MEDFORD, MA (November 4, 2026) – The No. 10 ranked Tufts University men's soccer team will visit Williamstown, MA this weekend as the fifth-seed for the semifinal and final rounds of the 2026 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament. Williams will be the host site for the remainder of the tournament, as eighth-seed Amherst will match up against second-seed Williams in the first semifinal contest at 10:45 AM, before Tufts takes on sixth-seed Hamilton at 1:30 PM. The Jumbos earned their way into the semifinal round after getting the best of fourth-seed Connecticut on the road in PKs, 5-3.
Nikola Antic made a big stop in the shootout, while
Gianluca Fallone delivered the game-winning shootout score.
Game Details
Tournament Schedule
NESCAC Tournament Home Page
Saturday, November 7, 2026
No. 8 seed Amherst (8-3-5, 2-3-5 NESCAC) vs. No. 2 seed Williams (11-2-2, 6-2-2 NESCAC) – 10:45 AM
No. 6 see Hamilton (7-4-4, 3-4-3 NESCAC) vs. No. 5 seed Tufts (9-3-4, 5-3-2 NESCAC) – 1:30 PM
Sunday, November 8, 2026
Remaining Two Teams – 12:00 PM
Location: Williamstown, MA --
Cole Field
Weather: Partially Cloudy, Chance of Rain: 54%, Wind: 10 MPH
Live Coverage: LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Tufts vs. Tournament Field
For the first time since 2022 and just the second time since 2012, the Ephs are scheduled to host the final two rounds of the 2026 NESCAC Men's Soccer Championship at Cole Field on November 7th and 8th. The Jumbos held an unbeaten 2-0-1 record against the three tournament teams left during the regular season. Tufts erased a three-goal deficit and captured a 3-3 draw against Amherst on the road on October 3rd. In the Jumbos' next game, they collected a dominant 4-0 shutout victory at Hamilton on October 4th. Tufts matched up against the hosts, No. 7 Williams, on October 24th on the road and battled to nab a 1-0 victory over the Ephs. In conference tournament action, Amherst got the best of Tufts in their most recent match, taking a nail biting 1-0 victory over the Jumbos in the 2023 NESCAC Championship. The Jumbos earned the advantage over Hamilton in the last conference tournament contest between them, as the Jumbos grabbed a 3-0 win in the 2019 NESCAC Quarters. Williams pushed past Tufts as the hosts in the 2022 NESCAC quarterfinal round in PKs, 1-1 (4-3).
A Look At The Jumbos
The Tufts men's soccer team enters the NESCAC semifinals in as one of the stronger defensive teams in the conference, with the ability to match any opponent on the offensive end as well. The Jumbos hold onto a 9-3-4 overall record, while going 5-3-2 in conference play. The stifling defense has allowed no more than one score in their previous five contests and the squad has outscored opponents 35-12 throughout the course of the season. The total team effort has led to eight total shutouts, with a disciplined back line and top-tier goaltending
Nikola Antic being the center of that result.
Defensively is where Tufts thrive, allowing 0.75 goals against per game. Antic has tabbed a 0.81 goals against average with an .803 save percentage and has accrued six solo shutouts to help Tufts maintain the dominant defensive reputation. The Blue and Brown are conceding just 10.3 shot attempts per game compared to their 16.6 and have given up 68 shots on target in 2026 compared to their 119. The Jumbos have displayed their effort to deny opponents any easy looks at goal as they have limited teams to a 0.073 shooting percentage. Tufts has also shown the offensive pressure they relay onto the opposition as they have a heavy edge in the corner kick department, 120-58. The Jumbos' 120 corner kick chances leads the NESCAC.
Offensively, Tufts flashed their abilities on both sides of the ball as they rank second in the NESCAC in goals for, scoring average, scoring margin, shot attempts, and points. The squad is tied with Amherst with a scoring average of 2.19 goals per game and has a shooting percentage of 0.132, fielding 15 different goal scorers. The Jumbos put out a diverse attack as 12 of Tufts' goal scorers have found the back more than once. The offensive production goes well beyond the forwards as the top four midfielders have combined for nine goals and ten assists in 2026 to prove themselves as integral parts of Tufts' offensive output. The lineup's focus on possession and aggressive counter attacks have resulted in unrelenting pressure as the Jumbos have fired off 266 shot attempts.
Senior forward
Henry Brown leads the Jumbos in goal scoring with five tallies this fall. Brown is a high energy forward that creates chaos on opposing back lines, as he has 12 total points this season with two assists along with his five goals.
Ben Brown has been the lead playmaker for Tufts this season as a defensive midfielder with five helpers in 16 games played. The tall senior contributes heavily on both ends of the field and ranks third on the Jumbos in scoring with nine points on two score in addition to his five assists. Brown also ranks second on the roster in minutes played with 1,339.
Ellis Denby,
Ben Pensky, and
Will Nicholas have been key sparks on the offensive end from the midfield. Denby enters the championship weekend with seven points on two goals and three assists. Pensky has six points on three goals this season, the midfielder scored two of those goals in back-to-back wins over Bates and Westfield State. Nicholas rounds out the top midfielders with six points as well on two goals and two assists, while appearing in all 16 games and making seven starts.
Tufts' combination of speed, size, and strength has allowed them to shut down opposing strategies and create threatening opportunities off of turnovers. The Jumbos have also been efficient with their limited penalty kick opportunities as they have converted on all three of their chances with season. The Jumbos have also been disciplined in that regard as they have given opponents just three penalty kick opportunities and stopped one of those chances.
