CLINTON, NY - Freshman Griffin Abbott scored two goals, including the game-winning tally just 1:03 into the second sudden-victory overtime period, and Hamilton College defeated Tufts University 2-1 in a NESCAC game at Hamilton's Love Field on Saturday.
Senior Frank Campagnano was credited with the assist on Abbott's game-winner. Freshman Gus Santos (Framingham, MA) scored for Tufts, and junior John Lewis (East Greenwich, RI) earned the assist.
Hamilton (4-6-3 overall, 2-5-3 NESCAC) is now in eighth place in the NESCAC with no conference games remaining. Tufts (8-3-2, 4-3-2) is in fifth with one game left. The top eight teams automatically qualify for the NESCAC championships. The final NESCAC conference games will be played on Wednesday (Oct. 26).
Tufts got on the board first in the 27th minute when Santos netted his team-high seventh goal of the year. Lewis crossed the ball in from the right side and Santos buried a volley into the Hamilton net to give the Jumbos a 1-0 lead.
Hamilton had a good chance to equalize in the 55th minute when the Continentals were awarded a penalty kick after a Tufts foul in the penalty area. However, Jumbos senior goalkeeper (Wayne, NJ), who had five saves overall, stopped Campagnano's initial shot, and junior Anthony Balbo fired the rebound off the crossbar to keep Tufts ahead 1-0.
Abbott finally pulled Hamilton even in the 79th minute with his second goal of the year. After a long pass was deflected at the top of the Tufts penalty area, Abbott won a race to the loose ball and buried a shot into the net to make it 1-1.
The two teams played the rest of the second half scoreless, and after both teams failed to score in the first overtime period, Hamilton went into double overtime for the fourth consecutive game.
Just over a minute into the second overtime, senior Bennett Weinerman played a ball from the right side to Campagnano in the center of the field. Campagnano then flicked the ball to Abbott, who cut back to his left and slotted a left-footed shot into the Tufts net to give the Continentals the 2-1 win. It was the third goal of the year for Abbott.
Tufts held a 19-14 shot advantage, and took eight corner kicks to Hamilton's two. Hamilton junior goalkeeper Eric Boole was credited with eight saves.
Hamilton hosts Utica College for a non-conference game on Tuesday (Oct. 25) at 4 pm. Tufts, which saw its six-game unbeaten streak end - the longest for the program since 1999 - travels to Bowdoin College for a NESCAC game on Wednesday at 2:30 pm.
Match statistics
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Match release courtesy of Hamilton College
