Ephs survive fiesty Jumbos, 2-1

Box Score 

Photo Gallery 

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – The Williams men's soccer team used two second-half goals to get passed a feisty Tufts team 2-1, Saturday. The win assures the Ephs a birth in the NESCAC tournament.

Williams, coming off a hotly contested 1-0 loss to Middlebury last week, found themselves in another dogfight early as the desperate Jumbos, for whom this game was a must win, battled them for every ball. The first fifteen minutes were characterized by consistent clashes in the midfield as the fired-up Jumbos refused to concede any advantageous position.

However, Tuft concentration in the midfield was painstakingly diluted by the spread offense of the Ephs, who eventually were able to exploit the Jumbos defensive strategy with long and through balls. Slowly but surely chunks of possession and territory began to fall into Eph control, as they dictated the tone of play through the mid-part of the half.

William's dominance came abruptly to a halt by the latter portion of the half, as they continuously shot themselves in the foot with their sloppy play. Whether with an offsides, a bad touch, or a misplaced pass the Ephs let the Jumbos scratch their way back into the game.

One such errant pass almost cost the Ephs a goal when the jumbos converted an interception into a breakaway that was narrowly foiled by the aggressive charge and point-blank save of Eph keeper Andrew Graham (4 saves). The save ensured that the Ephs would survive the Jumbo's late surge, and enter the half with the score tied.

Play balanced out in the early goings of the second-half, as the midfield once again became the games dominant theater. However, by the 60th minute the stalemate was over, and the game took on a decidedly Jumbo bend as their aggressive play forced multiple fouls deep in Ephs territory.

The games first goal was born out of this trend, when Jumbo senior Alex Botwinick's free kick fluttered through the Eph defense until it found the head of classmate Dan Jozwiak who hammered in into the net at the 60:12 mark.

The threat of defeat catalyzed the Ephs who responded with aggressive play of their own. Which was rewarded when an aggressive run in the box drew a hard foul and thus a penalty kick, which senior Nathan Elwood promptly punched in to tie it four minutes later.

The seesaw again settled with each team curbing the advances of the other, while maintaining a general back and forth rhythm. However, Eph senior forward Mike Darling snapped the lull by netting one of the season's most sensational goals.

With just under ten minutes to play, Darling found himself with the ball twenty yards out from the box. Striking out towards the sideline he advanced the ball till it was ten feet outside the left corner of the box before peeling off an arching shot that sailed perfectly over the outstretched fingers of Tuft keeper Pat Tonelli, and back down into the right wall of the net at the 80:29 mark.

The goal would prove to be the game winner, as the Ephs were able to hold off the Jumbos for the games final ten minutes.

"Tufts really came to play today - really played motivated and I take my hat off to them." Remarked Eph coach Mike Russo, "We were missing a bunch of starters so we asked a lot of guys to step up and they did. It was a total team effort and I'm very pleased."

The Ephs were playing without starting midfielders Sam Empson (the Ephs points leader) and Ryan Pelletier, as well as starting backers Brian Dolezal and Chris Gocksch who all out sat due to injury.

However, all injured players are expected to be healthy by next weekend's regular season finale against undefeated Amherst. The game is scheduled for 11:00 PM next Saturday at Cole Field.