Box Score MEDFORD - The 5-1-1 Jumbos will have to wait until next year to break their now eight-game winless streak against the 4-0-4 MIT Engineers, which dates back to 2002, the Jumbos' last victory against MIT. In that streak, there have been two double overtime ties between the two sides. After this year's iteration of the matchup, you can make that three. The Jumbos and Engineers drew to a 1-1 tie in a chippy game that featured three MIT yellow cards.
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| Jason Kayne had the lone goal for the Jumbos in the 1-1 draw |
The first 45 minutes played host to a back and forth game and just a handful of shots, something both the Jumbos and the Engineers are unfamiliar with so far this season. Tufts leads the NESCAC with 24 shots per game, while MIT takes 16 shots per game. During the first half, despite winning six corner kicks, the Jumbos got just three shots off, two of which were on target, and the Engineers took only two shots, neither of which were on goal.
The Jumbos created a promising chance when Gaston Becherano struck a through ball with the outside of his foot to Connor Brown who had made a well-timed diagonal run, but MIT goalkeeper Sam Cannon read the play well and gloved the ball before any damage could be done.
MIT's best opportunity of the half came off a pair of headers from midfielder Austin Freel. Middie Chester Chambers sent in a cross that reached Freel at the back post, but his header went straight into the air. The Jumbos' incomplete clear, however, ended up at defender Chukwunenye Anabogu's feet who sent it right back to Freel but his second header cleared the crossbar.
Both sides came out with an increased attacking mentality in the second half. MIT won their first two corners of the game early on in the frame, but the Jumbos' D stifled both attempts. In the 55th minute, Maxime Hoppenot and Rui Pinheiro made an aggressive charge on the left side and a Pinheiro ball rolled out near the top of the box to a waiting Jason Kayne who struck a left-footed bouncer past Cannon into the right corner for his third goal of the season.
Kayne nearly found the net again after Nate Majumder made a great run down the right side. He took a look in and spotted Kayne at the six, delivering a pretty ball to him, but Kayne's shot was fingertipped over the bar by Cannon who did well to stay home.
MIT picked up their offensive energy after Tufts got on the board. Midfielder Jason Adler lofted a ball to striker Sean Bingham, but Tufts goaltender Scott Greenwood played it well, reaching it before the forward could get a foot on it.
The Engineers continued to pressure throughout the remainder of the half, but they did not break through until the 86th minute. It started with Bingham, who had gotten behind the defense with the ball, and whose left-footed shot clanged off the post, only to land in front of MIT forward Nikolas Albarran, who was in the perfect position for the rebound. He easily buried it in the netting, as Greenwood had not yet recovered from the initial shot.
Fueled by the tying strike, the Engineers made another offensive push before the end of regulation. Off a set piece, Albarran got his head to the ball on the left side of the box and redirected it back towards the middle of the six where it reached the head of MIT defender Nathaniel Johnson, but his header sailed a foot above the crossbar. The clock hit zero sending the Engineers into their third OT game of the season and the Jumbos' into their second OT game of the year.
In the first extra period, Majumder had the best scoring chance. Brown worked hard on the right side to gain enough space to send a great left-footed cross to Majumder, but his header rose just above the crossbar.
The Jumbos took the only shot recorded in the second overtime period, but it was a decent chance. Hoppenot made a horizontal run starting at the 18-yard-box extended and continued his run along the top of the box until he dished it to a hovering Pinheiro who got a solid hit on the ball, but it went high.
MIT had the very last chance of the game as they created a corner kick opportunity with time winding down. Albarran's kick was headed away from danger by Sam Williams and Kayne completed the clear, kicking the ball out of bounds before MIT could send it back towards goal.
Cannon ended the game with seven stops for MIT.
The Jumbos remain undefeated in NESCAC play and will put that record to the test in Saturday's Homecoming matchup with rival Amherst, currently the only team ahead of Tufts in the conference standings. Kickoff is at 2:30pm on Kraft.
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