MEDFORD, MA (October 14, 2025) -- The Tufts University men's soccer squad, the newly-minted top-ranked team in the most recent United Soccer Coaches (USC) Coaches Poll, played a complete start-to-finish contest defensively while getting two second-half goals to knock off the defending NCAA Division III champions Amherst College on a rainy evening from Bello Field Tuesday.
After a slow first half which saw both teams battling for every inch of the pitch, things picked up quickly in the second half. In the 49th minute of the game, junior
Ethan Jett charged forward off the right corner of the box and fired a shot that was stopped with an arm of a Mammoth back, giving the Jumbos a penalty. On the spot kick, senior
Daniel Yanez calmly finished the strike to take a 1-0 lead.
The Jumbos used that momentum to continue to pepper Amherst keeper Trey Sheppard, as shots by Jett and
Ben Pensky whizzed just wide. In the 67th minute, Tufts nearly doubled its lead as a great recycle play led to a point-blank attempt by
Mateo Bargagna but he was stopped with a strong save by Sheppard. A minute later, a free kick from Yanez was denied as well.
The insurance goal for the Jumbos came with just over 17 minutes to play, as sophomore
Ben Brown tossed a long throw into the box through a maze of players.
Ellis Denby tried an overhead kick on the loose ball, but the shot fluttered to junior
Xavier Canfin who slid his shot under a charging goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Another great chance came calling with 11 minutes to go for the Jumbos, as Denby's header from a great cross by
Henry Brown was stopped by a diving save.
Amherst (6-3-3, 2-3-2 NESCAC) tried to get on the board late in the game, as Michael Cherico had a good look in the 85th minute but his header went wide of the left post.
The Jumbos outshot their visitors 13-8 on the night, though the Mammoths had just one attempt on goal to Tufts' seven. Tufts edged Amherst 6-5 in the corner kick battle, and the two teams combined for 27 fouls and three cards in a physical game.
Senior goalkeeper
Nikola Antic had one save to record his fifth shutout of the season, while Pensky was fantastic in the middle of the park for Tufts winning battles all game.
Tufts has now won five of the last seven match-ups with Amherst, and seven of the last 10 with the Mammoths. Tufts has also won four of the last five home matches with Amherst.
The Jumbos (9-1-2, 5-1-2 NESCAC) will have a few days off before traveling to Middlebury College for a noon kick-off with the Panthers for more NESCAC play.
--JUMBOS--
