The men's soccer team will have to wait at least one more game for its first win.
The team continued its season-long slump on Saturday, falling to nationally-ranked No. 11 Amherst 2-0 on Kraft Field and dropping to 0-4-1 on the year.
The Jumbos held the Lord Jeffs in check during a scoreless first half, as junior goalkeeper Dave McKeon came up with five saves in the first 45 minutes. The Jumbos were also helped by the Jeffs' five offsides calls, keeping a potent Amherst assault that leads the NESCAC in goals per game off the scoreboard.
"We got away from doing what we're good at in the first half: getting the ball wide with service in the box," Amherst coach Justin Serpone said. "We got caught offside too much [in the first half]."
But Tufts could not capitalize on its opportunities, failing to convert on five first-half shots, including a blast just barely wide from the foot of freshman defender Naji Muakkassa in the 35th minute.
But Amherst proved to be too much for Tufts in the second half. The Lord Jeffs seized control of the ball and overwhelmed the Jumbos with 13 shots. Just over one minute into the second half, Amherst junior forward Jake Duker, brother of Tufts sophomore midfielder Bear Duker, netted a shot from six yards out on a scramble in front of the Tufts net. The elder Duker's team-leading third goal gave the Jeffs a 1-0 lead.
Amherst continued to put pressure on the net, creating traffic in front of McKeon. In the 50th minute, the Jumbos dodged a bullet when a Amherst shot hit the post. But what looked to be a game-saving play turned out to mean little, as Amherst put the contest away with a goal by senior midfielder Ryan O'Donnell in the 60th minute.
"We have to help each other out and communicate better," McKeon said. "It's not any one person's fault. We have to not let them be as open as they were."
The Amherst defense was also impressive, sealing off the Jeffs' goal and allowing almost no Tufts scoring opportunities. Despite coach Ralph Ferrigno's attempts to spur offensive power by putting Duker and sophomore Dan Schoenig into the game, the Jumbos failed time and time again to keep control of the ball long enough to create scoring opportunities.
"We couldn't do anything with the ball," Ferrigno said. "We couldn't play simple balls consistently. If you can't use the ball well, you'll struggle."
"I think we need to play smarter and play the ball around quicker," Bear Duker added. "[We need to] take it toward the net, toward the sideline and get those crosses in. We're rushing things to some extent."
It was another second-half letdown for the Jumbos, who have yielded eight of their nine goals this season in the final 45 minutes. Tufts once again left with the feeling that it let one slip away.
"They have a physical defense, but so does every other team in this league. There's nothing unbeatable about them," sophomore forward Dan Schoening said. "It was a winnable game and it's disappointing we lost. We're good enough on a skill level to beat them."
The Jumbos had hoped to avenge a loss to Amherst in the first round of last year's NESCAC Tournament. Tufts, then a seventh seed, nearly stunned the No. 2 Jeffs, but fell on penalty kicks, ending the Jumbos season.
"We definitely had a grudge with them after what happened last year," Schoening said.
The lone bright spot on the day was the play of was the impressive play of Muakkassa and midfielder Ben Green, both freshmen. Muakkassa started for the Jumbos and attempted two shots, while Green logged solid minutes off the bench.
"We have some great freshmen," Schoening said. "Naji and Ben are skilled players and hard workers."
The Jumbos' next game is a matchup with 1-2-1 Bates on Saturday. Last season, Tufts traveled to Lewiston, Maine in a similar predicament. The team was 1-4-1 and in desperate need of a win and it delivered, beating the Bobcats 2-0. The 2007 Jumbos are hoping history repeats itself.
"Next weekend's got to be a turning point," Schoening said. "We're not in any hole that we can't get out of. There's plenty of time."
