Box Score
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Tal Smith scored his third goal of the fall for Tufts
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SOMERVILLE - Sophomore Tal Smith (New Orleans, LA) scored the game's first marker in the 39th minute with a beautiful back heel goal to the lower right side of the net and Tufts University made the score stand up as the Jumbos went on to defeat Colby College 1-0 in New England Small College Athletic Conference men's soccer action at Kraft Field Saturday afternoon.
Smith's goal came off a crossing pass from junior Max Hoppenot (Princeton, NJ), who along with Smith has seven points (3g, 1a) in Tufts' first three games.
Despite the close final score Tufts dominated play throughout the afternoon outshooting the Mules 16-3. The Jumbos had a 6-1 advantage on shots on goal, and earned eight corner kicks to Colby's one.
Colby's top scoring chances came early in the first period as Tufts' freshman goalie Scott Greenwood (Weymouth, MA) made a sliding stop on junior Jon Stronach in the 14th minute. Two minutes later the Mules' Charlie Dupee shot wide left as the ball had eluded Greenwood.
Tufts had two opportunities in the 19th minute as a Hoppenot shot sailed just high over the crossbar, then seconds later junior Gus Santos (Framinfgham, MA) blasted a rocket that was denied by Colby netminder Cody Funkhouser (Hopewell, NJ). The Jumbos had another great chance less than a minute later as a shot by senior Scott Blumenthal (Simsbury, CT) was deflected high from directly in front.
Funkhouser finished with five saves, while Greenwood stopped the only shot on net he faced. The Jumbos have not allowed a goal in three games.
Tufts moves to 3-0 with the win and is 2-0 in the NESCAC. The Jumbos continue NESCAC play on Tuesday at 4:30 pm at Wesleyan University. Colby (1-2, 0-2 NESCAC) is off until next Saturday's NESCAC contest at Trinity.
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