The Big Dance

[Mr.Right]

Ikeda just rips Van Brewer's legs out from under him. Bit of a dirty foul but Ikeda is frustrated and Van Brewer will have his head on a swivel now. These are the types of fouls that should have happened in the beginning of the game to control midfield....


Lane makes a nifty cutback and beauty of a rip to make this a 3-0 game and finish off UR quite embarrassingly today....UR will be disappointed because they are better than this and are just not working now...

[Mr.Right]

Starting CB Paoletta goes down....If he is out tomorrow that would be a huge loss....Does not look like anything serious but who knows

[blooter442]

Tufts has controlled the midfield, showing better defensive organization and steel overall. Interestingly enough — while Tufts has a very fluid 4-1-4-1 with the two attacking CMs all over the field — the Tufts student newspaper pointed out that Tufts plays Van Brewer as the No. 8 going box-to-box and Rojas as the No. 10...I always have thought of them as both attacking but I would have thought as the more creative and smaller player Van Brewer would be the No. 10 and Rojas as the No. 8 but I will say I think Van Brewer has the superior workrate and puts himself about and maybe that is why he is the No. 8. Rojas is a great player who has shown brilliance in flashes, and has come on well this year, but I do not think he has maximized his potential. Maybe he will take it to another level next year.

On the screen comes Tufts assistant Ciuffetelli...who also happens to be my neighbor...wearing short sleeves...I guess he is enjoying the Carolina weather which is much warmer than cloudy and cold Beantown.

[PaulNewman]

Well, kind of a letdown today after expecting two superb games.

Tomorrow is a massive one.  Calvin is absolutely determined to get the title and Tufts is closing in on 3 titles in 5 years.  Both have solidified their positions as two of the top three programs in the country currently.

[blooter442]

Well, kind of a letdown today after expecting two superb games.

Tomorrow is a massive one.  Calvin is absolutely determined to get the title and Tufts is closing in on 3 titles in 5 years.  Both have solidified their positions as two of the top three programs in the country currently.

I was happy that another UAA made the Final 4 — unfortunately the conference remains winless in Final 4 games — but I really wanted to see a Tufts-Messiah Final 4...ah well, c'est la vie.

[Mr.Right]

UR gets one back off a flick from a corner...Nice finish...3-1 19 minutes left...Tufts has its whole bench in right now...Does Shapiro get his starters back in? Plenty of time here

[blooter442]

Rochester gets one back, nice flick on and Miller finishes well off his face, but too little too late. Perhaps Tufts might not be as impenetrable from set pieces as we thought.

[blooter442]

Two (seemingly) preventable Tufts goals are the difference between the two teams...that's a shame for Rochester. Ikeda also skied a free kick from 25 yards when it was scoreless. That said, Tufts has been the better side.

[Mr.Right]

Yup but UR all of a sudden is starting to play like I thought they would....Where was this intensity in the 1st Half???

[blooter442]

Eisold with an unreal team save off of Lane's rocket which beat Conway...wow! Has to be said that Lane had WAY too much space at the top of the box...I guarantee Tufts would not have given UR that much space in the box.

Jacobs had apparently made it 4-1 but someone was called for offside. Tufts could have five or six.

[Mr.Right]

Eisold with an unreal team save off of Lane's rocket which beat Conway...wow! Has to be said that Lane had WAY too much space at the top of the box...I guarantee Tufts would not have given UR that much space in the box.

Jacobs had apparently made it 4-1 but someone was called for offside. Tufts could have five or six.

Ya Jacobs with a beautiful finish but his clueless teammate ran in front of the shot and was rightly called offside as he involved himself in the play for no reason and interfered with the GK....Lane's rip was with the outside of his right foot and was dipping and hit with pace...Nice stuff...

[Brother Flounder]

LOL...really?

How's the viewing party? Is BF/Nutmeg there? Tell him we say hello.

Not there..... Who is?

[oldonionbag]

Not me...wish I was! haha

[Brother Flounder]

Well, kind of a letdown today after expecting two superb games.

Tomorrow is a massive one.  Calvin is absolutely determined to get the title and Tufts is closing in on 3 titles in 5 years.  Both have solidified their positions as two of the top three programs in the country currently.

I was happy that another UAA made the Final 4 — unfortunately the conference remains winless in Final 4 games — but I really wanted to see a Tufts-Messiah Final 4...ah well, c'est la vie.

Would love to see that also... but somehow every year something happens to prevent it....

[1970s NESCAC Player]

Starting CB Paoletta goes down....If he is out tomorrow that would be a huge loss....Does not look like anything serious but who knows

Paoletta on crutches at the end of the game.  He is definitely Tufts' defensive leader and his absence could well be the difference.  Who replaced Paoletta for the last 20+ minutes?