MEDFORD, MA (October 5, 2024) - The Tufts University men's soccer team displayed clinical offensive prowess in a 6-0 win over the Trinity College (Conn.) Bantams at Bello Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Jumbos (8-0-2, 5-0-1 NESCAC) established a high pace of play and physical motif from the opening. Dynamic defender
Mateo Bargagna would notch the first shot on goal for the Jumbos in the fifth minute, forcing a save on a low-driven effort from a difficult angle, yet still forcing a save out of Bantams (2-7-0, 0-6-0 NESCAC) goalkeeper Matt Birnhak. Birnhak would find himself under increasing pressure by the Jumbos, as they hemmed Trinity in their own end.
The Jumbos offense piled bodies into their attacking half, and soon found their first score thanks to the high press. Graduate student
Liam Gerken fired a powerful shot from outside the area that snuck through a tight window that was only deflected away by Birnhak. On the other side of the deflection was a surging senior
Ethan Feigin, who wasted no time in pounding the ball to the top of the goal. The shot gave Tufts their opening goal, and the Jumbos had a 1-0 lead in just nine minutes.
Tufts would immediately begin seeking out their second goal. They held the Bantams in their own end for the vast majority of the first half, limiting the visiting side to only two shots in the first half, neither of which needed to be saved by junior goalkeeper
Nikola Antic.
A long throw-in to the penalty area was headed to Gerken by fellow graduate student Max Clivo. Gerken replicated Feigin's effort from early in the half, also wasting no time in firing a shot. A half-volley from outside the penalty area went scorching into the top left of the goal, and Gerken had a highlight-worthy goal for the Jumbos second of the half.
The work was not done yet, as forward
Xavier Canfin came on as a substitute midway through the opening frame. The sophomore displayed his high speed and nimble dribbling as he received a pass near midfield. Taking the ball in stride, he took a few deft touches before driving the ball underneath Birnhak for the third goal of the game, and Canfin's team-leading fifth of the season.
The offensive flurry continued through the closing minutes of the half, as junior forward
Henry Perkins made a hard-working play a cross into the feet of the awaiting junior
Mason Shultz. Shultz shrugged off a desperate defender and was able to guide the ball past Birnhak for the fourth Jumbos goal of the half, their most goals in a single half since a four goal second half in a 7-0 win over the University of Maine-Farmington in September of 2023.
The second half saw much of the same play as the first, albeit with the Bantams putting up more of a fight. The Jumbos defense still managed to limit the opposing offense to four shots in the second half, with two of them being on target, although routine. The two saves for the Jumbos were made by sophomore goalkeeper Zac Ubamadu, who made his season debut with the pair of stops over 38 minutes.
The Jumbos offense struck again early in the second half, as graduate student forward
Mikey Brady checked in on the scoresheet. After being denied by Birnhak of a good scoring chance in the first half, Brady was hungry for a goal. He would collect the ball outside of the penalty area, before throwing a nifty body feint to beat a defender and surge towards the goal. A left-footed shot over Birnhak's head gave the Jumbos their fifth goal of the game, and saw
Mikey Brady rewarded for his game-long efforts.
The second half rolled on, with the Bantams being repeatedly denied chances to shoot by the suffocating Tufts defense. The substitutes saw the bulk of the action as the clock ticked towards full time, but they were clearly not satisfied with the five goal lead. Sophomore forward
Sandy Duggal found himself in on goal thanks to a sly pass by fellow sophomore Zach Salfi. Duggal potted the ball cool as can be for the sixth Tufts goal of the match and his first goal as a Jumbo.
The Duggal goal came with just over a minute left on the clock, leaving the Bantams with no time to start a comeback, and the final whistle sounded with the Jumbos as 6-0 victors. The Jumbos won by the most goals since the 7-0 win versus Maine-Farmington in September 2023. The Jumbos also showed off their depth, with six different goal scorers in the match. The win sees the Jumbos continue their hot streak from the start of the season, as they remain unbeaten both at home and in conference play.
The Jumbos will be back next weekend, making the trek north to play at Bates on Saturday, October 12. Kick off is at 3:00 PM.
--JUMBOS--
