Men's Soccer Plays Exciting 0-0 Draw With Connecticut College

MEDFORD - Saturday afternoon's men's soccer matchup between the #6 nationally ranked Tufts Jumbos and #1 ranked defending Division III champions Connecticut College did not disappoint in excitement, as the game ended in a 0-0 tie after 90 extremely physical minutes.

Fans flocked to Bello Field at 3:00 pm to witness an early season rematch of last year's NCAA Elite Eight and NESCAC Championship Game, which would feature lots of excitement from both teams throughout the game. Both defenses refused to back down and denied any scoring chances, even when goals appeared inevitable in some situations. Tufts goalkeeper Eric Lauta and the Tufts defense stood tall against the number one team in the country, as they thwarted all eight of the Camels shots. Lauta had three saves to his credit, the most notable coming in the 30th minute of the game when Connecticut's Jack Marvel unleashed a rocket, forcing Lauta to leave his feet for the save. 

However, despite their terrific defensive effort, the Jumbos were unable to get a goal of their own, as the Camels' defense and goalkeeper Sam Maidenberg were able to stave off any scoring attempts the Jumbos had. Maidenberg had two saves, one of which came at a crucial time in the second half. Tufts forward Anthony Bhangdia was on a 1-on-1 breakaway with what looked like an easy goal to put Tufts up late, but Maidenberg was able to pull a rabbit out of the hat, sprawling out to make an unbelievable kick save, forcing a corner kick for Tufts.

Perhaps the best scoring chance for the Camels came in the last minute of the game, when forward Oury Diane missed a game-winner just high of the net after an open look. The Camels also had a near miss at the end of the first half, when Jake Creus nailed one off the top of the crossbar, over the outstretched arm of Lauta.

New this year, no overtime will be played during the regular season. The tie gave both teams 1-0-1 overall marks and 0-0-1 conference records.

The game's intensity was magnified by the number of fouls called, as Tufts committed 16 and Connecticut committed 13. There were also four total yellow cards handed out, as Connecticut received three and Tufts one. Both teams showed off their stamina, as the physical intensity lasted throughout the entirety of the match. Tufts was able to tally eight total shot attempts during the game, while Connecticut had nine. Tufts led in the corner kick category, as they had six compared to Connecticut's two.

Both teams will look to build off their strong performances in their next matchups. They each play on Tuesday, September 13 for their next games, in which Tufts will be traveling to Middletown, CT to take on Wesleyan at 7 pm in another NESCAC matchup, and Connecticut will be facing Rhode Island College at 4 pm in an out of conference match. 

Written by Lucas Wlodarczyk, Athletic Communications Intern