Canfin's Late Winner Lifts Jumbos Over Ephs

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA (September 7, 2024) - The Tufts University men's soccer team dramatically beat Williams in a thrilling match in Williamstown at Cole Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Jumbos (2-0) started the game with energy to spare. Williams (1-1) was clearly caught off guard. Tufts would pepper four shots within the opening 10 minutes of play, forcing three saves out of the Ephs goalkeeper. 

The offense was busy as they maintained pressure on the attack. Junior defender Mateo Bargagna proved to be one of the most dynamic players on the pitch, as he was not only stellar on defense but on offense as well, leading the team with three shots, two of which were on goal. 

Junior midfielder Daniel Yanez was instrumental for the Jumbos, as he used his playmaking abilities to facilitate play downfield for his team. He would also pose a scoring threat of his own, putting both of his two shots on target. 

Despite putting seven shots on goal, the Jumbos were unable to find the back of the net in the opening 45 minutes. Junior goalkeeper Nikola Antic saw a quiet opening frame, truly being tested only once by a long range effort. 

Williams entered the second half with a sharpened edge to their game. The Jumbos defense had to work much harder in the second half than the first. The Ephs would force three saves out of Antic in the second half, tripling his workload in the second 45.

Tufts was right with the increased tempo shown by Williams in the second frame, and managed to attempt five shots. Sophomore midfielder Ben Brown worked with Yanez effectively, as they linked up through the midfield. Brown would also put two shots on goal himself, proving to be yet another scoring threat for the multifaceted Jumbo offense. 

The threat was high, but the Ephs managed to keep the ball out of the back of the net for almost the entire second half. The scoreless draw seemed inevitable, when junior James Gunn played the ball wide to graduate student Liam Gerkin. Gerkin played a perfectly weighted cross into the opposing goal box, where sophomore Xavier Canfin had deftly cut in. Canfin met the cross with a one-timed effort, powering the ball past the opposing goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Canfin's first goal of the season came with very little time for the Ephs to mount a comeback. 

The remaining three minutes saw a desperation out of Williams unseen until the death throes of the match. It was not enough to break down the Tufts defense, and the lone shot the Ephs put on goal was swallowed up by Antic. The final whistle sounded and the Jumbos were victorious to start NESCAC play.

The Jumbos will look to continue their winning ways against Colby, Saturday September 14, as they return home to Bello Field to continue conference play.