Despite a frustrating 0-2 start to the 2009 season, the men's soccer team still has high hopes for its season. But a matchup with mighty Amherst — currently the top-ranked Div. III team in New England and No. 2 team in the nation per the National Soccer Coaches Association of America — means the Jumbos will need to pull off an upset to avoiding starting the year off 0-3.
That prospect does not seem so farfetched, however, given the way Tufts has played thus far this season. The Jumbos opened their schedule last Saturday with a disappointing 1-0 NESCAC loss to No. 4 Middlebury, but they demonstrated their defensive strength by holding the Panthers to only five shots in the game.
On Tuesday, Tufts lost a non-conference double-overtime heartbreaker against the region's No. 2-ranked Eastern Connecticut Warriors. Despite Tufts' possession of an early 2-0 lead, the Warriors climbed back to tie it up before netting the game winner with 22.7 seconds remaining in sudden death overtime.
"They got lucky with 22 seconds left," senior tri-captain Bear Duker said. "A tie would've been a fair end to that game. It's unfortunate because we've played well — we just haven't gotten the results."
It was, however, a step in the right direction for the Jumbos, who broke the seal offensively with 10 shots in the game compared to only one against Middlebury. Three near misses by the Jumbos almost ended the game in the first minutes of overtime, as junior Alex Lach sent a shot just wide left and Eastern keeper sophomore Carl Appel blocked two more opportunities from Lach and junior Ben Green minutes later.
Still, the Jumbos are confident that tomorrow's game will go differently, and they refuse to let their record affect their mindset.
"Our first games are arguably our hardest, so 0-2 doesn't mean anything," junior tri-captain Naji Muakkassa said.
Muakkassa said the team is "anxious" to get out on its home field and win in front of friends and family. History is not on the Jumbos' side, however, as they have struggled against Amherst in the past, going 3-8-1 in their last 12 meetings — including a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of the Lord Jeffs last year.
"We haven't beaten Amherst since I've been here, and we have a good shot on Saturday," Duker said. "We're looking forward to playing at home in front of Tufts fans."
"We have played our last two games on turf, but we play better on grass," sophomore defenseman Rafael Ramos-Meyer added. "Home-field advantage will be big."
The Jumbos will have another possible edge over Amherst tomorrow, as they boast the more experienced squad. Tufts graduated only two players during the off-season: goalkeeper David McKeon (E '09) and defenseman Peter DeGregorio (LA '09). The Lord Jeffs, on the other hand, graduated eight seniors last year, and they have 13 first-years on their roster this season.
Furthermore, Amherst suffered the loss of sophomore Jae Heo, who will miss the team's next two seasons to serve in the South Korean navy. Heo scored all three goals in last year's matchup with the Jumbos and had 28 points on the season — second in the NESCAC only to former teammate and graduate Jake Duker, the brother of Tufts' Bear Duker.
One setback for the Jumbos will be the loss of the aforementioned Duker, who is out with a torn meniscus. He hopes to be back by next Wednesday, but the two-time captain will miss tomorrow's competition at the least.
Nonetheless, with the return of almost all their players from last year, Tufts has had an entire off-season to improve and correct the offensive issues it faced last year.
"We keep building on what we've done," Ramos-Meyer said. "Saturday should be a good day for us."
Muakkassa agrees that they're not letting the past get in the way of a potential home-opener victory.
"If you dwell on it, it will bring you down," Muakkassa said. "You just have to rebound the best way you can. We have to come out and prove to ourselves and the rest of the league we can compete with the best."
Trending
The Print Edition
