Soccer

Soccer

Women's Soccer | Samuelson strike, her second, lifts Jumbos in 2 OT

October 2

Coach Martha Whiting and the women's soccer team kicked off the month of October on a high note on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Lewiston, Maine, and defeating the Bates Bobcats 2-1 in double overtime thanks to two goals from senior tri-captain Ariel Samuelson. "They came out in the first half really pumped up and even though we were able to put together a few offensive opportunities, they were winning a lot more balls than we were," sophomore Martha Furtek said. "But by the end of the second half we had really turned up the intensity. It was like a completely different game." Samuelson continued her remarkable season, scoring both goals in the game to help the Brown and Blue push their record to 6-1 (3-1, NESCAC) and put them in a tie atop the conference standings with Williams. "This season, we're finally putting the ball in the net when we need to and obviously she's a big part of that," Callaghan said. "She works really hard and finds ways to get the ball near the goal." The Jumbos, who tallied their sixth straight win, played from behind virtually the entire game after an early goal by Bates' leading scorer and reigning NESCAC Player of the Week, junior Kim Alexander. In the thirteenth minute, Tufts junior keeper Annie Ross bobbled a high corner kick from Bates sophomore Molly Wagner inside the box. Alexander corralled the rebound and slipped the ball past Ross into the back of the net to put Bates up 1-0. Despite having several opportunities as the game progressed, Tufts was unable to slip anything past Bates keeper Nini Spalding for the first 70 minutes of play. Despite being down, however, the Jumbos' confidence never wavered and they continued to keep the pressure on the Bates defense. "We didn't panic in the second half and I don't think any of us thought we were going to lose," Callaghan said. "In the second half, we started winning balls in the air, and playing composed enough to penetrate their defense," Furtek added. "We knew we were a better team and at half time were frustrated that they thought they were good enough to be one up on us, so we came out in the second half ready to prove ourselves, and we definitely did." The squad's hard work paid off when, in the 70th minute, Samuelson broke away from the defense on a through-ball from Furtek. The senior tri-captain, who had missed a breakaway shot just minutes earlier, didn't make the same mistake twice, tucking the ball inside the left post to knot the score at 1-1. The score remained that way for the next 20 minutes, setting the stage for the Jumbos' first overtime session of the year. After a scoreless first OT, Samuelson delivered her sixth goal of the season to give the Jumbos the victory. With 6:23 remaining, Spalding deflected a shot by senior tri-captain Lindsay Garmirian from the left side of the pitch directly to Samuelson, who deftly snuck it past the keeper for the win. "One of our goals at the beginning of the year was to win any game that went into overtime, and we talked about that going into the first OT," sophomore Joelle Emery said. "Winning an OT game in come-from-behind fashion is huge for us, because it shows us that no matter what point in the game and what the score is, we have the ability to still win." In their last three games, the Bobcats, who were ranked third in New England and 23rd nationally heading into Saturday, scored a total of 18 goals against the opposition. But the back four of Emery, junior Jen Fratto, and sophomores Jess Wagner and Annie Benedict shut down the high-powered Bates offense for the final 90 minutes.Bates used three attackers, something that Tufts isn't normally accustomed to seeing, but the Jumbos were able to adjust to Bates' style of play, helping each other out on defense and frustrating the opposition. "We knew that they were a high-scoring team, but also felt that if we continued to play hard defense and keep our spaces tight that we'd be able to deal with them," Emery said. "If one of us got beaten, there was always someone covering and I think it frustrated them a lot." The Jumbos also had some extra motivation for one of their teammates: Wagner, who was playing against her former teammates for the first time since transferring from Bates this fall. "She was really excited for the game and by the way she played, we all knew she really wanted the win," Furtek said. "It was great to get the win for her." The Jumbos, whose victory over Bates was their first ever on Russell Street Field, return to the comforts of Kraft Field for two home games this week. Next up is a nonconference matchup against Brandeis on Wednesday, followed by a bout on Saturday with the Bowdoin Polar Bears, who currently sit tied for second in the conference.

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Soccer

Men's Soccer | Team carries momentum to Lewiston

September 29

Finally with some much-needed momentum in tow, the 3-3 men's soccer team (2-1 NESCAC) takes its act north to Lewiston, Maine tomorrow to play the Bates Bobcats (4-1-1, 2-1-1 NESCAC). Following consecutive home shutout victories - 2-0 over Amherst on Saturday and 3-0 over Rhode Island College on Tuesday - the next step for Tufts is to string together some all-important conference victories. Despite injuries to junior defender Jon Glass, a tri-captain, and sophomore midfielder Greg O'Connell, the Jumbos have plenty of things working in their favor looking ahead to tomorrow. Junior striker Mattia Chason, who leads the team in goals (4) and points (10) and is tied for the team-lead in assists (2), has scored all of his goals in the last two games. Chason has already equaled his 2004 goal total and has exceeded last fall's totals for assists and points. His offensive output has not only put crucial goals on the scoreboard but the extra attention he demands on the field serves as a catalyst for the rest of the Jumbo attack. The young Tufts squad is benefiting from the contributions of three of its freshmen. Rookie goalkeeper Brian Dulmovits has started all six games for the Jumbos and provided his third career and second consecutive shutout on Tuesday against R.I.C. Additionally, first-year midfielders Sam James and Peter DeGregorio have both started in at least half of the team's games. DeGregorio assisted on James' goal against R.I.C., the first career points for both freshmen. The Jumbos have come a long way from last week's shocking 4-3 loss to Salve Regina. "We've put together two wins in a few days and we haven't given up a goal, and when I look back at the game from a week ago I still can't work out how [Salve Regina] scored one goal, let alone four," coach Ralph Ferrigno said following Tuesday's win. "We looked at the tape, we analyzed it, and I think they've taken a lot of lessons from it." Another sign of the team gelling at this point in the season is its cohesiveness moving the ball from the back to the front. Prior to DeGregorio sending the ball from the midfield to James for his goal, it was senior defender Mike Lingenfelter who got the play started with a brilliant pass to DeGregorio. Ferrigno noted that while plays like this are a great addition, it is the fundamentals that matter most. "I still think at this time in the season that you need to get your basics right," the coach said. "Once you get your [defensive] systems sorted, then you start to add things to it which is picking those moments to come out of the back and support the attack and to deliver balls. But at this time I'm more interested that they work together defensively." This is not to say that the coach would not be pleased if it was the defense helping to boost the offense tomorrow in Lewiston. Bates has won four consecutive games, and its only loss came in the form of a season-opening 1-0 setback at the hands of Bowdoin. The last time Tufts defeated Bates was in 2000, and the Jumbos' last victory on the road against the Bobcats came in 1999. Only a 2003 tie in Lewiston broke up what could have been a string of four losses to Bates. It is unlikely to be any easier this year, but the coach is confident that his team will be unfettered tomorrow, despite recent history. "I've seen Bates play, and they are very good," Ferrigno said. "I think it's going to be a tough game, and I think we're going to have our work cut out, but I think we're capable .of getting the result out there."

