Box Score MEDFORD – The No. 5 and second-seed Tufts University Men's Soccer team battled to a 3-0 victory over the seventh-seeded Hamilton College in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) quarterfinal at Bello Field on Saturday afternoon.
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| Junior Alex Ratzan tallied the game-winner in the NESCAC Quarterfinal. |
The Jumbos improve to 12-2-2 on the season. The Continentals see their season come to a close at 6-8-2 overall.
Tufts will travel to Amherst College to play the fourth-seeded Williams College on Saturday for one of the NESCAC Semifinal games. Top-seeded Amherst will host sixth-seeded Middlebury College in the other semifinal. The winners will play in Amherst, Mass. on Sunday for the NESCAC Championship.
Senior Joe Braun won a loose ball down in the right corner. He chipped a pass back to classmate Zach Lane. Lane came back up the field to sophomore Ian Daly. Daly sent a ball into the box for senior Brett Rojas. Rojas made a quick backheel redirect to classmate Gavin Tasker who was inside the six-yard box. However, Tasker's shot went off the crossbar and the score stayed at 0-0.
In the 34th minute, the Jumbos struck first as junior Max Jacobs won a ball between two Continental defenders. He chipped a pass to classmate Alex Ratzan who was crashing the goal. He quickly shot to the bottom right of the goal to beat Continental goalkeeper, Thomas Benson.
Hamilton had an opportunity to score however the header shot by Matt Jordan went wide. The play started off with a corner kick by Aidan Wood, but his corner went all the way through and out the left sideline. The Continentals earned a throw in that went to the right post for Jordan.
Tufts nearly doubled their lead in the last minute of the first half following a Daly long throw in. The pass was flicked to the left side of the box which allowed senior Tanner Jameson to attempt a bicycle kick. His shot went just over the crossbar as the teams headed to the half with the Jumbos leading, 1-0.
Hamilton earned a free kick from a Jumbo foul early in the half. However, no strong opportunity came from the free kick just outside the 18-yard box.
The Jumbos had two strong opportunities to extend their lead as junior Travis Van Brewer sent a corner kick to the left post for Braun. His header was saved by Benson. Shortly after, Braun made a sliding pass to the left side of the box for Tasker. Tasker fired a left footed shot, but it went just wide.
Tufts continued on the attack as Lane forced a turnover and fired a shot that Benson needed to dive to his right to keep out of the goal. Two more opportunities came as Ratzan chipped a ball into the middle of the box, but the Hamilton defense headed the pass away. The Tufts defense stopped the ensuing Continental drive. The Jumbos had numbers, but Jacobs' shot went just over the goal.
In the 71st minute, Daly threw a ball in for Jacobs in the middle of the box. The ball deflected straight up and went to sophomore Zach Seigelstein. He fired a shot on the way down that forced Benson to challenge for the save.
Following a strong cross and drive to Ratzan, he drove down the right sideline. Jack Sheehan stole the ball from Ratzan and sent it towards Benson. Benson attempted to clear but sent it right into Ratzan. The deflection forced Benson to make a leaping stop.
The Jumbos earned a free kick from about 20 yards out. Rojas took the shot and the bending shot went just over the crossbar.
Hamilton had a golden opportunity to score as Wood made a defender miss. Wood sent the ball to his left for Jefri Schmidt. However, sophomore Will Raphael made a sliding tackle to break up the play.
Tasker forced a turnover in the attacking end. He sent a pass to the middle of the field for senior Zach Trevorrow. Trevorrow sent a ball back to his right for Rojas who fired a shot into the top right of the goal.
Rojas would add another late tally with another assist going to Trevorrow.
Sophomore Erich Kindermann earned the win in his third start of the season. He did not face a shot on goal in the contest. He is now 2-0-1 on the season. Benson made four saves on seven shots on goal in the losing effort. He falls to 6-8-2.
