MEDFORD, MA (November 2, 2023) -- The No. 20 Tufts University men's soccer squad will head up to Vermont for the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) semifinals on Saturday, taking on host and No. 1 seed Middlebury College at 11 a.m. in the first of two semifinal contests. After the Jumbos and No. 3 Middlebury play, No. 7 Connecticut College and No. 13 Amherst College will battle in the other contest.
Game Details
2023 NESCAC Tournament Homepage
Opponent: vs. No. 3 Middlebury College (12-0-4, 7-0-3 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: Middlebury, VT – South Street Field (
Directions)
Weather: Mostly Sunny, High 40s, Chance of Rain: 10%, Wind: Calm
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Against Middlebury All-Time
Saturday is the 39th meeting all-time against Middlebury for Tufts, as Saturday's hosts hold a slight 35-29-10 lead in the series. Earlier in the campaign, Tufts fell 3-0 to the Panthers on South Street Field but Tufts outshot the Panthers in that game and racked up a 13-0 edge in corner kicks in the contest. These two schools have battled eight times in the NESCAC Tournament prior to Saturday's tussle, with Middlebury holding a 5-3 edge in the postseason series.
A Look at the Jumbos (11-2-3)
Tufts is coming off a solid 2-1 win over Bowdoin College in the NESCAC Quarterfinals, as sophomores
Henry Perkins and
Daniel Yanez provided the goals in the victory last Saturday. Tufts has won its last two contests, and is 5-1 in its last six games with the lone loss coming on October 21 at Middlebury. The Jumbos are on a quest to capture their fourth NESCAC title in program history, with the latest coming back in 2021. Tufts also earned league crowns in 2017 and 2019, while the last two titles have both come on the road away from Medford.
The Jumbos as a squad take the second-most shots per game in the conference, firing 16.63 attempts on goal a contest, while its 7.56 shots on goal is also second in the league in 2023. When factoring in just conference-only statistics, Tufts is third in goal scoring behind Amherst College and Middlebury, tied with Conn. College with 17 goals in 10 games. The Jumbos have allowed 11 goals in NESCAC action, sixth-fewest this season, but are generating the most corner kicks per game with 6.30.
Individually, Tufts doesn't have one player in the Top 20 of scoring but instead gets goals from the collective as 15 players have tallied on the season for the Jumbos.
Ethan Feigin leads the team in points with 13 with four goals and five helpers, while
Sean Traynor has also scored four times while dishing out four assists.
Senior
Mikey Brady has four goals and two assists, while Yanez has tallied three goals along with his two assists. Yanez leads the team in shots with 33 in 2023, while his two game-winning goals are also tied for the team lead with Traynor.
Defensively, the back line of
Max Clivio,
Gibson Campbell and
Taylor Feinberg has been stout allowing just five goals over the last seven games. In goal,
Nikola Antic has started all 16 games between the pipes, making 57 saves while chalking up a goals against average of 0.84.
Tufts is in the NESCAC semifinals for the fourth time in the last six seasons, and is a perfect 3-for-3 in title games when it makes it there. Head coach
Kyle Dezotell is 34-7-14 as the head coach at Tufts, and bring an all-time record as a head coach of 219-113-47 into this weekend.
A Look at the Panthers (12-0-4)
Middlebury has consistently been near the top of the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll the entire season, as the Panther are ranked No. 3 coming into the season after earning a 2-0 win over Williams last week in the NESCAC quarterfinals. The Panthers advanced thanks to goals from Gavin Randolph and Eujin Chae. Middlebury has also won the NESCAC crown three previous times, with the latest coming back in 2010. Middlebury has been the host of the semifinals and finals twice, hosting back in 2008 and 2015.
The Panthers are making their 23rd appearance in the league tournament, and have reached the finals 10 times, which ranks tied for the most in NESCAC men's soccer history. Middlebury is also one of just four unbeaten teams left in Division III, joining Connecticut College, No. 1 Messiah University and Manchester College.
Jordan Saint-Louis carries his strong form into the semifinal round. The forward paces the NESCAC with eight assists and four game-winning goals, and is second in the league with 24 points and eight markers.
Randolph's 21st minute goal against Williams was his seventh of the season and third game-winner. The junior has been on fire during the last three games, scoring twice and adding an assist, while ranking fourth in the conference in points (18).
Kyle Nilsson has had a role in nine of Middlebury's goals this campaign, scoring two and setting up seven. Nilsson has also seen the second-most minutes of any field player (1,328) while starting all 16 contests.
Tyler Payne has also provided a scoring threat from midfield, finding the back of the net five times, most recently scoring in the 3-0 victory over Tufts.
Defensively,
Luke Madden has been a stalwart for the Panthers, registering 1,321 minutes this season and is a part of a back line that has allowed just eight goals this season. Madden has also been a threat in attack, recording eight points on three goals and two assists. He is accompanied by
Hank Nelson and
William O'Brien who have played 1,347 and 1,245 minutes, respectively, while starting each match that they have featured in.
Goalkeeper
Ryan Grady recorded his 10th clean sheet of the season in the quarterfinal victory. Grady holds the Middlebury record for most career shutouts with 39 and boasts a .507 goals against average (GAA) and .871 save percentage which are both NESCAC-bests.
A Look At Amherst and Connecticut College
Amherst College (11-2-3) advanced to the semifinals Saturday with a 1-0 win over Wesleyan University last weekend. Amherst is looking to defend its 2022 NESCAC title, where it defeated its Saturday opponent Conn. College 2-1 in overtime.
Ada Okorgheye leads the team with six goals and four assists this season, while Mohammed Nuhu has netted six goals and three assists. Simon Kalinauskas has also netted three goals and two assists, while Max Landa is third in goals allowed in 2023 with just 10 on the season in 15 games. Amherst is 18-11-3 against Tufts since 1996.
Connecticut College knocked off Hamilton College in overtime last weekend to advance in the NESCAC Tournament. Matt Scoffone leads the team with seven goals in 2023, which ranks fifth in the NESCAC, while teammate Jake Creus also has tallied seven goals as well. Peter Silvester has played the majority of time in net for the Camels, allowing 12 goals in 16 games. Since 2012, Tufts is 6-4-5 against Conn. College.
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The winner of Saturday's semifinals will play Sunday, November 5 at Middlebury at noon for the NESCAC title and the NCAA Tournament automatic qualifying bid.
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