AMHERST, Mass. – Two second half goals helped the #5 Tufts University Jumbos overcome the #2 Amherst College men's soccer team, as the Mammoths' suffered their first loss of the season. The Jumbos won 3-2 on Saturday on Hitchcock Field.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* After only four minutes, Sophomore
Laurens ten Cate netted his first goal of the season to put Amherst ahead. Sophomore
Simon Kalinauskas provided the assist. Tufts equalized less than two minutes after falling behind; amid a manic scramble in the penalty area, the ball ricocheted to Ian Daly whose touch made the score 1-1.
* Soon after the break, Amherst took the lead again through a wonderful piece of play beginning with Sophomore
Fynn Hayton-Ruffner on the right wing in Tufts' defensive half. Haytron-Ruffner laid the ball back to Junior
Jonny Novak who guided a lofted cross aimed just in front of the back post. Junior
Ada Okorogheye towered over a Tufts' defender with an athletic jump to head the ball into the bottom corner. Tufts' goalkeeper reached the ball with an outstretched arm but was unable to stop the ball trickling past the goalline.
* Almost immediately after Amherst's second goal, Tufts bounced back again. Liam Gerken turned onto his left foot before smashing the ball with the laces of his cleat into the top left corner from the edge of the penalty area. The Jumbos then took the lead for the first time in the game with 27 minutes left on the clock. From a free kick, Ian Daly made a header which looped over the right glove of Amherst's goalkeeper, Senior
Bernie White.
* Amherst pressured Tufts throughout the final stages of the game until the final whistle. Amherst's closest third goal effort came from Junior
Shawn Rapal in the 78th minute - his headed effort beat Tufts' goalkeeper but hit the crossbar. In the final minute, Rapal hit the crossbar again with a similar header from the middle of the penalty area.
BY THE NUMBERS:
*Amherst now has a 3-1-1 overall record (0-1-1 in NESCAC) for the season.
* Next up: the Mammoths will take on non-conference opponents, the #22 Babson College Beavers, on Tuesday at 4 p.m. on the Hartwell-Rogers Field in Babson Park, MA
*Amherst had double the number of shots (18) than Tufts (9), with 8 on goal (Tufts had 6 on goal).
