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Men's Soccer | Jumbos completely in control of playoff destiny

Heading into tomorrow's final regular season match against Conn. College, the men's soccer team has complete control over its Sunday plans. They need either a win or a tie against the NESCAC bottom-dwelling Camels, and on paper, the Jumbos look golden.

The Jumbos (6-6-1 overall, 2-5-1 in NESCAC) have a better season record than the Camels (4-7-2, 1-7-0) and better outcomes against league leaders like top dog Williams - with whom the Jumbos battled to a narrow 2-1 loss last Saturday compared to the Camels' 3-0 blowout defeat by the Ephs - or third-ranked Bowdoin, which Tufts blew out 5-0 just a week before the Polar Bears dropped Conn. College 2-0.

In the match against Williams, however, the Jumbos ran into injuries that could affect their upcoming performance. Junior tri-captain Greg O'Connell re-injured himself, while lead scorer senior Mattia Chason pulled a hamstring at the end of the match.

"We'll have to wait and see whether or not they are fit," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "It's kind of touch-and-go at the moment."

Currently, the prognosis looks promising, as both are rehabbing and O'Connell practiced on Wednesday. However, if Chason and O'Connell are unable to play, Ferrigno will have to make some adjustments to the starting lineup.

"I have some players in mind, although nothing is finalized as of yet," Ferrigno said.

The squad is still in control of its playoff fate heading into tomorrow's final regular season match, though any chance for home-field advantage is out of the equation for the Jumbos. The top seven seeds receive bids to the NESCAC tournament, and Colby (2-5-1 in NESCAC) and Tufts are currently tied for seventh; a head-to-head tiebreaker was foiled by an opening-day tie between the Jumbos and the Mules.

In the event of a tie in the standings, the seventh slot is decided based on performances against the top four seeds, which have been locked down by Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin and Wesleyan, respectively. The Jumbos and the Mules have both fallen to Williams, Amherst, and Wesleyan; however, the Jumbos trounced the Polar Bears 5-0, while Colby fell 2-0, giving the Jumbos the advantage in the potential tiebreaker.

As long as the Mules' and Jumbos' records remain the same after this weekend's action, the Jumbos will punch their ticket to the playoffs. Thus, the Jumbos automatically advance to the postseason if they win. If they tie or lose to Conn. College, they will need Colby to tie or lose to Bates.

The Camels, however, have had some surprises in store for Tufts in the past, defeating the Jumbos 2-1 in last year's final regular-season game.

"I definitely think we had one of our poorest games of the year," junior Andrew Drucker said. "[The Camels] were definitely a lot stronger than we anticipated, and we were probably looking ahead to the next game instead of focusing on that one."

One of Conn. College's most dangerous weapons lies in its talented goalkeeper, sophomore Ted Lane, who topped last year's final season standings in saves per game, averaging six per outing. Though the Camels do not appear intimidating in the statistics, last year's experience has taught the Jumbos to be cautious.

"We dropped a game to them last year, and I really don't feel that we're in a position where we can take anything for granted," Ferrigno said. "We have to win, and if we don't win, then we're done. It doesn't matter if we're playing at the top of the league or the bottom; we can't take anything for granted."

Conn. College sports a young team this year with no seniors on its roster, a substantial difference from the sizable number of upperclassmen players in the Jumbo's lineup. That experience could play in Tufts' favor in the pressure cooker that will unfold on Kraft Field tomorrow.

"They have a good young team, and if they had more experience, they'd be doing better," Ferrigno said. "They are a little inconsistent as young teams are, but it's the best Conn. College team that I've seen for awhile."

Assuming the standings remain the same after this weekend's play and Tufts earns a playoff spot, the Jumbos will battle Amherst on Sunday, giving them an opportunity to avenge a 2-0 loss to the Mules on Sept. 23. If the Lord Jeffs upend the Ephs, the Jeffs will take the No. 1 seed, and Tufts will travel to Williams on Sunday.

"It's hard to say who we'd rather face," Drucker said. "Obviously, it'd be nice to play either [Williams or Amherst], because we'd like to get back for our losses. I'd say right now, though, that we're leaning towards Amherst."