The men's soccer team came into its game versus the visiting Colby Mules on Saturday looking to notch its first NESCAC victory of the season. But the Jumbos were unable to achieve a key win, dropping another heartbreaking overtime game 3-2 and falling behind in the struggle for a spot in the NESCAC Tournament.
With the support of a large crowd at Kraft Field and the buzz of Homecoming behind them, the Jumbos were hoping the atmosphere would give them an edge on the Mules.
"It's always nice to play in front of a homecoming crowd," junior tri-captain Naji Muakkassa said. "A large group of fans brings great energy and good spirits, and you want to please them and send them off with a win."
Sitting a half game ahead of Colby in the conference standings coming into Saturday's contest, the Jumbos knew they needed a positive result to make it into the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were not able to deliver, with the loss dropping the team to 1-6-2 on the season (0-4-1 in NESCAC play).
After tying the game with just under two minutes to play in regulation, the Jumbos were confident heading into extra time, having played four overtime contests already this season in which they went 1-1-2. But Colby's freshman midfielder Nick Aubin delivered the dagger just over three minutes into overtime, setting up a one-on-one with Tufts' senior goalie Pat Tonelli and sneaking the ball inside the left post for his second goal of the game and third of the year.
"We were unlucky and it was tough to lose that way, especially in an important game," Muakkassa said.
The first half of the contest was well-played on both sides, although the Mules dominated the scoring opportunities with six shots on goal in the first 45 minutes of action. However, Colby was scoreless until a defensive lapse that allowed Aubin to escape on a breakaway off a pass by sophomore forward Josh Lyvers. Aubin deposited the ball past Tonelli — who had made five saves on Colby's prior attempts — to give the visitors a 1-0 lead with less than five minutes remaining before halftime.
"We were unfortunate to go down a goal at that point," Muakkassa said. "But we talked about it during halftime and we knew that we could get one back in the second half."
Tufts would do just that when sophomore midfielder Matt Blumenthal drilled a free kick by Muakkassa into the back of the Mules' net about 17 minutes into the second period. The tally was the Jumbos' first NESCAC goal of the season, giving the team reason to celebrate after more than 400 minutes of conference action.
But the Mules were undeterred, going right back on the attack after Tufts tied the game. Colby regained the lead in the 80th minute when Lyvers collected a loose ball and pushed it past a diving Tonelli for a 2-1 advantage.
The Jumbos bent, but they certainly did not break, playing some of their best soccer of the season in the final 10 minutes of regulation and exhibiting phenomenal perseverance and character. They needed an equalizer, and they finally got it with just 1:49 to go, as senior tri-captain Bear Duker got on the stat-sheet unassisted with his second goal of the season.
"That was one of the best moments I've ever had playing soccer, scoring in front of a crowd that late in the game," Duker said. "But that made it that much more disappointing to lose in overtime."
The defeat dropped the Jumbos into a ninth-place tie with the Bates Bobcats, who were routed 4-0 by Williams on Saturday, at the bottom of the NESCAC standings. Tufts will now need some help to get a spot in the conference tournament, sitting a win behind the now eighth-seeded Mules (2-5-2 overall, 1-4-1 NESCAC).
"We have to win at least two of our four remaining NESCAC games, and they're all tough games against Trinity, Conn. College, Bowdoin and Williams," Muakkassa said. "We've sort of dug ourselves into a hole, and we're also going to need to rely on some of the other teams and hope that Colby and Bates don't start winning."
A non-conference meeting with UMass-Dartmouth is next on the schedule, set for Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. on Bello Field. The Jumbos will remain home over the weekend, resuming their conference schedule on Saturday against the Trinity Bantams (7-1-1 overall, 3-1-1 in NESCAC action) at 2:30 p.m. Despite last weekend's loss, the Jumbos push forward, knowing that there are still plenty of chances to record a win.
"We're not giving up, and we're still optimistic about what we can do this season," Duker said.