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Soccer

Women's Soccer | Winning Jumbos jump to No. 9 in rankings

September 28

When the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Polls came out on Tuesday morning, the Women's soccer team had climbed to first in the New England region and ninth in the nation. Tufts earned its spot atop the regional rankings after ousting Amherst on Saturday afternoon, 3-1 for its third straight victory over New England's top teams. The Jumbos traveled to Babson on Tuesday afternoon and defended their position, clobbering the Beavers 3-1 and making it four straight wins. The Jumbos have all but erased an opening-day loss to Colby. "We know that we're high in the rankings now, but that's just even more of a motive for teams to come out hard against us," sophomore Joelle Emery said. "Coach [Martha Whiting] keeps telling us we can't get big heads, that we're just a normal team that's winning, and that we need to think that way so we can keep winning." "In the past, we've had trouble with weekday out-of-league games," senior tri-captain Sarah Callaghan said. "So it was good to go in and score a couple of goals early in the game and get the victory." The tandem of senior tri-captains Ariel Samuelson and Callaghan continued to plague opposing goalies, as the two hooked up at 7:14 to give Tufts an early 1-0 lead. Emery sent a high free kick from 40 yards out directly at Callaghan, who knocked a header at Babson senior co-captain Marci McCormack in the cage. The keeper deflected the initial attempt, but Samuelson corralled the rebound and knocked it in for her team-leading fourth goal of the season. Just seven minutes later, the Jumbos struck again. Callaghan tallied her NESCAC-leading sixth assist of the season when, in similar fashion to Saturday's first goal against Amherst, she fed a cross to sophomore Lauren Fedore who headed the ball past McCormack for her second goal in as many games. The Beavers answered back at the 39-minute mark in the first half, when sophomore Meg Lynch headed a free kick from classmate Caitlin Croner past Tufts junior keeper Annie Ross to bring the Beavers to within one. "We all knew that their goal shouldn't have happened," sophomore fullback Annie Benedict said. "We were immediately determined to make up for it." Conventional sports wisdom says that a soccer team is most vulnerable right after it scores a goal, and the Jumbos were quick to prove the adage. Just 45 seconds later, Emery sent a free kick off the crossbar that freshman Maya Shoham controlled and knocked past McCormack to put Tufts up 3-1 and end an eventful half. The goal was the first of Shoham's collegiate career. While the Jumbo offense was unable to repeat in the second half, the defense held strong and shut out the Beavers to secure the 3-1 Tufts win. "We knew they were going to come out much stronger in the second half, but we knew we were a better team and if we played our game we'd get it done," Benedict said. "We were certainly frustrated that we didn't come out and score more goals in the second half, but we were happy that our defense held them off." For the second straight game, the Jumbos have shown both opponents and fans what they can do with a full squad. After beating Wheaton and Middlebury with just 14 women suited up for action, the Jumbos have handily defeated Amherst and Babson with all 19 of their players in uniform. "We were basically missing our center of the field on defense and midfield and so to have everyone completely healthy is just so exciting to watch," Emery said. "Even though we're still not exactly 100 percent used to playing with each other, the possibilities for when we are [used to it] are just unbelievable" Junior Jen Fratto, the heart of the back four, has started the last two games at center fullback after missing the first three with a back problem. Senior center midfielder Lydia Claudio, who has been battling an ankle sprain for the past two weeks, was also in the starting lineup for the second time, along with sophomore midfielder Lauren Fedore, who has scored on headers in each of her last two games, despite being out for two weeks with a concussion. In addition, freshman Abby Werner was back in action for the Jumbos at left halfback. "It felt absolutely amazing to finally be out there running around," Fedore said. The three additions to the squad made the Jumbos much deeper, letting younger players, who had previously just been tossed into the mix, to slowly adjust to the system and log key minutes off the bench. It also gave Whiting a chance to experiment with various lineups, and allowed her to rest key starters without experiencing a letdown on the field. "The freshmen really stepped it up the first few games," Fedore said. "Now that we're all back, we really know how deep of a team we are."

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Soccer

Men's Soccer Feature | Sophomores come of age on a growing Jumbo squad

September 27

With sophomores making up nearly half of its roster, second-year players are making noise on both sides of the center circle for the men's soccer team this fall. Starting striker Dan Jozwiak and midfielders Bob Kastoff and Greg O'Connell have combined for four of the team's eleven goals in the first six matches of the 2005 campaign. On the defensive end, Andrew Drucker, Alex Bedig, Derek Engelking and Matt Maloney have helped hold together a young back four that became even younger when junior tri-captain Jon Glass went down with an ankle injury against Middlebury. Though only in their second year of collegiate soccer, many of the players from the Class of 2008 contributed to the Jumbo cause during their rookie seasons last year. "There was a time last year when we had six freshmen starting; it was pretty crazy," Jozwiak said. "We all grew a lot last year, and grew up together as far as playing college soccer." Last year, Kastoff led the way for freshmen, notching a goal and three assists in 15 games played. Jozwiak and O'Connell also saw significant playing time, appearing in 12 and 11 games, respectively, and Drucker started all 15 times he took the field. This season's sophomore standouts reflect a trend the team has seen over the past few seasons. Current junior strikers Mattia Chason and Ben Castellot each scored four goals and tallied an assist during their sophomore seasons. Defenders Aaron Nass and Jon Glass both recorded 14 starts in the back for the 2004 Jumbos as well. In 2003, this year's senior tri-captains Todd Gilbert and Mike Guigli combined for four goals and four assists in their second season at Tufts. "I think sophomore year is the time when you have the most confidence," Jozwiak said. "You haven't felt all the wares of being in college for four years." This year's large sophomore class has been the bridge in the lineup between small groups of upperclassmen and freshmen. In yesterday's 3-0 win over Rhode Island College, it was a Jozwiak header that allowed Chason to get fouled, setting up Gilbert's penalty kick goal. Along with "Jaws," second-years Drucker, Kastoff, Bedig, Engleking and Maloney saw time on the field, while O'Connell remained sidelined by injury. "I feel like the guys in the back don't get as much credit, but they do all the dirty work," Jozwiak said. "O'Connell is definitely a factor holding play in the midfield and [Kastoff] and I are more on the attacking side." With this strong core of second year players gaining valuable NESCAC experience early in their careers, the Class of 2008 will likely remain the heart of the Jumbos for years to come. For now, however, the sophomores are focused on the matters at hand. "Our main goal right now is trying to win, but we are also just trying to have the best time and just keep getting better," Jozwiak said. "It's nice to know we still have a few years to keep going."

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Soccer

Women's Soccer | Tufts kicks Amherst for third straight triumph

September 25

When the regional and national rankings are released later this week, the Women's soccer team will not have to look very far for its name. The squad once again affirmed its place atop the regional standings on Saturday, handily defeating New England's third ranked team - the Amherst Lord Jeffs - 3-1 on Kraft Field. The win, the team's third straight after an opening day loss to Colby, put the Jumbos at 3-1 overall on the season. Coupled with Williams' Saturday loss to Bowdoin, the win pushed the Jumbos into a six-way logjam atop the NESCAC standings at 2-1 in league play. "We have a ton of confidence right now," senior Lydia Claudio said. "We just beat the top three teams in New England, and while we feel great about that, we certainly can't rest. We have to take it one game at a time. We have ten more and we need to win each one." Despite coming out strong to open the contest, the Jumbos found themselves on the short end of a 1-0 score early on. In the 12th minute of action, Amherst junior Lesley Pruzansky beat Tufts' charging junior keeper Annie Ross and sent the ball to freshman Stephanie Yesnick at the far post. Ross was unable to recover, and Yesnik dribbled the ball into the open net to give the Jeffs the 1-0 lead. Tufts stayed aggressive, pushing the midfielders up to the offensive side of the pitch. The move paid off just five minutes later, in what unfolded into one of the more acrobatic goals in recent years. Senior tri-captain Sarah Callaghan drove the ball down the sideline and sent a centering cross just outside the 18- yard line. Sophomore Lauren Fedore, unable to play the ball to her feet, used her head instead. Fedore, who had spent the last three games on the sideline nursing a severe concussion, laid out over her defender and headed the ball from just inside the 18, over Amherst junior goalie Piper Crowell's head and into the back of the net to knot the score at 1-1. "Callaghan gave me the perfect cross, and there was no way I was going to be able to get to the ball so I had to jump over my defender and somehow it went in," Fedore said. "I love to head the ball - it's definitely my favorite thing to do." The teams fought evenly for the rest of the half; each squad had a handful of opportunities to score but neither was able to capitalize, keeping the score at one apiece until the halftime buzzer. Tufts came out flat at the start of the second, but its back four held tight and kept the Jeffs from taking advantage. Fifteen minutes into the half, the Jumbos turned up the pressure and were able to keep the ball in Amherst's zone for the majority of the rest of the game. Tufts' hard work paid off with 21 minutes remaining, as senior tri-captain Ariel Samuelson sent a pass from 40 yards out to sophomore Martha Furtek. Furtek collected the ball and sent a low liner inside the right post to put Tufts up 2-1. Just two minutes later, Tufts got another opportunity to extend its lead, as Samuelson, who wreaked havoc on the Amherst back line all day, took a through ball and sprinted past the Jeffs' defense. On her way to her team-leading fourth goal of the season, Samuelson was fouled in the box and the Jumbos were awarded a penalty kick. Callaghan capitalized on the opportunity, knocking the ball into the top left corner of the net. The goal was disallowed, however, due to an inadvertent whistle, and Callaghan was forced to shoot again. With Crowell guessing right, the tri-captain drilled the ball into that same top left corner, achieving the same result and giving Tufts a 3-1 lead. "At halftime, we said we were going to come out and score two more goals, and we came out in the second half and really worked hard to get it done," Furtek said. The Jumbos were able to be much more aggressive on Saturday than in previous games due to their strong back four. Junior Jen Fratto and sophomores Joelle Emery, Anne Benedict and Jess Wagner are finally intact as a unit and holding strong in the backfield. With Fratto leading the effort, the defense's strong play on Saturday will allow Coach Martha Whiting to push up her midfielders and pressure opposing defenses in future games. "Fratto communicates really well with the rest of the back four, telling us when to step up or drop," Wagner said. "It's a huge reassurance to have such a strong defense back there," Furtek said. "We still have to transition, but it certainly creates many more opportunities up front." Ross put forth another solid effort in goal, rendering another of the NESCAC's high-powered attacks all but silent. Despite only making one save in the game, Ross surrendered just a single goal, and her relentless aggression was successful in disrupting the Amherst offense. "[Ross] played awesome today," Wagner said. "She's completely fearless and will go after anything."

