The men's soccer team has endured a rough start to the season so far, but the Jumbos hope that the energy of Homecoming will help them turn things around.
Entering Saturday's NESCAC match against the Colby Mules, Tufts is a disappointing 1-4-2 overall and 0-3-1 in conference play. Moreover, the team has yet to score a goal against a NESCAC opponent.
Yet that is not due to a total lack of skill or quality play. The Jumbos have dominated other teams at times this season, but, in soccer, outplaying the opposition isn't always synonymous with winning.
Tufts has often controlled time of possession and dribbled the ball up the pitch only to see shots hit posts, crossbars or the goalies hands — just about everything except the back of the net.
Through four NESCAC contests — three away games at Middlebury, Wesleyan and Bates, plus a home matchup with Amherst — the Jumbos have managed just 31 total shots, most of which were not on goal, for the worst record in the conference. However, Tufts has put together better offensive efforts as the season has continued, and the players have meshed on the field, portending much better production to come.
Despite early struggles, Tufts is very much in contention for a postseason tournament berth. The top eight NESCAC teams qualify for the playoffs, and the Jumbos are currently locked in an eighth-place tie with Bates — whom they played to a scoreless tie in Lewiston, Maine Saturday — and sit a half-game ahead of the visiting Mules, who are 0-4-1 in NESCAC play this year. So Tufts knows Saturday's tilt with Colby is critical.
"The Colby game is huge," senior tri-captain midfielder Bear Duker said. "We're fighting for a playoff spot and we know how significant it is."
As evidenced by the standings, Bates and Colby are among the lower tier of men's soccer teams in the NESCAC. The Jumbos are confident that they can compete with any team in the conference when playing at their highest level, but they must handily beat the lower-caliber Mules squad on Saturday to prove it.
Last year, Colby was Tufts' first NESCAC opponent, and the Jumbos lost a hard-fought 2-1 decision in double-overtime. They would love nothing more to avenge that match on Saturday and turn their season around in the process in front of a friendly home crowd.
"It's Homecoming," Duker said. "We would love to go out there and get our first league win."
