigno said. "Middlebury is a really good team, but for whatever reason they didn't play well that day. I give them credit for their fight back, but we looked like the home team; we took advantage of our chances and gave very little away in the back."
With the season now finished, albeit in heartbreaking fashion, the Jumbos will say goodbye to three seniors and begin thinking about the future.
Senior captain and keeper Scott Conroy, fellow-goalie Matt Sullivan, and midfielder Brett Wong finished their Tufts soccer careers on Sunday.
Sullivan logged the most time between the posts this season, finishing the year with an 8-5 record and a .789 save percentage.
Conroy, whose injured knee kept him sidelined for much of the fall, wrapped up his four year varsity tenure with an 0-1-1 record and .792 save percentage in 2004. Though he was often absent on the field, Conroy still led as the team's sole captain and supported Sullivan in the net.
"One of the highlights of the season was the way Scott cheered Matt on over the noisy crowd [at Middlebury]," Ferrigno said. "You can't force people to be like that. He had tremendous spirit and leadership. Matt showed great leadership over the season and even before that throughout the winter as well."
Though the three seniors will obviously be missed, Tufts will likely return the rest of its 23-man squad in 2005. Junior forward and team scoring leader Todd Gilbert (five goals, four assists), classmate center midfielder Mike Guigli (four goals), sophomore forwards Ben Castellot (four goals, one assist), and Mattia Chason (four goals, one assist) and second year defenders Jon Glass and Aaron Nass will constitute a strong veteran core next fall.
Freshmen Dan Jozwiak, Bob Kastoff, Matt Maloney, Andrew Drucker and Derek Engelking also saw time in their rookie seasons giving them needed experience for 2005.
Despite these returns, Ferrigno is hesitant to guarantee big things from his Jumbos next fall.
"The most important thing is that we don't assume too much for next year," the coach said. "My goal for recruiting is to bring in four players who are good enough to start next year. If we don't keep it competitive, we don't keep the players honest."
One position Ferrigno will be forced to fill is the all-important keeper spot. With both Sullivan and Conroy graduating, the Jumbos could look to current junior Charlie Thomas, the J.V. team, or the new recruiting class to fill the void.
"I want to bring in two goalkeepers to keep it very competitive," Ferrigno said.
The Jumbos worked their way from a 6-7-2 record in 2003 to their 8-6-1 mark this year. With the team coming together as a youthful unit, the NESCAC will likely witness a strong Tufts presence in seasons to come.
"I was ill for a couple of years so the program lost a little momentum," Ferrigno said. "We have to reestablish that momentum; it's not an easy thing to do, but we have made really fantastic progress over the season."
