Box Score MEDFORD, Mass. – In a battle between two teams from last year's NCAA Division III Final Four, the Tufts University (5-0-1) men's soccer team came out on top of Brandeis University (5-2-0) 1-0 Friday night at Bello Field. The Jumbos are still yet to allow a goal this seaosn.
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| Gavin Tasker recorded his second assist of the season to add to his team-high six points. |
The only goal of the night came in the 48th minute when Jumbo sophomore Gavin Tasker found teammate Brett Rojas at the top of the box. Rojas hit a laser at Judge goalie Ben Woodhouse. Woodhouse was able to get a hand on it, but the ball was hit so hard that it was deflected off his glove and into the back of the net.
It was Rojas' first goal of the year as he becomes the eighth Jumbo to put one in the back of the net this season. Tasker picked up his second assist on the play.
It was a tightly contested game that didn't produce all that many shots, only nine for each team, which speaks to the level of fight both teams showed for the entire length of the field. Neither team was really able to create too many chances in a row because they were constantly under pressure form the opposition.
The first chance of the game came in the 20th minute when Tufts' Joseph Braun sent a cross into the box from the right side that found Tasker about five yards away from goal. He was able to get a shot off that Woodhouse got in front of for his first save.
In the 25th minute off of a Brandeis corner taken by Dylan Hennessy, Jumbo goalie Bruce Johnson came out to punch the ball, but was unable get it away from danger. The ball bounced dangerously inside the Tufts box before Rojas was able to get a foot on it and clear it away.
Brandeis had another good opportunity in the first half when in the 35th minute they had a throw in on the Jumbos' side of the field. The throw made it all the way to the front of the net where Jake Warren took a shot that was blocked by Tufts' defense. The ricochet found Evan Glass who took another shot, but this time Johnson grabbed and fell on it.
The first half ended with the Judges having the edge in shots, eight to four.
The scariest moment for the Jumbos came in the 83rd minute when Brandeis' Josh Ocel sent a cross into the box that Johnson originally stopped, but it slipped out of his arms and bounced towards the goal. He quickly half-crawled, half-dove to scoop it up a second time.
Tufts looked to add to their lead in the 88th minute, but the shot by Braun went high.
Brandeis held the edge in corners six to five, while Tufts committed a few more fouls, nine to six.
The Jumbos will travel to Wesleyan University this Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. game. The Judges play the same day at Wheaton.
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Written by Curtis Stoychoff, Athletic Communications Intern
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