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Soccer

Men's Soccer | Jumbos shut out Amherst for victory

September 25

The Men's soccer team kept the fire burning from its blazing start for the full 90 minutes against Amherst on Saturday, scorching its NESCAC rival with a 2-0 shut-out on Kraft Field. "It was big for us to play the whole game," senior tri-captain Todd Gilbert said. "We've been known to let down, but we really concentrated on staying focused for all 90 minutes this time around." The win snapped a three-game home losing streak that began when M.I.T. orchestrated a come-from-behind victory in the last ten minutes of play on Sept. 14. Both of the following two losses, against Middlebury and Salve Regina, came at the hands of late game goals as well. This time, however, the Jumbos held on as time wound down, tallying a decisive victory that moved their record to 2-3 overall and 2-1 in the NESCAC. "It's always nice to win," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "We deserved the victory today. We created more chances and were quicker to the ball." As in most of its games this season, Tufts dominated its opponent early, coming out strong in the first half. But this time, the Jumbos were able to score an early goal against a sluggish Amherst squad just six minutes into the match. Sophomore midfielder Bob Kastoff drove the ball into the left corner, arching a long cross past the far post to Gilbert. The senior aimed a header towards the net, but found junior striker Mattia Chason's head instead. Chason redirected the ball past sprawling Amherst keeper Greg Lockwood to put Tufts ahead early 1-0. "To get that first goal definitely got us on track and set the tone for the game," sophomore forward Dan Jozwiak said. "We just established ourselves early." The Jumbos continued to create quality opportunities while minimizing the Amherst attack for the duration of the first half. The defense maintained its shape, effectively locking the Lord Jeffs out of the goal box for the majority of the opening period. The Jumbos missed several close shots from Kastoff, junior striker Ben Castellot and Jozwiak, but held on to their 1-0 lead going into halftime. Tufts again came out strong in the early minutes of the second half, but faced a revamped Lord Jeff offense focused on winning loose balls. Despite the Amherst pressure, Tufts still continued to generate scoring opportunities as both teams sprinted up and down the field, trading possession of the ball. Freshman goalie Brian Dulmovits, who recorded the second shutout of his brief career with the win, shone in the second half, aggressively challenging the Amherst attack and showcasing his range and flexibility with several difficult saves. With 23 minutes remaining in the game, Dulmovits stole a goal from Jeffs senior Christian Alexander, fully extending to block a well-placed shot. The freshman then kept his concentration and pounced on the rebound to stifle what would prove to be Amherst's best chance of the day. "Brian had a rough day [against Salve Regina], and when you have a day like that, as a coach I worried that he might hang his head," Ferrigno said. "But he didn't do that. He bounced back and got the clean sheet. That will be good for his confidence." Tufts added its second and final goal of the contest in the 74th minute. Senior tri-captain Mike Guigli sent a through ball to Chason, who broke past the Amherst defense, found a wide open field in front of him, and placed the ball with a driving shot on the ground to the right side of the net. Making the goal that much sweeter was the fact that it ceme just minutes after Jozwiak put the ball in the net only to have it disallowed by a controversial offsides call. "I guess I was offsides by about a foot; I thought I was on," Jozwiak said of the call. "We [basically] won the game when Mattia scored. The whole second half was a battle." Ferrigno credited Jozwiak's physical play in the front as a key to the Jumbos' offensive success. "[Jozwiak] just caused them so many problems with his physical presence," Ferrigno said. "That created a lot for the other players. He was immense [on Saturday]." Tufts was able to hold Amherst off in the remaining minutes of the match to secure the 2-0 victory. The Jeffs continued to pressure the defense, but were thwarted time and again by a Tufts team obviously juiced up. Mental focus to hold strong in the final minutes will help this young team as it continues through its schedule with a non-league match against Rhode Island College tomorrow. "This was a big game for us," Gilbert said. "But it means nothing if we can't keep the momentum going."

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Women's Soccer | Amherst brings undefeated record into Kraft Field showdown

September 22

Thanks to impressive back-to-back victories last week over the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in New England, the Women's soccer team catapulted to 15th in the nation and second in the region in this week's poll. But the Jumbos still find themselves stuck in the middle of the league standings. Tufts will have a chance to change that Saturday when the Amherst Lord Jeffs pay a visit to Kraft Field. While the Jumbos sit at 1-1 in league play thanks to a season-opening loss to Colby, Amherst (3-0-1 overall) is tied with Williams atop the league standings at 2-0. But given the way Tufts has played recently at home, it's hard to say that the Jumbos won't be the favorite. The squad notched a 3-2 win over Wheaton last Wednesday and followed it with a 3-0 shutout of Middlebury on Saturday. Senior tri-captain Ariel Samuelson tied a Tufts record by scoring three goals against the Panthers, becoming the first Jumbo player since 1999 and earning NESCAC Player of the Week. She also recorded an assist in the win against Wheaton, giving her a team-leading point total of eight and a tie for third in the conference. Fellow senior tri-captain Sarah Callaghan also tied a Tufts record last week after assisting on all three of Samuelson's goals against the Panthers. Callaghan leads both the team and the NESCAC with three assists on the season, and is tied for sixth in points with five. It goes without saying that the team's confidence is very high right now. "After the two games last week, we feel like we can play with anyone," Callaghan said. "But we still know how hard we have to work to beat good teams." Tufts did not have a midweek game this week, making tomorrow the team's first action in seven days. "We worked really hard at the beginning of the week on fitness and transitioning, so hopefully the next couple days we can focus on tactical things and set plays," sophomore center midfielder Martha Furtek said at midweek. Callaghan said practices have helped keep the Jumbos game-ready. "We came out this week and worked really hard," she said. "It was also really nice to have some of our injured players get back into practice this week. They can work their way back by practicing instead of jumping right into a game." Getting players back on the field will be a key for Tufts, which earned both of its wins shorthanded. Junior Jen Fratto played in the second half of the Middlebury game, and she should be ready to go on Saturday. Senior Lydia Claudio and sophomore Lauren Fedore have been practicing this week and should play Saturday. "Without injuries, we are a really deep team," Furtek said. "I think we'll finally be able to take advantage of that [tomorrow]." Amherst will be ready. The Lord Jeffs have already set down Trinity and Bates in league play. In their last game, they shut out Springfield 2-0 at home. Amherst is led by junior forward Amy Armstrong, who has two goals and two assists on the season. One player the Lord Jeffs sorely miss from last season is Ashley Harmeling, who graduated. Harmeling was one of the most celebrated players in Amherst history, as she was named NESCAC Player of the Year as a junior and received All-New England and All-NESCAC First Team honors as a senior. Though it will be nice not having her on the field, Tufts knows it will still be a tough matchup. "They are definitely a physical team and I remember them being pretty strong in the air," Furtek said. "But winning balls in the air was something we did really well last Saturday, so if we can keep that up, we should be fine. Amherst's defense will give us lots of opportunities, so we just have to make sure we keep finishing them." Callaghan agreed. "They are always one of the better teams, and this year is no different," she said. "They've done well in their games so far. We know every NESCAC game is going to be a battle, though." The game is the third straight at home for the Jumbos, who are getting used to Kraft Field. "Playing in front of a home crowd is a huge boost for us," Furtek said. "People are starting to get interested in coming to games, especially now that we've proven to people that we're worth watching. Fans definitely help you give that much more effort on every ball." The team better enjoy it, because it is the last home game for awhile. The Jumbos have three consecutive road games, starting with a match Tuesday at Babson. Tufts will not return home until a Oct. 5 match against Brandeis. "I think we all agree that what is most important right now is taking each game one at a time," Furtek said. "Every team is going to expect us to play hard and we can't let up at all. Our last couple games have been huge, but Amherst is going to be even bigger."

