MEDFORD, MA - Amherst College junior Ryan Goodband (Needham, MA) headed a corner kick from teammate Piercarlo Valdesolo (Andover, MA) past goalkeeper Steve McDermid (Shorewood, MN) in the 87th minute to lift the visiting Jeffs to a 1-0 victory over Tufts University in the first-round of the NESCAC Tournament on Tuesday.

Goodband's game-winning goal came moments after McDermid deflected a great scoring chance by Amherst freshman Vivian Johnson (Kingston, Jamaica). With the win, Amherst (8-5-2), seeded fifth in the tournament, advanced to the NESCAC semifinals on Saturday at 11 a.m., taking on undefeated and number-one ranked host Williams College.

The game was played on a waterlogged Kraft Field in cold and rainy conditions. The first half featured few scoring chances, with Amherst junior keeper Bill Orum turning away the only real Tufts threat on a point-blank shot by Brad Stitchberry (Bryn Mawr, PA).

Both teams increased the offensive intensity in the second half. Tufts sophomore Garrett Dale (Upper Montclair, NJ) nearly gave Tufts the lead twice on a pair of wide-open shots, but was turned away both times by Amherst junior goaltender Bill Orum (Greenwich, CT).

Orum finished with three saves for his fifth shutout of the season and second against the Jumbos. He also blanked Tufts 2-0 on Sept. 27. McDermid had five saves in defeat, as Tufts fell to 8-5-2 with the loss.

Elsewhere in the Tournament, second-seeded Bowdoin topped seventh-seed Connecticut College 2-0, while third-seed Middlebury College edged Wesleyan University 3-1.