The men's soccer team planted what it wants to be the seeds of season-ending success with a 1-1 tie at Plymouth State (8-1-2, ranked No. 8 in New England) on Wednesday night.
While most of the time only a win is acceptable in a non-conference game, the tie marked only the third game of the season for Plymouth not to go in the win column. For Tufts (3-5-1), this was a much-needed confidence builder.
"We played really well against them," sophomore Dan Jozwiak said. "We got a lot of good chances and worked hard as a team. It was a big step for us especially coming off of the Bowdoin loss. We got right back into the swing of things."
After being victimized by second-half comebacks multiple times, it was the Jumbos' turn to stage a comeback of their own. As it has for much of the season, the team turned to junior striker Mattia Chason for the spark.
Down 1-0 in the 76th minute, Chason was able to volley the ball in mid-air, beating Plymouth State freshman goalkeeper Tyler Shute for the equalizer. The goal marked the junior's team-leading fifth tally of the season, all of which have come during Tufts victories.
With little time remaining in regulation, neither team was able to find an opportunity for a winning goal, setting the stage for 20 minutes of sudden death overtime. Neither team could muster a golden goal, and the game ended in stalemate after 110 minutes.
Plymouth State got on the board in the first half by way of a loose ball header by senior midfielder Brad Wyman that beat Jumbo freshman goalkeeper Brian Dulmovits in the 19th minute. Despite the early goal, it was saves by Dulmovits that kept Tufts within one goal on multiple occasions. His most important save probably came before halftime, as he dove to stop a shot by Panther senior tri-captain Chris Catatao.
Tufts was not without chances of its own. Junior striker Ben Castellot almost found the back of the net with a tricky header in the fifth minute, but Plymouth State junior defender Brian Biederman stopped the ball on the goal line. Shots by Jozwiak and senior tri-captain Todd Gilbert were stopped by Shute in the second half before Chason was finally able to even the score.
The tie at Plymouth State came on the heels of a 4-0 home loss to fifth-ranked Bowdoin last Saturday. The question is: which is a more accurate indicator of the team's ability against quality opponents, Saturday or Wednesday? The answer will be proved down the stretch, when the team plays second-ranked Williams next Saturday.
Trinity comes to Tufts for this Saturday's Homecoming NESCAC showdown holding a sub-par 3-6 record. Although the Bantams are winless in NESCAC play, they are currently on a two-game winning streak and are playing as if they have something to prove in the conference. The Jumbos, playing in front of several of their former teammates, will be eager to demonstrate their potential.
"Playing in front of everybody certainly adds to the whole excitement of everything, and will be an extra motivator," Jozwiak said.
The Jumbos will look to neutralize Bantam sophomore forward Charlie Fuentes, who has scored a goal in the last two games and leads Trinity in scoring.
The Trinity matchup is the last home game of the Jumbo's regular season schedule. The game will be the team's last and best opportunity to secure momentum to take into the stretch.
"It has been pretty much business-as-usual this week," Jozwiak said. "Everyone has their mind on the weekend, and we're really looking for it to be a turning point in the season."
The Jumbos will be on the turf field for the matchup, as Kraft Field is unfit for play because of this week's heavy rain. Jozwiak does not think the new location will be a decisive factor in the game.
"It makes the whole speed of play a lot faster," he said, "but other than that there's not much of a difference. We're just going to go out there and take care of business." <$>