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Men's Soccer | Concentration will be the key for Tufts to triumph over Amherst

September 22

Coming off Wednesday's shocking 4-3 loss to Salve Regina, the Men's soccer team will enter tomorrow's match against league rival Amherst looking to conquer its psychological pitfalls. "[Our losses] have been more mental than anything else," injured junior tri-captain Jon Glass said. "We're still a very young team and skill can only bring you so far. We get satisfied after we score and tend to ease up on the gaps. We have to keep the intensity up." For a Jumbo team whose fluctuating lineups consist of more than half underclassmen most games, the recent trend has been to come out strong in the opening minutes, only to relinquish late game goals. Tufts was either tied or ahead of its opponent midway through the second half in each of this season's three losses. "We have shown flashes of greatness in the first half of every game we've played," Glass said. "For some reason, when the second half starts, all hell just breaks loose." Tufts has given up all ten goals scored by its opponents this season after the 52nd minute of play. While they have yet to surrender a first half goal, the Jumbos have failed to produce early goals themselves. Of their six goals so far this fall, just two have come before the halftime whistle. The Jumbos need to align the strong offense they tend to bring to the field in the later minutes with the solid defense they play early in the game. Glass said he believes this synergy will come with experience as this young group gels as a unit and conquers its concentration demons late in the game. "It's still early in the season. If you always have that doubt that you could give it up [in the later minutes] because you have before, you're not going to win," Glass said Tufts has been examining tapes of Wednesday's Salve Regina game over the past two days to see which of coach Ralph Ferrigno's strategies were successful. The coach was forced to adjust his lineup, especially in the back, due to Glass' high ankle sprain against Middlebury last Saturday and various other early-season injuries. With just two days of practice before the Amherst game, Tufts will try to regroup. "In the first half of the Salve game, coach tried a lot of experiments in the back," Glass said. "We [looked] at the film and realized what worked and what didn't. We'll put it all together this week and have it ready for tomorrow. It's going to take a lot of reflecting; the second half [on Wednesday] was a complete embarrassment." Tufts will face a 3-0-1 Amherst squad tomorrow on Kraft Field. The Lord Jeffs triumphed over the Jumbos last year 2-0. A strong Amherst defense led the way against the Jumbos in that game, allowing the Lord Jeffs to outshoot Tufts 14-7. Senior co-captains Ben Lavely and Ian Lovett, along with sophomore midfielder and current scoring leader Taylor Downs, could cause problems for Tufts. Amherst has won three of the last four games between the two teams. The Jeffs finished just ahead of Tufts in the NESCAC last season with a 5-4 league record. The prospects for Jumbos success tomorrow will hinge upon two main factors: whether the young strikers can match the midfielders in scoring production and if the offense and defense can work more tightly as a unit for the entire 90 minutes without allowing the mental breakdowns that have plagued the Jumbos so far this year at home. The action begins tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. on Kraft Field.

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Men's Soccer | NESCAC rival Middlebury overpowers Jumbos

September 18

Despite intense emotions and a solid start for the Jumbos, the Middlebury Panthers proved too much for the Men's soccer team on Saturday. Tufts fell to the visiting Panthers 3-0 on Kraft Field in the hard-hitting grudge match between two NESCAC teams in front of a solid Tufts fan base. "We played very well overall, but at the end of the day we just didn't get the results," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "As everyone knows, we're a youthful group and we're going to move forward." As so often happens in soccer matches, all of the game's scoring occurred in a short period of time. Middlebury's Vandy Shanholt broke the 0-0 stalemate at the 52 minute mark with his second goal of the season. Shanholt knocked in the rebound after Tufts' freshman goalie Brian Dulmovits blocked an initial shot. Panther sophomore David LaRocca added an insurance goal in the 73rd minute after the Tufts defense pushed too far up in the Middlebury zone for a corner kick. After junior Ben Castellot ripped a shot that clanged off the post, Middlebury cleared the ball up past half field. With just one defender back, Dulmovits was forced to leave the box to pursue the ball in a foot race with LaRocca. The rookie keeper slid in front of the charging forward, initially blocking the ball and knocking LaRocca to the ground. The ball managed to break free, however, and LaRocca recovered enough to roll it into the wide open net as the Jumbo defense sprinted back. "The second goal was unfortunate. It was a mistake on our part as too many of us were pushed forward," senior defender Mike Lingenfelter said. "That is one tactical thing we're going to have to look at in the future." Dulmovits injured his leg on the play, forcing Tufts to bring in freshman keeper David McKeon. Just 30 seconds later, LaRocca took advantage of a mis-headed ball, drilling a shot past McKeon to the right side, and securing a 3-0 advantage that would prove to be the final score. With the obvious frustration from the three quick goals, in conjunction with tension between the two NESCAC teams, play went from physical to borderline malicious late in the game. Of the 30 fouls called, the most damaging for the Jumbos came when LaRocca attacked junior tri-captain defender Jon Glass from behind, sending the heart of Tufts' defense to the hospital and earning a red card in the process. "Middlebury is a scrappy team and they have a lot of players who play dirty," Lingenfelter said. "It was a pretty nasty tackle [against Glass]. The ref didn't set a tone early that he wasn't going to stand for it, so [we were] not surprised when they started throwing cheap shots at us." Though the final score was not indicative, Tufts blasted out of the blocks like a team on a mission in the opening minutes of the game. The squad matched the Panthers ball for ball in the air and put together crisp pass combinations to generate several opportunities. "Emotions were really high and really intense, especially after the history we have with Middlebury," Lingenfelter said. "It's always hard for teams to come out on the road and play strong from the beginning. We knew we had to give it to them as hard as we could early." The Jumbos had their best chance of the first half after sophomore Bob Kastoff received the ball from junior Mattia Chason, only to be taken out from behind in the Middlebury box. Senior tri-captain Mike Guigli set up for the penalty kick that would have put the Jumbos up 1-0, but missed the net wide to the right. "It's always a big deal if you miss a PK because of the emotion and momentum behind it," Lingenfelter said. "If we had gone up 1-0 early, it would have been a different game, but I think we responded and played well after the PK." With its 12 shots and chances coming from a variety of players including Chason, Castellot, Kastoff and freshman Sam James, the Jumbos did not let down, even after Middlebury scored its first goal in the second half. It wasn't until the second goal that the game appeared out of reach for the home team. "We all played with a lot of heart," Lingenfelter said. "While we have some size and a lot of strength, it's not our strongest point. We do better when we move the ball and keep possession." Ferrigno, though disappointed with the outcome, perceived the loss as another step towards experience for his young team. "It's not a crisis; we're only three games into the season," Ferrigno said. "We played well. We had to make a few changes because of injuries, but we adapted well. We just need to siphon out all the bad and concentrate on the good stuff."

