After starting its season in a five-game winless rut, the men's soccer team finally looked in control on Saturday. And it couldn't have come at a better time, as the resurgent Jumbos defeated NESCAC rival Bates at home on Saturday, 2-0.
Two second-half goals gave Tufts a badly needed league win, its first of the year, and prevented the ignominy of mathematical elimination from the playoffs in the first month of the season.
The Jumbos controlled the flow of the game for the first 20 minutes. They nearly got on the scoreboard in the game's opening minute when junior striker Dan Jozwiak received a ball from midfield and cut back behind two defenders. He fired his shot from 20 yards out straight at Bates junior keeper Rob Munro, however, and the opportunity was wasted.
In the 30th minute, Tufts had its best opportunity of the first half. Junior midfielder Alex Botwinick feathered a cross-field through ball to Jozwiak, who had snuck behind the Bates defense. Munro rushed out to cut down Jozwiak's angle, and the shot bounced wide left.
Freshman Bear Duker, who played a key role as the team's midfield distributor, was upbeat about the Jumbos' improving ability in the attack.
"I thought we played a couple of really good balls today," Duker said. "Combine that with our defense clamping down [in two straight shutouts], and we've got a chance to keep building on this win."
The Bobcat defense tightened up its marking considerably as the half progressed, taking control of possession and forcing the Jumbos into ineffective long passes.
As the half wound down, the pace of Bobcats senior winger Ithai Schori confounded Tufts' defense. From his right side, he swung in several dangerous crosses and forced freshman keeper Pat Tonelli to make a scrambling save in the 25th minute. On one play, sophomore striker Greg Nelson headed the ball down to an onrushing Schori, who cracked his first shot from 15 yards. Tonelli deflected the ball and smothered the rebound.
"[Schori] was certainly a player we were aware of, but we focus on ourselves and don't dwell on their players," senior tri-captain Jon Glass said. "No man will win the game by himself."
The Jumbos were firmly in command to begin the second half, and Glass broke the 0-0 deadlock with a goal in the 50th minute. After a winding run from the back line, he played a give-and-go with Duker and slotted a ball into the lower-right corner underneath Munro's arms for his second goal of the season.
"I think the tone was set with the goal. [Glass] came out of the back with the ball, and I told the lads at halftime that if you are going to run the ball, run it with conviction," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "He certainly did, and it was a great run and a super finish."
"I came up from the back and got a great ball from Bear," Glass added. "You don't get many chances when you're a defender, so I want to make damn sure to finish the ones I get."
The Jumbos stayed on the offensive after the goal. Deft touches from Duker created chances in the 55th and 58th minutes, and the freshman had his own go at the goal just a minute later. Sophomore midfielder Peter DeGregorio flicked a cross from the left side to the unmarked Duker, who could not get around on the half-volley and trickled the ball to Munro.
The Bobcats' opportunities were limited in the second half. Their best chance came in the 61st minute, when a free kick from Schori bounced around in the box and ended up on the foot of unmarked junior midfielder Duane Pelz. Tufts junior defender Andrew Drucker jostled Pelz just enough to throw off his shot, which bounced straight to Tonelli. The official waved off protests from Bobcats players for a foul, and Bates stayed off the board.
Tufts subsequently had multiple opportunities to pad its advantage, as sophomore midfielder Sam James volleyed a cross off the post in the 69th minute and Munro denied a breakaway goal from Jozwiak in the 87th.
Botwinick iced the game a minute later when he took a cross from the left side, shielded the ball from his defender with his body, and flicked a shot past the charging keeper to provide the final margin.
Ferrigno downplayed the win but was pleased overall.
"I still feel we've got a ways to go, I want to be clear on that," he said. "But this team has stuck together, and they're playing for each other."
