The men's soccer team added another to its string of close encounters with MIT on Wednesday night, falling 4-3 to the Engineers in its second overtime decision in as many games.
MIT sophomore Andrew Bishara powered in a shot from the right edge of the penalty box 6:36 into the first overtime period for the game-winner. The Jumbos now stand at 0-1-1 on the season following a 1-1 tie against Colby in double overtime on Sept. 9.
"We did a lot better yesterday [than against Colby]," senior Mattia Chason said. "There were actually 20 to 25 minutes where we did really well, and [coach Ralph Ferrigino] was very happy about that. We definitely played a lot better because we were playing more as a team."
However, the score did not reflect the caliber of the two teams.
"[The game against] MIT was kind of a let-down; we were clearly the better side," senior co-captain Greg O'Connell said. "We knocked the ball around MIT a lot, and we were playing very good soccer. When it comes down to it, we just need to look at ourselves in the mirror and figure out what went wrong."
The Engineers struck first when a miscommunication between Tufts freshman goalkeeper Pat Tonelli and his backline left the ball unattended at the top of the box, leaving MIT senior Andrew Morgan unmarked. Morgan seized the opportunity and buried the ball in the Jumbos' net.
"One called the ball, but they didn't call each other," Chason said. "The start of the game [on Wednesday] was almost a copy of the start of the game against Colby with miscommunication and stupid mistakes. There was a lack of concentration."
Tufts responded to the initial score with passes and plays of its own. Following several shots that ricocheted off the posts, the Jumbos equalized the score in the 23rd minute, when junior Joey Stampone's long ball connected with junior Dan Jozwiak's well-timed run. Jozwiak controlled the ball, and slid it on the ground past the outstretched arms of MIT sophomore goalkeeper Tom Caldwell.
The team attempted to mix up its style of play, focusing both on playing in the center and on the flanks of the pitch.
"During the week in practice, we've been trying to focus more on playing the ball through the middle," Chason said. "That's what we need to improve on. We didn't really do it well in first game against Colby, but we did a better job against MIT."
However, feeding through the middle requires more precision, and can detract from the team's offense if not played correctly.
"We try to avoid being very direct," O'Connell. "The more you try to just put balls down the middle, the more predictable it is. We have a good enough midfield where we can play through the middle, but we also try to play in the center and then get it out to the wing."
Though Tufts continued to dominate the half, out-shooting the Engineers eight to two in the first 45 minutes, the score remained tied 1-1 heading into halftime.
Both teams returned for the second half determined the break the deadlock. Tufts converted first, when junior Bob Kastoff scored unassisted for a 2-1 Jumbo lead at the 64:43 minute mark. However, the one-goal lead did not last.
Four minutes later, MIT junior Chris Desrochers' curving cross from the side of the pitch deflected off a Tufts defender past Tonelli, going down in the game statistics as an own goal, one that would come back to haunt the Jumbos as the game went into overtime.
The officiating also may have tipped the scale.
"Coach wasn't very happy with the referee," Chason said. "[The ref] didn't perform well. I wouldn't say he completely favored the other team, but he didn't help us at all."
The two teams continued to trade offensives, and neither side maintained possession for a long period. The Jumbos regained their final lead of the game in the 74th minute when senior co-captain Jon Glass volleyed in junior Andrew Drucker's corner kick.
MIT responded to the 3-2 Tufts lead and continued to pressure the Tufts defense. It paid off in the 82nd minute, when Morgan again found the net off a header after freshman Matt Greyson headed a corner across the face of the Jumbo goal.
Tufts and MIT ended the second half in a 3-3 stalemate. The statistics speak to a deadlock, with Tufts taking two corner kicks to the Engineers three, and eight shots to MIT's seven. However, the match played out somewhat differently than the statistics would suggest.
"I think we had far more chances [than MIT]," Chason said. "We also hit two posts and a cross bar. The stats do not reflect the way the game went."
The fight for the win during overtime was concentrated in the midfield. Neither team logged a shot until Morgan once again sparked the MIT offense, finding Bishara for the final score of the match.
Tufts takes on the Middlebury Panthers Saturday at Middlebury at 1:30 p.m. and will carry some of the lessons of Wednesday's contest into the match.
"Our general sense of shape needs be worked on," O'Connell said. "There are a lot of kids who need to be more familiar with new positions. Coach is shuffling a lot of players around, and it takes time to transition to another position after playing another one your whole life. It just takes a while to get the speed and knowledge of the game."
