MEDFORD, MA (November 11, 2023) -- The Tufts University men's soccer team, currently ranked No. 20 in Division III by the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, scored a pair of goals in the opening half and tallied another in the second to cruise past Bridgewater State 3-0 in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament First Round on Bello Field on the campus of Tufts University. 

The Jumbos (13-3-3) will now take on the University of Rochester Sunday at 1 p.m. in the NCAA Second Round, following the Yellowjackets' 1-1 tie and penalty shootout win with Johnson & Wales University. 

Bridgewater State had the first strong chance of the game, as David Nelson's attempt in the fourth minute was stopped by Tufts' keeper Nikola Antic. From that point on, Tufts started to settle down and earned scored in the 14th minute following a throw-in. After the toss into the box, senior Mikey Brady headed a loose ball on the right side of the box into the front of goal. Taylor Feinberg was there to steward the ball over the goal line for the early lead. 

After the Tufts goal, BSU came right back and Matthew Garcia nearly tied the game at one but his shot from the right side of the box clanged off the post and out of danger for Tufts.

At 39:07 the Jumbos would double their lead, as sophomore Mateo Bargagna played a cross into the left side of the box. Ben Verner was there to head the ball back acround the goal mouth, and sophomore Henry Perkins hammered home a right-footed shot to make it 2-0 in favor of the hosts. 

The second half saw Bridgewater State have a few decent chances early on, as Nelson and Nicholas Ribeiro each were denied by Antic. The Jumbos would put the game away though in the 63rd minute, as Daniel Yanez fired a corner kick into the box where a flicked on header from Henry Perkins was tipped home on the back post by Bijan Akhtarzandi-Das for his second of the season. 

The three-goal lead allowed the Jumbos to showcase its depth and rest some starters for the majority of the end of the second half as the reserves came on to close out the game. 



Tufts posted a 18-11 edge in shots on Saturday, while posting a 10-3 edge in corner kicks as well. Antic had a strong game making eight stops for seventh shutout of the season, and Perkins finished with a goal and assist in the win. Seven players in all had points for Tufts, which will be looking for its eighth trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 Round since the 2014 season. 

Nelson put three shots on goal for the Bears (11-3-5), and William Russell added four stops in net.