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Women's Soccer | Samuelson's hat trick sends Panthers crawling back home

September 18

Senior tri-captains Ariel Samuelson and Sarah Callaghan teamed up to hand Middlebury its first regular-season conference loss in almost two years, and made the Panthers the Jumbos' second top-15 victim in a week. Samuelson scored all three Tufts goals on Callaghan assists as the Women's soccer team defeated the No. 15 Panthers under overcast skies on Saturday afternoon. After a rocky start, losing to Colby in their season opener, the Jumbos have defeated New England's top two teams in their most recent games. After taking out the region's top team with a 3-2 win over Wheaton College on Wednesday, the squad capped off a memorable week with a 3-0 shutout over the Panthers, the region's second-ranked team, in front of a full house at Kraft Field. Perhaps most impressively, Tufts defeated both squads with just 14 active players. "Today was absolutely awesome," Samuelson said. "I'm so excited for the rest of the season because we can only go up from here. After the Colby loss, I was a bit discouraged, but we've really come back these last two games." Samuelson broke the 0-0 deadlock 33 minutes into the game, taking a cross-field pass from Callaghan, spinning around two defenders, and shielding the ball from Middlebury freshman keeper Adele Plunkett before knocking a low liner inside the far post. The senior tri-captain struck again at the 76-minute mark, breaking away from the defenders on a through ball from Callaghan. Plunkett charged in an attempt to cut off the shot, but Samuelson flicked the ball at the post to put Tufts up 2-0 and all but seal the deal for the Jumbos. Samuelson then completed the hat trick with two minutes left in regulation, taking another long ball from Callaghan right at Plunkett. While the Panther keeper made the initial save, Samuelson corralled the rebound and dribbled the ball into the net to put the final nail in the Panthers' coffin. The squad finally was able to smile after the third goal, knowing that victory was only a matter of time. Tufts' rowdy fans aided in the effort, showering the midfield line with hats to celebrate Samuelson's trio. Despite a conscious effort not to experience a letdown as a result of Wednesday's victory, the Jumbos still came out flat in the first five minutes of play. "After the first five minutes, we realized that we needed to pull ourselves together if we were going to win the game," sophomore center midfielder Martha Furtek said. "We were really able to do that, and from then on, everyone fought incredibly hard." The teams split the time of possession in the first half, with the ball equally in both halves of the field. The Jumbos' back foursome of sophomores Annie Benedict, Julia Brown and Joelle Emery, and freshman Genevieve Citrin held strong in front of junior keeper Annie Ross, not allowing any real Panther attacks on net. Despite being up 1-0 at halftime, Tufts came out for the second half with the mentality of being in a tie game. "Knowing that we had the lead was good, but Coach told us that we have to play strong in the second half as if it's tied or we're down," Furtek added. "It's a nice reassurance, but we still needed to go into the second half strong and that's exactly what we did." The second half held a positive note for Coach Martha Whiting's squad, as junior center fullback Jen Fratto made her first appearance of the season, having been sidelined the last few games with a back injury. "It's really good to have her back," Whiting said. "She brings such composure to the back line, no matter how chaotic things are back there. She really calms the rest of the team down." The move allowed Emery to shift to outside back and thus pinch up to play a larger role in the offense. "It was nice to get [Emery] on one of the wings, because she has some experience in the back and can talk to the other girls," Fratto said. "She also is able to play more of a role in the offense with her quickness and strong foot." Ross earned the first shutout of her career, finishing with four saves that halted the high-powered Middlebury attack. The win was especially sweet for the Jumbos, who exacted some revenge on the Panthers, reversing last year's 3-0 loss at Middlebury. "They made us look not-so-good on their field last year, so it was nice to get the victory today in front of our fans," Fratto said.

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Men's Soccer | Late Engineer goals surprise, sink Jumbos in home opener

September 15

Domination does not always equal victory. In a match where the men's soccer team out-shot the visiting M.I.T. Engineers 14 to nine and kept the ball on the Engineers' side of the pitch for the majority of the contest, the Jumbos saw win No. 2 slip through their fingers in the final 10 minutes. M.I.T. scored two goals just five minutes apart to surpass Tufts 3-2 Wednesday afternoon at Bello Field. "We dominated the game; we were clearly the better team," junior tri-captain Jon Glass said. "I don't know what happened [at the end]. We played down to their level." Though the score stood deadlocked at 0-0 after the first 45 minutes of play, the Jumbos clearly had a handle on the game. The team recorded numerous chances to slip one past M.I.T. keeper Tom Caldwell with dangerous cross-field combinations and corner kicks. Tufts built its attacks from the back and methodically pushed up, pressuring the Engineers' defense with through balls to the strikers. Glass came up from the back to head two hanging corner kicks just over the net. Sophomore striker Mattia Chason eluded the M.I.T. defense on several occasions, but failed to finish. Sophomore Bob Kastoff and senior tri-captain Mike Guigli also had opportunities from their midfield positions. "It was one of those games where it just wasn't falling for us," Glass said. "We did everything we could to set up our chances and we usually put them away. Things just weren't going our way." Tufts finally broke the stalemate three minutes into the second half. After an M.I.T. defender dragged down sophomore forward Greg O'Connell just outside the 18-yard line, Guigli set up for a direct kick. The veteran captain pounded the ball over the jumping Engineer wall. Guigli's shot sailed past Caldwell and nicked the crossbar on its way into the far corner of the net. "It was an incredible goal; one of the best I've seen at Tufts," senior tri-captain Todd Gilbert said. "We knew we were going to score at some point, and felt it was only a matter of time before we got one in." The exuberance produced by the game's first goal did not last long for the Jumbos. Less than one minute after Guigli's goal, M.I.T. junior Andrew Bishara responded for the Engineers, placing an angling shot past freshman keeper Brian Dulmovits. "The most dangerous time for a team is right after it scores a goal. We let down mentally," Gilbert said. The Jumbos began to let emotions get the better of them after seeing their 1-0 lead disappear as quickly as it had arrived. The team was issued a yellow card after the referee failed to call a foul when Kastoff was mauled in the M.I.T. box. Tufts seemed slightly unorganized in its touches until gaining a corner kick at the 28:35 mark. The Jumbos set up for the corner, as they had throughout the game, with significant pressure on the back post. Sophomore Andrew Drucker's initial kick hovered just above ground level, but made it back to the kicker who launched it up and over the M.I.T. defense, finding the 6'1 O'Connell's head next to the far post. O'Connell redirected the cross into the goal giving Tufts a 2-1 advantage. "Drucker didn't hit a great initial kick," Gilbert said. "But he stayed composed, and O'Connell was just there and powered it in." Tufts settled down immediately after the second goal and managed to maintain its lead for nearly 20 minutes. The team generated several additional opportunities, but mainly tried to lock M.I.T. out of the box. This preventive defensive scheme, however, had the same effect as it so often does in the NFL: it prevented the Jumbos from securing the win with an insurance score. Indeed, M.I.T. evened the score at two with just under ten minutes to play. The ball ricocheted off various feet in the middle as Tufts' defense pinched in. Several poorly controlled passes by M.I.T. somehow resulted in the ball squirting out the left side to a wide open co-captain Walter Song. Song had three years to set up, and drilled the ball past a sprawling Dulmovits to the right side. "Unfortunately, it's been a trait of ours in recent years to give up cheap goals and let games we should win get away from us," Gilbert said. With momentum on its side and time running out, M.I.T. began pressuring Tufts more than it had all afternoon. The Engineers' efforts paid off in the form of the game-winning goal in the 85th minute. Sophomore Chase Lochmiller headed in a cross from fellow second-year player Chris Desrochers to drive the win home for M.I.T. It was the first time in three years that an M.I.T.-Tufts match-up ended with a victory for either team as the cross-town, non-league foes battled to ties in each of the past two seasons. "[The loss] doesn't mean much overall," Glass said. "We moved the ball well, and did a lot of great things. But we realized that we can't play for 75 minutes, we have to play for 90 minutes. Every minute counts and we have to play hard throughout the whole game." With the loss, Tufts fell to an even 1-1 on the season.

