Heading into this Saturday's crucial contest with Williams, the men's soccer team needed a win to stay ahead of Colby in the NESCAC standings and secure a playoff berth.
But the Jumbos, despite a valiant effort, could not get that win. The team dropped a game for the first time since an Oct. 10 showdown with Wesleyan as they fell to the Ephs in Williamstown by a score of 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.
A 2-2 tie between Colby and Conn. College, which kept the Mules below the Jumbos in the standings, was pretty much the only break Tufts got on a day when nothing seemed to go the Jumbos' way.
Both Tufts and Williams played strong, aggressive soccer in the first half. Neither club allowed the other much offense in the opening frame, as Williams barely edged Tufts 2-1 in shots on goal and 3-2 in total fouls. The Jumbo defense was solid, forcing the Ephs to go offsides a total of 11 times during the game.
The scoreless game remained deadlocked until the 61st minute, when senior Alex Botwinick hammered a free kick that was firmly headed into the back of the net by senior Dan Jozwiak. The Boulder native's third goal of the season brought hope to the Jumbos that they could upset a dominant Williams club.
Unfortunately for Tufts, however, the high-intensity NESCAC contest was marked by controversial calls that didn't go the Jumbos' way.
"[There] was pretty awful officiating throughout the whole game," Jozwiak said. "The ref really gave an advantage to [Williams]."
"It was terrible - simple as that," senior tri-captain Greg O'Connell added of the officiating. "We've had problems with that in the past. It's no excuse, and we can't do much about it."
The Jumbos' frustrations with officiating throughout the game climaxed in the 64th minute when a seemingly hard tackle in the box led the head official to award a penalty kick to Williams senior Nathan Elwood, who easily slammed the ball past junior goalkeeper David McKeon.
"[He] either tripped over his own feet or took a dive - one of the two," senior tri-captain Alex Bedig said of the foul. "Our defender wasn't anywhere near him."
The Jumbos, however, chose not to let the call distract them, and they bounced back by creating many offensive opportunities. The next 16 minutes of play were evenly matched, as the two sides each managed nine shots and several scoring chances.
But in the 74th minute, McKeon was forced to leave the game after a Williams forward's foot collided with his head on a close play in front of the net. With his starter sidelined with a possible concussion, coach Ralph Ferrigno gave sophomore goalkeeper Pat Tonelli a chance to see some action.
"[The player] followed through on his shot and knocked Dave out," Bedig said. "[McKeon's] short-term memory was pretty much gone."
Just seven minutes after McKeon's untimely exit, misfortune struck yet again for the Jumbos when Williams senior Mike Darling shot a beautiful ball from 10 feet outside the left corner of the box. Tonelli had little chance at stopping the outstanding strike, which proved to be the game-winner.
"We played really good soccer in the second half," O'Connell said. "[Darling], with an unbelievable shot, beat our goalie. It was one of the few good scoring chances they had."
"We had chances we should've put away," Bedig added. "It was a game that was destined for overtime but didn't go."
Despite the loss, the Jumbos are still confident about the one NESCAC game remaining on their schedule. If the Jumbos can defeat winless Conn. College on the road Saturday, they will likely be able to secure a spot in the NESCAC Tournament's first round Sunday. The Jumbos will also regain key sophomore Bear Duker, who missed this weekend's action with an injured right hip flexor.
"It's looking like if we do make it to the playoffs, we'll be playing a team like Williams or Middlebury," Jozwiak said. "Even though we didn't get a result today, it was definitely some of the best soccer we've played."
"The league is one of the top-tier conferences in the whole country," O'Connell added. "Our record doesn't reflect how we've been playing."
