The year was 2018, back when current Harvard Head Coach Josh Shapiro was at the helm for the Tufts. That season, program legends Ian Daly and Calvin Aroh were merely in their first and sophomore years, respectively. That was the last time the Jumbos were NESCAC regular season champions and the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC playoffs tournament. Now, a full six years later, on the backs of an undefeated regular season that saw the squad finish at 11–0–4 overall, the Jumbos will seek redemption and hope to make it beyond the tournament’s first weekend.
The Jumbos will face the Polar Bears in the NESCAC quarterfinals on Saturday at 2 p.m. on Bello Field. It will mark the second time the two squads have met in just five days after their Tuesday night rendezvous, which ended in a 2–2 stalemate. Despite being the No. 8 seed in the NESCAC, the Polar Bears pass the eye test as a top-tier Division III team. Yet, they have struggled to record strong results for much of the season, going 2–4–4 in the NESCAC.
That was not the case on Tuesday night. While neither team scored in the first half, the Polar Bears started the second half with fervor. When a shot from outside the box was deflected and then saved by the Jumbos’ junior goalkeeper Nikola Antic, Polar Bear forward Mateo Pacelli put the rebound in the back of the net. Nonetheless, the Jumbos responded to this deficit with a goal from junior forward Henry Perkins off of a rebound from graduate student midfielder Liam Gerken’s shot. They also scored a goal off a header from sophomore defender Ethan Jett off of a beautiful cross-in from first-year midfielder Will Nicholas. The Jumbos kept this 2–1 lead until about two minutes were remaining when the Polar Bears’ pressure led to a corner kick that was put away on a header by Luke Macaione. Junior outside back Mateo Bargagna commented on the outcome of the game in a written correspondence to the Daily.
“Obviously, conceding in the final minutes was disappointing, especially given how we played for most of the game. But looking at the bigger picture, we still achieved our goal of securing the regular season title, which is a body of work to be proud of. While we weren’t happy with how the game ended, there were still a lot of positives to take from our performance,” he wrote.
After the game, the team shifted its mindset toward Saturday’s postseason contest against the same side, marking the second straight year when it played Bowdoin in the last game of the regular season and then again a few days later in the NESCAC quarterfinals. Bargagna mentioned how their preparation for Saturday is affected given they played the Polar Bears on Tuesday.
“Having just played them actually gives us some advantages in our preparation. We have fresh insight into how they play, what worked well for us, and what adjustments we need to make,” he noted. “While being regular season champions is something we’re proud of, we’re approaching Saturday’s game just like any other match. Our success during the season came from staying focused on one game at a time and trusting our process. That mindset won’t change in the tournament.”
If the Jumbos are able to win on Saturday, then they will host the NESCAC semifinals and championship game the following weekend. This is something the Jumbos have not done since 2017. Bargagna noted what has differentiated this year’s team from previous years.
“I think our success has come from a combination of factors. First, the depth of our squad has been incredible - we have players who can step up and make an impact whether they’re starting or coming off the bench. Second, we’ve stayed committed to improving every day in training, never getting complacent even when results were going our way. Our coaches have really emphasized maintaining high standards in practice, and that’s translated directly to our game performances,” he wrote.
The Jumbos’ depth is what has allowed them to continue to succeed despite the struggles they have faced this year with injuries — struggles that could begin to dissipate as players return from injury. Sophomore forward Xavier Canfin is expected to return this weekend; junior midfielder James Gunn is expected to return in time for the first round of the NCAA tournament; sophomore midfielder Ben Brown’s return date is yet to be determined; and senior midfielder Ethan Feigin is hoping to be able to return by the end of the NCAA tournament if the team can make it there. With the postseason ahead, getting players back from injury will only bolster the already strong Jumbos squad.
This year marks the first year when the NCAA will use the NCAA Power Index as its selection criteria for the tournament. Based on the current rankings, at No. 3 in the country, if the Jumbos lose on Saturday, then they will very likely still make the NCAA tournament. However, at No. 33 in the current rankings, depending on automatic qualifiers, Bowdoin will probably fall short if they are unable to record a victory on Bello Field. Regardless, an opportunity to win a NESCAC tournament is not something that the side should take for granted. It is something that the program has only done three times in its history and having the opportunity to do so at home will only make it more tempting.