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Women's Soccer | Shorthanded Jumbos victorious over Wheaton

September 15

On paper, things did not look good for the Women's soccer team heading into Wednesday's afternoon bout against Wheaton College. The Jumbos were coming off a shaky 2-0 loss against Colby in their opener and were facing a team ranked first in New England and 13th nationally. The Lyons soundly beat Tufts 2-0 last season. Three key injuries left the Jumbos entering the competition with only 14 players and three substitutes. Come game time the Jumbos showed those statistics didn't matter, squeaking out a 3-2 victory over the Lyons in front of a rowdy crowd at Kraft Field. "My heart is still pounding out of my chest," coach Martha Whiting said after the game. "With as many injuries as we had, we just had to keep getting players in and out - don't ask me how we did it." "Today was the most fun I've had since winning NESCAC's freshman year," senior tri-captain Ariel Samuelson added. "We basically just ruined their season." Things did not look promising early in the match. Wheaton sophomore Jenna Rabesa gave the Lyons an early 1-0 lead at the 15 minute mark when she took a cross from classmate Lauren Konopka and scored her second goal of the year. Tufts started to control the ball 25 minutes into the game, keeping it far in the Wheaton zone. With 59 seconds remaining in the first half, the Jumbos finally broke through. Senior tri-captain Sarah Callaghan took a perfect pass from Samuelson and her long, lofted shot found the top of the net to tie it up going into the half. "The first goal was huge," Whiting said. "It gave us a huge confidence boost, and we headed into halftime with some real hope." Samuelson agreed. "I think we still had some momentum heading into the half even without the goal, but it was still big because it showed that we could play with them," she said. "We knew that once we went up on them, we would sink them." The team came out hungry after the break and took its first lead soon after as senior tri-captain Lindsay Garmirian took a deflected shot by Samuelson and snuck it past Wheaton sophomore keeper Stacey Kronenberg about 12 minutes into the second half. The Lyons came right back after the Garmirian goal and with one of their own. Sophomore Julie McLane, assisted by Konopka and sophomore Ashley Furr, scored to tie the game at two. This set the stage for sophomore Joelle Emery's first collegiate goal. With 20 minutes left in the contest, the defender launched a direct kick from over 30 yards over the outstretched arms of Kronenberg and into the northeast goal, giving the Jumbos a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. "The goalie had the sun in her face and I knew she couldn't see anything," Emery said of the situation. "I was just trying to put the ball up around the net and hope someone could put it in." The game got considerably more physical as Wheaton scrambled for a tie as time wound down. Samuelson was taken down hard twice. Tufts was able to hold off several late charges thanks in large part to the play of the team's first-year players. Freshmen Maya Shoham, Ali Mehlsak and Genevieve Citrin, and sophomores Julia Brown and Jessie Wagner were able to quickly get over early season jitters and secure the win. The victory evened the Jumbos' record to 1-1 and dropped the Lyons to 3-3. It was Wheaton's first loss against a New England opponent since 2001. "We went into the game treating them like any other team," Whiting said. "We prepare for every team with the same intensity, and I think that really helped us." In earning her first victory, junior keeper Annie Ross made seven saves, including a deflection as she collided with an onrushing Lyon in the closing seconds. "I'm feeling pretty good right now, though I can never be totally satisfied with myself," Ross said. "But that's what makes me work harder. It was really important to get this first win, and our confidence is immeasurable right now." Injuries continue to plague the Jumbos. Sophomore Lauren Fedore (concussion), senior Lydia Claudio (ankle), and junior Jen Fratto (back) were all held out of action Wednesday. The team would them back on the field soon. "At halftime we were all dying, but luckily we were having fun in the second half and didn't feel as tired," Samuelson said. "Once we're a full team I think we're going to be very hard to beat."

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Men's Soccer Sidebar | Tufts to face Middlebury tomorrow in playoff rematch

September 15

The taste of last October still lingers in the Jumbos' mouths. They still remember what it felt like. After leading the Middlebury Panthers 3-0 with less than 15 minutes to play in the first round of last year's NESCAC playoffs, Tufts saw the Panthers score once, twice and then a third time in the closing minutes of regulation. Reeling from the drastic turning of the tides, Tufts then stood dumbfounded in defeat as the surging Panthers scored yet again just one minute into the overtime period, sending the Jumbos home for the season with a 4-3 loss on a blustery Halloween day in Vermont. "I will never, ever forget that game; I'll never play another game without that in my heart," junior tri-captain Jon Glass said. "I can't even explain the hurt after that loss." The fact that the Jumbos, seeded seventh going into post season play, were ahead of second ranked Middlebury by such a substantial margin late in the game had the makings of a classic Cinderella story. A Tufts victory would have stunned the NESCAC, especially considering the Jumbos have yet to tally a win against Middlebury this century. "I would like to say that we have forgotten about last year," senior tri-captain Todd Gilbert said. "But [we have] nine returning starters who experienced that defeat. Revenge is pretty much the only thing on our minds right now." The Jumbos will have their chance to avenge the heartbreak tomorrow at home at Kraft Field. "We are going to sit back and use the emotion to just unleash it on them," Glass said. The team expects playing at home to be a huge advantage, especially this early in the season against an opponent that, if tradition holds, will bring a large, athletic squad to compete. "I expect the crowd to be pretty big and very vocal and intimidating," Gilbert said. "That will give us a huge advantage. It will be our first game [at Kraft Field] this season too." The Jumbos kick off against the Panthers at 1:30 p.m.-Kristy Cunningham

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Women's Soccer | Jumbos kicked around by Mules

September 11

Early season jitters got the best of the Women's soccer team Saturday afternoon as the team fell 2-0 to the White Mules of Colby in the opening game of the 2005 season. The loss continued Tufts' poor showing streak against the Mules in recent seasons, with the Jumbos tallying just one victory over Colby in the past five years. "As individuals, no one played badly," senior co-captain Sarah Callaghan said. "Everyone played hard, but as a team, we didn't click together on anything. The whole team needs to play defense and the whole team needs to play offense." Colby junior forward Laura Williamson put the Mules on the board early, heading a pass from senior co-captain Katie McCabe past Tufts junior keeper Annie Ross. Colby tacked on an insurance goal late in the second half when open junior Liz Morbeck took a cross from Williamson and sent the ball past Ross to make it 2-0. Tufts, in similar fashion to previous seasons, was able to keep good pressure on the opposing defense, but was unable to finish its shots and put the ball past the keeper. The Jumbos out-shot the Mules 14 to 11, and had six corner kicks to Colby's three, yet were still unable to sneak anything past junior keeper Liza Benson. Benson ended up with 11 saves in the shutout, while Ross tallied six in the loss. Injuries should not serve as an excuse, but they didn't exactly help the Jumbos, whose seven new players were forced to take an increased role in what, for many of them, was their first collegiate soccer game. Junior center fullback Jen Fratto, the anchor of the back four, was sidelined with stress fractures in her back. Senior center midfielder Lydia Claudio, who has been plagued by injuries for the past three seasons, sprained her ankle in practice on Friday and was unable to compete. During the game, sophomore forward Lauren Fedore banged heads with a Colby player, suffering a severe grade three concussion that forced her to the bench. Because of these injuries, all 19 members of Coach Martha Whiting's squad saw action on Saturday. Freshman Maya Shoham got the start in the center midfield in place of Claudio, while sophomore Jessie Wagner, playing in her first game as a Jumbo since transferring from Bates, opened the game at fullback, along with classmates Anne Benedict and Joelle Emery and senior Cate Meeker. The silver lining to the loss came from the fact that the squad has only been practicing together for a week. "The new players did well, and I'm sure some of them played more than they had imagined in their first game," Callaghan said. "It was our first game and it was frustrating, but since it was our first game, we have time to figure out things to work on." The Jumbos will continue to focus on getting used to each other as teammates as the players learn each other's styles and preferences on the field. With such a large group of newcomers, that certainly will pose a challenge. "We need to find some kind of spark to get us going," Callaghan said. "Maybe go really hard at each other in practice, just to get us fired up and working together as one unit." Tufts doesn't have much time, however, as the squad gears up to face regional powerhouse Wheaton College in non-conference action on Wednesday, followed by NESCAC foes Middlebury and Amherst on consecutive Saturdays. All three games, however, are at home, where the Jumbos will hope to have the luck of Kraft Field on their side. Tufts has only played Wheaton, who is ranked third in the country, twice in the past four years, with mixed results. The Jumbos fell 2-0 to the Lyons early last season and defeated them 3-1 in 2000 in the NCAA Regional Final, en route to their National Championship berth.

