Box Score MEDFORD, Mass. – For the third time in as many home games the Tufts University Men's Soccer team took the game to overtime, this time coming out with a 0-0 tie with Connecticut College.
While a goalless game may not exactly sound entertaining, the contest was not without its moments of drama.
The first half wasn't loaded with quality chances, but the best one came in the 23rd minute. Tufts (3-0-1, 1-0-1 NESCAC) sophomore Zach Lane had the ball on the right flank and sent a cross into the box to senior teammate Kevin Halliday. Halliday met the ball with his head and sent it screaming for the bottom right corner where Camels' (3-0-1, 1-0-1 NESCAC) goalie A.J. Marcucci dove and recorded one of his eight saves on the day.
The rest of the first half was quiet despite the Jumbos holding the advantage in corner kicks, 4-1, and shots, 5-3.
In the 50th minute Connecticut had about three throw-ins that reached the Tufts box, but over and over the Jumbo defense kept clearing them away without any real look on goal for the Camels.
In the 79th minute Connecticut freshman Jamie Martin was about to break through the Tufts defense with just the goalie to beat. At the last second Jumbo freshman Calvin Aroh poked the ball out from behind at full stretch to enable Tufts' goalie Bruce Johnson to clean it up easily.
In the dwindling seconds of regulation sophomore Gavin Tasker sent a cross into the box that looked promising, but wasn't met by any Jumbo runs.
As was the story the last time, Tufts really controlled play once overtime began. They held a 7-1 shot advantage in the extra periods.
In the 98th minute Halliday sent in a shot on goal with excellent pace from about ten yards out, but somehow Marcucci was able to reach up and punch it away.
In the 103rd minute the Jumbos earned two corners, both taken by sophomore Brett Rojas, the second of which found the foot of senior Dexter Eichhorst and he was able to put a quality look on net, but Marcucci was there once again.
The last genuine chance for either team came in the 106th minute when Tasker fed the ball forward to a streaking Joseph Braun who was able to get one touch on the ball before Marcucci dove and knocked the ball away from danger after coming extremely far out of his net.
Looking at the stats alone it would appear that Tufts controlled the game with the 16-5 advantage in shots and 11-3 in corner kicks. Although they were called for more fouls, outpacing the Camels there 10-4, which kept the game from ever appearing too much in favor of the Jumbos.
Connecticut is in action next tomorrow when they travel to Colby College. Tufts will face Trinity College here at Bello Field tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
#
Written by Curtis Stoychoff, Athletic Communications Intern
