Jumbos tower over Mules in 2018 NESCAC quarterfinal rematch

Tufts men’s soccer continued its roll Saturday against Colby on Bello Field with another dominant shutout. Defeating the Mules 4–0, the Jumbos improved to 6–0 and 2–0 in NESCAC competition, safely holding onto their No. 1 national rank. 

It was a different story the last time the Jumbos faced the Mules. Last fall, a visiting Colby side knocked out Tufts in the NESCAC tournament quarterfinal in a penalty shootout. 

The Jumbos kept last year's match in the back of their minds during Saturday’s blowout, sophomore midfielder Zach Seigelstein reported.

"We had to learn how to improve," Seigelstein said. "[Colby] is the only team that beat us last year. Although it went down as a tie on paper, they went forward to the tournament and we lost that opportunity. This was a huge confidence game for us, and we wanted to come out strong."

The Jumbos asserted themselves from the very start of the game, taking and maintaining possession for the majority of the contest. In the first 18 minutes of play, Tufts earned four corner kicks. The first scoring play came in the 21st minute when senior midfielder/forward and co-captain Gavin Tasker saw senior forward Joe Braun heading towards the middle of the 18-yard box. Tasker slyly passed it through to Braun, who one-touched the ball past sophomore goalkeeper Matt Morin and into the back of the net.

Less than 10 minutes later, junior midfielder/forward Alex Ratzansecured his fourth goal of the season. Junior forward Max Jacobs fired off a shot that deflected off of a Colby defender. Ratzan took a touch and ripped a shot to the top left corner of the net. The Jumbos held a confident 2–0 lead going into halftime.

With just under an hour played in the game, Ratzan found Seigelstein in perfect positioning outside of the 18-yard box. Seigelstein collected the pass and netted his second goal of the season. 

Sophomore midfielder Colin Sullivan attempted the Mules' only shot on goal in the 69th minute. The shot went straight at junior goalkeeper Will Harned, who made the save for the Jumbos. 

Seigelstein also had the last say in Saturday’s contest, scoring a second time for the last goal of the game to send the Jumbos off with a 4–0 victory. With back-to-back goals in a high stakes match, Seigelstein was content with his performance. 

“The team played really well," Seigelstein said. "We had a great defensive performance. Jacobs and Ratzan were moving the ball well on top and I was lucky to be there for some scoring opportunities. It felt great. My parents were also there, so that was exciting." 

The Jumbos continue to command NESCAC and NCAA Div. III soccer thus far in the 2019 season. In this game alone, Tufts out-shot Colby 25–4. They applied consistent pressure up and down the field, and plan on continuing this method of play in their following matchups. 

The Jumbos are on the road Saturday, taking on their third NESCAC competitor of the season, the Bates Bobcats. The game is slated to begin at 3 p.m, and Seigelstein spoke about the matchup.

"Bates will be tough," Seigelstein admitted. "They know us well. But we just need to figure out how to play it and find ways to win. That's how NESCAC games go. It's not always pretty."