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Men's Soccer | Lone goal enough for Jumbos to hold off stubborn Mules

September 11

Sophomore midfielder Bob Kastoff's shoulder-high shot to the right side of the Colby goal was all it took for the Men's soccer team to secure a victory in its opening match of the 2005 season. With an experienced defensive four in front of rookie keeper Brian Dulmovits, Tufts shut out the White Mules 1-0 on saturday in Waterville, Maine. The victory gave the Jumbos a running start in the NESCAC race on a day when perennial league competitors Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury and Williams all tallied wins over their NESCAC opponents. "This was a big win for us starting out the season," senior tri-captain Mike Guigli said. "We got our momentum going coming into the next few home games. We're going to look good this year." "We were obviously the better team," junior tri-captain Jon Glass added. "Our emotions were so high at first [because] it was the first game of the season, but we showed our experience at the end after we scored the goal." Kastoff took the shot that would prove to be the game winner eight minutes into the second half. Until that point, the two teams had battled back and forth, with neither squad able to capitalize in front of the goal. "We were able to create some good opportunities, but we never tested their goalie in the first half," Guigli said. When the Jumbos finally did test Colby junior keeper Josh Kahane, the Mules' last line of defense failed the exam. After junior striker Mattia Chason played a through-ball from midfield, catching Colby on a counter-attack, Kastoff streaked down the left wing, receiving the ball on the other side of the Mules' defense, and beat Kahane to the right side of the net. "Bobby was one on one with the goalie and placed a really nice shot," Glass said. "It was a powerful shot and he showed a lot of composure." Tufts was able to hang on to the 1-0 lead primarily due to the strong defensive play. The starting backfield - sophomores Andrew Drucker and Derek Engelking and seniors Mike Lingenfelter and Glass - illustrated their experience in front of their freshman keeper, holding the Mules to just seven shots on the day. "The defense as a whole played pretty solid," Glass said. "All week long we worked on shape and form. We played well as a unit." A huge question mark for the team leading up to the Colby match lurked between the posts in the form of the open goalkeeper position vacated by 2005 graduates Matt Sullivan and Scott Conroy. Three candidates - junior Oliver Bushnell and freshmen Dulmovits and David McKeon - shared time in the goal during practices last week. At game time, however, it was Dulmovits who got the nod from coach Ralph Ferrigno. "[Ferrigno] selected Dulmovits out of the three goalies because he just liked him best," Guigli said. "He did really well out there for his first time. You could tell he didn't seem flustered coming out as a freshman. It's a good sign for the season." The 5'11'' freshman from Sayville, N.Y. had a strong first performance with the 90-minute shutout. Dulmovits saved six Colby shots while dealing with a raucous crowd. "Their fans were all over us; they had 40 drunk people right in [Dulmovits'] face," Glass said. "He handled it really well and made the big saves when he needed to." "They weren't that good of a team," Dulmovits said. "They had one really good shot and we handled that pretty well. The defense is a great bunch of soccer players and was really supportive." Tufts had 11 shots on goal, but only converted on the Kastoff/Chason opportunity. The team will focus on its attacking shape to create better opportunities this week as it prepares for its first home match on Wednesday against the non-conference M.I.T. Engineers. "Playing at home is going to be a big advantage; we're all looking forward to it," Glass said. "We're on a roll now and we're just going to let the momentum take us into the M.I.T. game." Last season, Tufts tied the Engineers 1-1 in double overtime on the road.

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Men's Soccer Preview | Nine returning starters bring continuity

September 5

When the Men's soccer team kicks off its season against Colby this Saturday, the lineup will look almost exactly as it did when Tufts painfully collapsed to the Middlebury Panthers last Halloween in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs. The Jumbos lost just three seniors to graduation last spring, and with nine returning starters, Tufts will field a squad with experience in the NESCAC and familiarity as a unit. With their 8-6-1 (4-5 NESCAC) record during the 2004 season, the Jumbos feel they have a strong foundation, and they hold high expectations for this fall. "We're going to have a very strong attacking side that has played together for two years as a unit," senior tri-captain Todd Gilbert said. "We have a lot of firepower up front and a lot of creativity." Gilbert led the 2004 Jumbos in goals, assists and points with five, seven and 17, respectively. Along with classmate and fellow tri-captain midfielder Mike Guigli, Gilbert will anchor a Jumbo offense that has the potential to wreak havoc on opposing teams. Juniors Matia Chason and Ben Castellot and sophomore Dan Joswiak will compete for the two starting forward roles. Chason and Castellot each netted four goals in 2004 while Joswiak tallied two goals of his own. "There is going to be a lot of competition for the two starting forward spots this year," Gilbert said. "It's going to be good." On the other end of the pitch, Tufts returns three starting defenders in junior tri-captain Jon Glass, senior Mike Lingenfelter, and sophomore Andrew Drucker. Sophomores Matt Maloney and Derek Engelking will also see time in the back. Missing from the Jumbo defense will be junior Aaron Nass, who will sit out the 2005 season for undisclosed medical reasons. Though the Jumbos lost just three players to graduation last spring, two of those three were goalkeepers. Sullivan, along with classmate and former captain Scott Conroy, anchored the team from between the posts all last year. As a result, keeper is the most uncertain position for the Jumbos going into this season. Tufts has junior Oliver Bushnell, who played on the JV squad the past two seasons, as well as two freshmen candidates competing for the starting role. "[The starting goalie] remains to be seen," Gilbert said. "None of these guys have a lot of experience in NESCAC-type games for the varsity. [However], our defense will be strong enough to cover for any weakness we might have in the goal." Tufts will finalize its roster this week. Players returned to campus Aug. 22 and began the official preseason on Aug. 31. Today's scrimmage will help coach Ralph Ferrigno gauge what he has to work with this year. "The scrimmage will decide a lot of things for the coach about who the final 18 will be for the trip to Colby on Saturday," Gilbert said. Despite its mediocre record last year, Tufts fought hard against many of the NESCAC's most talented squads last season. The team knocked off third-place finisher Bowdoin 3-2 in overtime. It also hung in with NESCAC champion and national runner up Williams, losing by just one goal, 2-1. The Jumbos' heartbreaking 4-3 overtime loss to second-place Middlebury in the first round of the playoffs, in which the squad led 3-0 at the 75-minute mark before surrendering four goals in 16 minutes, illustrated the team's ability to compete against some of the league's best and also echoed the Jumbos' year-long frustrations. With an off-season coaching controversy and the 2004 season behind them, the Jumbos have regrouped with their veteran core and feel confident going into this fall. "It was the consensus that anyone who was going to be playing and having an important role this year was behind the coach," Gilbert said, regarding last season's controversy. "We're optimistic about this season; there's a lot to prove after last year."

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Men's Soccer | Players accuse coach Ferrigno of exploitation

November 17

Coach Ralph Ferrigno has been exploiting his players for personal gain in several incidents over the course of the last year, five members of the men's soccer team claim.

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Women's Soccer | Mid-season turnaround makes for successful run

November 3

The season came to a disappointingly early end for the Tufts women's soccer team last Saturday in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs. The Jumbos, seeded third, were upset by sixth-seeded Williams, 1-0.

