Box Score MEDFORD – Senior Joe Braun had an assist on the equalizing goal and then tallied the game-winner as #7 Tufts University Men's Soccer earned a 2-1 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) overtime victory over Middlebury College at Bello Field on Saturday afternoon.
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| Zach Trevorrow was one of seven Jumbo seniors recognized prior to the game. |
The Jumbos improve to 10-2-2 overall with a 6-1-2 record in NESCAC games. The Panthers fall to 7-2-5 on the season with a NESCAC record of 3-2-4.
The Panthers grabbed the first opportunity of the contest as Brandon Reid fired a shot that was blocked and deflected out the sideline. A short throw-in and then a chip to the middle of the field found Reid who headed the ball down to Brendan Barry. His shot went just over the crossbar.
The Jumbos earned the next opportunity in the 15th minute. Junior Travis Van Brewer patiently played with the ball in the middle of the field until he found senior Zach Lane on the right wing. Lane cut in towards the goal and fired a shot that went wide left.
Tufts followed that up with a corner kick in the 24th minute. Van Brewer sent the ball to the right post for sophomore Will Raphael, but his header went just wide.
After a foul on the Panthers, Van Brewer sent a free kick into the box from just inside of midfield. The Panther defense knocked the ball down, but it went straight to junior Biagio Paoletta. His shot went high.
Early in the second half, senior Brett Rojas took a free kick from the left side of the field, about 30 yards out. The ball was knocked down by the Panthers defense and went straight to junior Calvin Aroh. His shot however would go over the goal.
With about 30 minutes remaining in the second half, Lane forced a turnover at the top of the 18-yard box and got in behind the defense, but his shot went high over the crossbar.
Middlebury responded with two corner kicks. The first earned a header shot by Michael McFarlane which was saved by Tufts junior goalkeeper Will Harned. The second was cleared away. However, the ensuing attack by the Panthers earned them a foul. Drew Goulart took the kick from about 25-yards out and scored in the 63rd minute.
Junior Max Jacobs nearly tied the contest with a header on the tailend of a chip pass by classmate Mati Cano. The header shot however went wide.
The Jumbos stayed on the attack and earned a corner kick which was taken by sophomore Zach Seigelstein. He sent the ball to the middle of the box for Paoletta who forced Panther goalkeeper, Ryan Grady, to make a jumping one-handed save.
Following a Middlebury handball in the box in the 77th minute, Seigelstein took the Jumbo penalty kick. His shot intended for the bottom right of the goal was saved by a diving Grady.
The Jumbos would make five substitutions in the 80th minute. That proved to be major as they got their starters back in the contest. Lane took a throw-in from the Jumbo bench. He found Braun in the middle of the field who headed the ball further across the field for senior Gavin Tasker. Tasker fired a shot that beat Grady and tied the contest at one.
Just four minutes later, Jacobs fired a shot that was blocked. It was called a handball which resulted in another Jumbo penalty kick. Lane took this one, but his shot went high.
Middlebury had a golden opportunity to grab the lead in the 87th minute as a pass broke Reid free. He made a quick cut towards the middle of the field and fired a shot that beat Harned. However, Paoletta was crashing back towards goal to make the defensive save and keep the game tied.
The Jumbos quickly jumped on the attack in the first overtime period as they earned a corner kick. Seigelstein took the corner, but it was deflected back to him. He sent a service to Raphael who attempted a shot, but junior Calvin Aroh deflected the shot wide.
After substitutions by both teams, the Jumbos earned another OT corner kick. Van Brewer, who had just come back on the field, took the kick from the right corner. Grady came off his line to swat the ball away, but missed. The ball fell to Braun who was on the doorstep to put it into the back of the goal to give the Jumbos a 2-1 victory with two minutes remaining in the first overtime.
Harned made two saves on three shots on goal in the contest. He improves to 9-2-1 on the season. Grady faced eight shots on goal, stopping six of them in the losing effort. He falls to 7-2-4.
The Jumbos honored their seven seniors, who have been a part of two NCAA Championship teams, prior to the game.
The Jumbos wrap-up their regular-season on Tuesday when they host Bowdoin College at Bello Field. They are slated to start at 6 pm. The Panthers also close out their regular season on Tuesday. They host Williams College with a start time of 2:30 pm.
