The Big Dance

[Mr.Right]

Tufts is really busting ass pressing Calvin and forcing giveaway's....Tufts gets a goal off a long throw and easy header finish...A ton of ball watching on that play and that ball has to be cleared...

[Buck O.]

Tufts brings the third kit out...maybe they were reading the boards.

Glad I brought up the topic.  For the record, I think these are easily the Jumbos' best unis!

[TwoLeftFeet]

The players foot looked completely over the line on the throw in, but no call from the ref.  Still, Calvin's defense does not look up to dealing with Tufts' physicality.

[calvin_grad]

Tufts is really busting ass pressing Calvin and forcing giveaway's....Tufts gets a goal off a long throw and easy header finish...A ton of ball watching on that play and that ball has to be cleared...

Agree on needing to clear that ball, but the goal should not have counted.  The player throwing in the ball has his foot over the line.

[Mr.Right]

2-0 Tufts Halftime.....Calvin not panicking which I like....They have the talent to get two goals and get back into this match in the 2nd Half...BUT they are running into a buzzsaw that most Nescac teams have when playing Tufts...They are not playing fast enough in attack when they get the ball. They have to ping a few passes and then right out wide and service in the box..Right now Tufts has plenty of time to set up in their 4-5-1 and just absorb pressure...Calvin will not beat them in the air and if they allow them to set defensively it is extremely hard to break Tufts down...Calvin not quite used to the physicality of Tufts and the depth is a big issue..Tufts has gone about 6-7 deep and Calvin maybe 3-4....Still I give Calvin a solid chance especially if they can get an early goal 2nd Half...Now we will see what Calvin's Head Coach does......

[PaulNewman]

LOL.  I'm cheering for Calvin, but really?  When was the last time you saw a call on a throw over the line?  That's the least of Calvin's problems.  They are just getting beat, plain and simple.  Even Vegter has looked shaky a couple of times (as Tasker had him beat if he had only stayed on his feet) and a few giveaways.  This to me looks like a very good mid major D1 team that is too big, fast, and physical for maybe the best D3 team in the country.

Not over yet....let's see if Souders has some more motivational magic.

[blooter442]

You know, all year I opined that Tufts was better than everyone else but not blowing me away. They have certainly done the latter in the tournament this year. They've scored 12 goals since the Sweet 16 and have only conceded one. I think PaulNewman hit it on the head saying that they look like a decent D1 team -- they are big, fast, and physical, and while they might not have the same depth or size/speed/physicality/athleticism as a top D1 team across the board, they do look like they could hold their own. Regardless, they look like they're equal with Calvin in terms of skill and on another level in those aforementioned categories.

[blooter442]

Looked a soft PK to me...but Calvin gets one back with 40 left. This has suddenly gotten interesting.

[Mr.Right]

Really surprised Paoletta made such a stupid foul to basically gift Calvin right back into this game....THAT COULD COST TUFTS......Calvin has 40 minutes to get an equalizer....Paoletta has such a high soccer IQ and that was a bonehead play...No need to foul as Meith was coming to cut it off and if the kid scores he scores but give Meith a chance to make the save..Do not give Calvin a free PK...

[Mr.Right]

Really impressed with Tufts pressing today..They are really bothering Calvin defenders which is what Chicago should have been doing. Easier said than done because Tufts can afford to bust ass all game with such a deep bench.

[blooter442]

Calvin getting a few half-chances together and Tufts just about gets away with it...this really looks to be interesting.

[Mr.Right]

Calvin getting a few half-chances together and Tufts just about gets away with it...this really looks to be interesting.

Yup...20 minutes left and Tufts will sit in a compact shell and try to hold on and absorb pressure...Shapiro puts in Jared Glover?? A NC kid and also a couple Frosh to give them a run but jeez one mistake and this game is even....

[Mr.Right]

Ref has to get aware that Tufts is really burning seconds on every stoppage....

[blooter442]

Tufts juuuuuuust starting to creak defensively...

[blooter442]

That being said, Najjar has played one of his best games for Tufts today...been at the right place sweeping things up and hasn't made any bad giveaways that I've seen.