For the first time since 2022, the Tufts University men’s soccer team will hit the road as a lower seed in the New England Small College Athletic Conference Tournament, traveling to face Connecticut College on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., gotuftsjumbos.com reported.
The postseason matchup on Silfen Field in New London, Connecticut, brings together two conference programs that finished their regular seasons with records of 5-3-2 for Tufts and 5-2-3 for Connecticut. Tufts earned the fifth seed after dropping a 1-0 decision to Bowdoin in its regular-season finale, while the sixteenth-ranked Camels grabbed the fourth seed and home-field advantage by blanking Wesleyan 3-0.
Chasing Momentum After a Tight Regular Season
Both squads arrive at the quarterfinal round with overall records of 9-3-3 for Tufts and 10-2-3 for Connecticut, though their paths through October tested their depth differently. Tufts outscored opponents 34-11 over fifteen matches, leaning on an aggressive attack that saw fifteen different players find the back of the net. Xavier Canfin paces the Jumbos with sixteen points on five goals and six assists, while goalkeeper Nikola Antic anchors the defense with six clean sheets and a program-record 32 career shutouts.
Connecticut counters with a defensive structure that yielded just nine goals all fall, tying Tufts for the second-best goal differential in the NESCAC at plus-23. Senior midfielder Marco Perugini leads the Camel offense with twenty-two points.
A Familiar Rivalry on the Pitch
History favors neither side in recent meetings. Dating back to 1987, Tufts holds a 21-13-8 edge in the all-time series, but parity has ruled lately. Four of the last six matches between the two programs have ended in a draw, including a scoreless stalemate at Bello Field on September 19 where the Jumbos outshot the Camels 12-6.
Last year’s postseason script tells a different story. Tufts hosted Connecticut as the top seed in the tournament’s opening round, edging the Camels 1-0 behind an eighty-second-minute game-winner from Canfin on their way to capturing the conference crown under head coach Kyle Dezotell.
What Lies Ahead in the NESCAC Bracket
The winner on Saturday advances to the NESCAC Semifinals on November 7, keeping their hopes alive for a conference championship game appearance on November 8. Saturday’s slate also features eighth-seeded Amherst visiting top-seeded Middlebury, seventh-seeded Wesleyan traveling to second-seeded Williams, and sixth-seeded Hamilton playing at third-seeded Bowdoin.