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Men's Soccer | Season suffers from both ups and downs

November 2

It was a season of highs and lows for the men's soccer team. The young squad at once showed signs of brilliance and mediocrity as it rolled through the fall to an 8-6-1 overall record and a 4-5 NESCAC mark. The Jumbos saw some wins slip through their fingers, but often played up to the high level of competition presented by New England's teams. All in all, 2004 was a season for many of the team's youthful members to experience and learn the ups and downs of college soccer. "[Our season] was better than the record might suggest," coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "This was the youngest team I've ever had, but it was also the farthest any team of mine has progressed in a season, and I've had some pretty good teams." Tufts began the fall campaign on a high note, beating NESCAC rival Colby at home on Sept. 11. The team then rode that momentum into its first non-league game of the year against then-eighth ranked in New England, MIT. That match illustrated how the Jumbos were able to step up and run with powerhouse teams as Tufts tied the formidable Engineers 1-1 after double overtime. After the strong start, however, Tufts was unable to win consecutive games. For three weeks, the Jumbos won their non-league games during the week only to fall to NESCAC opponents on weekends. After losses to league rivals Williams, Amherst and Bates, Tufts finally broke that trend on Oct. 9 with a 3-2 win over then-first place Bowdoin. "For excitement, the Bowdoin game would be tough to top in any season because of the fashion in which it was won," Ferrigno said. "The highlight at the end of the day, [however], was the way the group gelled together." Tufts finished out its season clinching the seventh and final playoff spot with a 3-1 home win over Conn. College last Saturday. It was then on to second seeded Middlebury the next day for the first round of the NESCAC tournament. There, the team saw its semifinals bid squelched in the final minutes as the Panthers came from behind for a 4-3 overtime victory. "We played awesome on Sunday, and I use that expression without any reservations," Ferrigno said. "Middlebury is a really good team, but for whatever reason they didn't play well that day. I give them credit for their fight back, but we looked like the home team; we took advantage of our chances and gave very little away in the back." With the season now finished, albeit in heartbreaking fashion, the Jumbos will say goodbye to three seniors and begin thinking about the future. Senior captain and keeper Scott Conroy, fellow-goalie Matt Sullivan, and midfielder Brett Wong finished their Tufts soccer careers on Sunday. Sullivan logged the most time between the posts this season, finishing the year with an 8-5 record and a .789 save percentage. Conroy, whose injured knee kept him sidelined for much of the fall, wrapped up his four year varsity tenure with an 0-1-1 record and .792 save percentage in 2004. Though he was often absent on the field, Conroy still led as the team's sole captain and supported Sullivan in the net. "One of the highlights of the season was the way Scott cheered Matt on over the noisy crowd [at Middlebury]," Ferrigno said. "You can't force people to be like that. He had tremendous spirit and leadership. Matt showed great leadership over the season and even before that throughout the winter as well." Though the three seniors will obviously be missed, Tufts will likely return the rest of its 23-man squad in 2005. Junior forward and team scoring leader Todd Gilbert (five goals, four assists), classmate center midfielder Mike Guigli (four goals), sophomore forwards Ben Castellot (four goals, one assist), and Mattia Chason (four goals, one assist) and second year defenders Jon Glass and Aaron Nass will constitute a strong veteran core next fall. Freshmen Dan Jozwiak, Bob Kastoff, Matt Maloney, Andrew Drucker and Derek Engelking also saw time in their rookie seasons giving them needed experience for 2005. Despite these returns, Ferrigno is hesitant to guarantee big things from his Jumbos next fall. "The most important thing is that we don't assume too much for next year," the coach said. "My goal for recruiting is to bring in four players who are good enough to start next year. If we don't keep it competitive, we don't keep the players honest." One position Ferrigno will be forced to fill is the all-important keeper spot. With both Sullivan and Conroy graduating, the Jumbos could look to current junior Charlie Thomas, the J.V. team, or the new recruiting class to fill the void. "I want to bring in two goalkeepers to keep it very competitive," Ferrigno said. The Jumbos worked their way from a 6-7-2 record in 2003 to their 8-6-1 mark this year. With the team coming together as a youthful unit, the NESCAC will likely witness a strong Tufts presence in seasons to come. "I was ill for a couple of years so the program lost a little momentum," Ferrigno said. "We have to reestablish that momentum; it's not an easy thing to do, but we have made really fantastic progress over the season."

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Soccer

Women's Soccer: Unbeaten streak, season end with missed chances

October 31

Sometimes in sports, the team that controls the game doesn't always come out on top. Unfortunately for the women's soccer team, that time was yesterday. The favored Jumbos were ousted in the first round the NESCAC playoff tournament for the second straight year, this time at the hands of the sixth seeded Williams College Ephs, 1-0, at Kraft Field yesterday afternoon. The Jumbos finish the season 7-4-3 overall, with a 5-2-3 conference mark. The loss ends the careers of Tufts' seven seniors, co-captains Becky Greenstein and Sarah Gelb, and classmates Alina Schmidt, Meg McCourt, Catherine Benedict, Jen Baldwin and Jess Gluck. "They have to hang their heads high," coach Martha Whiting said. "Every single one of them stepped up today and played extremely well. We felt we were the better team and we controlled more of the game, and it's hard because we didn't come out on top." "We came out confident today and knew what we wanted to do," Gelb said. "This is an amazing team and today it just didn't go our way, but everyone played their hearts out, and that's all we can ask." The Jumbos came out flying at the start of the game, perhaps with a bit too much energy. Williams was able to control the ball in the Jumbos zone early, but was unable to get any solid shots on the Tufts goal. The Ephs early pressure paid off in the eighth minute of the contest. A Williams shot from the left flank was batted away by a leaping McCourt in goal and recovered by Williams sophomore Alix Oliver. Oliver controlled the ball and sent it into the middle of the field to senior leading scorer Lindsay Dwyer. Dwyer punched a virtually perfect shot into the corner of the net to put the Ephs on the board first. "They came out much stronger than we did," Greenstein said. "We counteracted them, but sometimes the better team just doesn't win. That's soccer." To its credit, Tufts settled down after the goal and started playing its brand of soccer. The Jumbos kept the ball on the offensive side of the field for the rest of the half, only allowing the Ephs three more shots over the next 40 minutes. The Jumbos notched 13 shots in that time frame, but were unable to capitalize on any of their opportunities. One of the best chances came with five minutes remaining in the first half, when junior Sarah Callaghan sent a high ball over the Williams defense to a wide-open sophomore Kim Harrington. As Harrington tried to gain control, the ball ricocheted off her forearm and possession was awarded back to Williams. The two teams played out the half and went into intermission with Williams still holding a 1-0 edge. At halftime, the Jumbos knew they were playing well but needed to start capitalizing on their opportunities. Those opportunities kept coming in the second, with perhaps the best one of the game coming off the foot of Callaghan 17 minutes into the second. The junior fought for possession off a failed Williams clearance and sent a laser from 25 yards out that ricocheted off leaping sophomore goalie Sarah Ginsburg and then off the top crossbar before being cleared by the Eph defense. The Jumbos were awarded six corner kicks in the second frame, but Williams, playing a defensive-minded game in the second half, was able to thwart all of Tufts' opportunities. The Jumbos had several final chances: with six minutes to play a Greenstein free kick sailed over the goal, and then with 1:30 remaining Ginsburg fell on a loose ball in the box just before Baldwin closed in. As time expired, the Ephs celebrated while the Jumbos, in a complete state of disbelief, saw their season come to an end. "As a team, we knew what we needed to do to get this done," Greenstein said. "We had many more opportunities throughout the game, but soccer is part luck and we just didn't have that today." "Soccer sometimes is an unfair game," junior Ariel Samuelson added. "Sometimes you just don't win no matter how hard you play. I guess today just wasn't our day." The Jumbos certainly came into the game with momentum, having beaten the Connecticut College Camels 2-0 on Saturday afternoon in the team's final regular season game. Junior Ariel Samuelson led the Jumbo charge, scoring both of the team's goals to finish the year as Tufts' leading scorer with four goals. McCourt earned her fourth shutout of the season with the win. With the win over Tufts, Williams moves on to the NESCAC semifinals where they will face Bowdoin next weekend, while Tufts' season ends and the Jumbo underclassmen can only look to next year.

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