Box Score
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Freshman Jason Kayne had an assist on the game-winning goal
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MEDFORD – Junior Scott Blumenthal's (Simsbury, CT) goal in the 84th minute gave the Tufts University Jumbos a 2-1 victory over the Bowdoin College Polar Bears in NESCAC men's soccer action on Wednesday afternoon at Bello Field.
The win improves the Jumbos' record to 8-3-3 overall and 5-2-3 in the NESCAC. It also gives Tufts home field advantage in Saturday's NESCAC quarterfinals. Bowdoin drops to 8-4-2 (4-4-2). The teams will meet again in the conference quarterfinals on Saturday at noon, Tufts as the host and #4 seed and Bowdoin as the #5 seed. The home berth is the first for the Jumbo program since 2001.
Blumenthal's tally came after taking a dish from the top of the box from freshman Jason Kayne (Deerfield, IL). Sophomore Maxime Hoppenot (Princeton, NJ) picked up the secondary assist.
Bowdoin scored first in the 17th minute off a 40-yard blast by freshman Andrew Jones (Scarborough, ME) that went up over the out-stretched fingers of Tufts junior keeper Wyatt Zeller (Sea Ranch Lakes, FL). The chance came after the Polar Bears pinned the ball deep after a corner kick. Senior Alex Thomas (Cumberland, ME) earned the assist. For Jones, it was his fourth goal of the season.
The Jumbos evened the score about 20 minutes later when sophomore Kento Nakamura (Tokyo, Japan) passed the ball ahead from midfield reaching Kayne at the top of the box. Kayne then chipped it over the head of Bowdoin junior keeper Will Wise (Cohasset, MA) for his third tally of the year.
Each team had two shots on goal in the first half with each goalie picking up one save. The Polar Bears had three chances on corners while Tufts had a pair.
Bowdoin had the first chance of the second half on a free kick by sophomore Eric Goitia (Yorba Linda, CA). Zeller moved left to right to lunge and punch the ball away from the top corner.
Tufts had a strong chance with about 15 minutes left on a corner kick that came down to the middle of the box. Junior Luke Booth (Cumberland, ME) quickly skimmed it off the turf, but Wise was able to see through the bodies to make the stop.
Bowdoin won the shot battle, 12-8. Weller and Bowdoin's Will Wise (Cohasset, MA) finished with four saves for the day.
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