Jumbos Fall to One Seed Amherst in Double Overtime

AMHERST, MA (November 5, 2022)-- The Tufts Jumbos' NESCAC tournament run came to an end early Saturday afternoon, as they fell 1-0 to one seeded Amherst on Hitchcock Field.

The game was a ferocious battle with plenty of scoring chances throughout for both teams. It would take two overtime periods for a team to come out victorious in the dogfight, and a game winner which would come off of a penalty kick.

In the first half, each team had a few great chances. Tufts' best scoring chances of the half came from forward Elsi Aires and midfielder Madelyn Silveira. The two Jumbos players beat Amherst goalkeeper Mika Fisher to a loose ball, and set up an opportunity for their offense. The Amherst defense, however, was able to clear the chance before a Tufts player could get a shot off. A few minutes later, the Jumbos offense kept the pressure on, and Maddie Pero set up Silveira for a line drive shot from the left side of the field, but Fisher was in the right spot and wrapped up the shot.

The Amherst offense had plenty of chances of their own in the first half. In the first few minutes alone, forward Patience Kum had a few chances on a breakaway by herself. However, Hayley Bernstein was up to the task on each occasion, stopping the Amherst chances throughout. Right at the end of the first half, in the 44th minute, Mammoths goal and points leader Abby Schwartz unleashed a big shot on net, but it sailed just high and landed on top of the net, ending the half harmlessly for both sides in a scoreless tie.

Early in the second half, it was Tufts who was running the game and holding the momentum. Claire Wilkinson was able to break free on a fast break in a one-on-one opportunity in the 49th minute. She got to the right side of the box from just a few yards out before letting loose a shot, but Fisher sprawled out to stop it and end the Jumbos threat.

In the 57th minute, perhaps the most controversial call of the game occurred. Tufts defender Caroline O'Neill took a corner kick from the right corner, sending a beautiful ball to the back post. The ball would curve all the way into the net, and it appeared Tufts would have a 1-0 lead with just 33 minutes to play in the game. However, the referees waved off the would-be goal, claiming that there was illegal contact to the goalkeeper in the midst of the play.

That set the tempo for the rest of the game, as again each team had a few chances but were unable to capitalize. The game went into overtime tied at 0-0. 

In the first overtime period, Amherst came out firing. Amherst's Alexa Juarez was able to break free in the 93rd minute, letting loose a low missile to the left hand side of the net. Without a moment's hesitation, Hayley Bernstein was able to lay out and stop the shot, deflecting it out of bounds. Bernstein was clutch for Tufts on the day, giving them life when it looked like they were about to succumb to the powerful Amherst offense.

However, in the seventh minute of the first overtime, a foul was called, and was initially ruled a kick right outside of the box. The referees later determined that the foul had occurred inside the box, awarding the Mammoths a penalty kick. It was Alexa Juarez versus Bernstein in the 97th minute of what had already been an extreme battle, facing off in a one-on-one. Juarez's shot was a low liner to Bernstein's right, and Bernstein went down to her knees to block it. She was able to corral it, but Juarez came rushing forward, following up on the missed kick and buried the rebound into the back of the net.

After that deflating play, the Jumbos were unable to rally in the rest of the two overtime periods, despite their constant offensive pressure on Amherst. The final whistle blew in the 110th minute of the game, meaning the end for the Jumbos' 2022 NESCAC tournament run.

The Mammoths led the match in shots 22-10, and shots on goal 10-5. Bernstein led Fisher in saves, 9-5 in the match. The Mammoths had one more corner kick than the Jumbos, with a slight 7-6 edge. Each team committed 11 fouls in the match, with no cards for either team.

The Mammoths advance to tomorrow's championship, and will await the winner of the Trinity vs. Wesleyan matchup, which plays Saturday afternoon. Tufts will hope for an NCAA tournament bid, which will be announced Monday following the conclusion of the conference tournaments. Both teams are expected to make the NCAA tournament following their strong performances throughout this season.
Written by Lucas Wlodarczyk, Athletic Communications Intern