Riley Gray,
Alex Johnson,
William Cornog,
Ryan Rizvi, and
Ben Brown are all reliable defenders for Tufts that have provided unique skills and positive impacts throughout the season.
The three losses this season all came in conference action against Wesleyan, No. 2 Middlebury, and Bowdoin. The Jumbos responded to each of those losses with strong performances in the very next contest. The team's depth has them set up for another potentially deep postseason campaign
The Jumbos are in search of their fifth total and first ever back-to-back conference championship victory after taking home the title during last year's National Championship run.
A Look At The Continentals
The Continentals earned their way into NESCAC championship weekend after upsetting three-seed Bowdoin as the six-seed on the road, 2-1. Hamilton fell behind early due to a 10th minute strike from the Polar Bears, but posted two scores in the final 15 minutes of regulation to capture the comeback victory and claim a spot on the conference semifinals. Hamilton is still in search of the first NESCAC title in program history, while they earned their first conference postseason victory last Saturday since defeating Connecticut 1-0 in the NESCAC quarters of 2018.
On the offensive end, junior Troy Miller leads the group in scoring with 20 points on nine goals and two assists. The forward has started in 11 out of 15 game appearances and also leads the Continentals with 51 shot attempts. His point total of 20 ranks third in the conference, while his nine markers has him tied for second in the conference. Oliver Mylon and Zach Tracy have also provided valuable offensive minutes for Hamilton as they both sit with five points on two goals and an assist each.
Hamilton has fielded eight different goal scorers this season and with most of their tallies coming from the midfield lineup. The Continentals may not have the most intimidating offensive statistics on paper, but their defense has proven to keep them in games.
Abe Cavalieri, Sean Curran, and Brady Hyland have also produced on the offensive end at different points throughout the season, as they all have tabbed three points on a goal and an assist each.
Hyland and Zander Laidlaw have been core pieces to Hamilton's back line as they both lead the Continentals in minutes played with 1,260 and 1,210, respectively.
Tobin Walsh has emerged as one of the stronger goaltenders in the NESCAC. In five starts, Walsh has allowed just three goals with a 0.60 goals against average, while accruing 20 saves and a save percentage of 0.870. Walsh holds a 2-1-2 record and leads Hamilton with three solo shutouts and 46 shots faced. Peter Montesano Scheibe has mas four starts between the posts and has collected 18 saves with one solo shutout and 43 shots faced.
A Look At Amherst and Williams
Amherst comes into NESCAC championship weekend with an 8-3-5 overall record, while going 2-3-5 in conference play. The Mammoths' three losses have all come in NESCAC matchups against Connecticut in the season opener, Middlebury, and Williams. Amherst entered the conference tournament as the eight-seed and upset No. 1 Middlebury on the road in the quarterfinal round, 3-2, to secure a spot in the semifinals. Finn Hoefer found the back of the net in the 67th minute to be the hero for Amherst.
Amherst leads the NESCAC with seven trophies and earned the programs most recent NESCAC title in 2023 as the second-seed, after taking home the conference championship in the year prior. In the 2023 conference title match, the Mammoths took down Tufts in a nail-biting 1-0 result.
Offensively is where the Mammoths are at their best, as they are tied with Tufts with 35 goals scored, which ranks second in the NESCAC. Amherst also currently sits in second with 110 corner kick opportunities which shows the pressure they put on in the offensive end. Amherst has displayed their focus of firing off shot attempts as they lead the conference with 288 rips, with 110 of those being on target. Hoefer leads the group in scoring with 14 pts in 14 starts on six goals and two assists. Edwards Wilkey has shown of his goal scoring talents as he is tied with Hoefer with six tallies. Mohammed Nunu has been the lead playmaker for Amherst, as he leads the lineup with seven assists along with two scores. Jacob Dinzeo and Riley Priddy round out the majority of the offensive production for the Mammoths as they both have registered eight points, with Dinzeo posting two goals and four assists, while Priddy has recorded three goals and two assists.
No. 2 Williams enters the NESCAC Tournament as the hosts with the two-seed and an 11-2-2 overall record. The Ephs most recently hosted the final two rounds in 2022 and last earned a NESCAC title in 2009. Williams made it to the championship game in 2018, but fell to Colby in PKs, 4-3.
Both of Williams losses were one-score results that came in conference play against Bowdoin and No. 20 Tufts.
Williams uses their balance and ability to control the pace of play to wear down the opposition and put themselves in the best position to come out with a victory. The group has collected a 29-13 goal differential, while attempting 245 shots and taking 76 corner kicks. The Ephs have allowed just 13 goals in 15 games and have been well disciplined as they rank second to last in total cards with 15.
On the offensive side, Alex Bethencourt is the leading scorer with 13 points on three goals and seven assist in 13 starts. Lorcan Mitchell has been a major goal contributor off the bench as he leads the team with six markers in zero starts and 15 appearances. JJ Ruehlemann is tied with Mitchell with 12 points on four goals and four assists, flashing his ability to score and set up his teammates. Kai Darrell has started in goal for all 15 games for the Ephs and has allowed just 13 goals to earn a 0.90 goals against average. The shutdown keeper has three solo shutouts and leads the conference with 4.47 saves per game.
--JUMBOS--
