MEDFORD, MA (September 27, 2025) - The Tufts University men's soccer team played a tough 90 minutes against a scrappy Wesleyan University side on Saturday afternoon on Bello Field, coming away with a 1-1 draw after the final whistle.
The match began with the Jumbos (5-1-2, 2-1-2 NESCAC) controlling the tempo as they attempted to needle their way through a tough Wesleyan (3-2-2, 1-0-2 NESCAC) defense. The tempo was working well for the Jumbos as they earned their first corner kick of the game in just the second minute.
With their pressure clearly yielding results, the Jumbos pressed onwards. The speedy junior
Xavier Canfin was having an excellent start to the game on the right wing. With the ball seemingly glued to his foot, the forward weaved around a lunging Wesleyan defender before charging downhill to the endline. A looping cross found junior
Henry Brown as he bounded into the air, connecting with the striker's head, then the crossbar, then his head again before finally ending up in the back of the net. A slapstick way to get the scoring going, and the Jumbos felt the wind in their sails.
The pressure continued to pile on the Wesleyan backs, but they managed to bend without breaking into halftime. Carrying their 1-0 lead at the half, the Jumbos would start the second with continued pressure.
Wesleyan was ready for it, and held a high line with ferocity to stifle the Jumbos' forward advance. The play stalled in the midfield, as each side was pitted against each other in a physical slog over possession.
The physicality of the Cardinals eventually yielded results for the visitors, as they were able to win a throw deep in the Tufts defensive end. The long throw-in bounced around in the box after it was headed back towards goal, before it was finally poked into the net amidst the toppling players. With the game knotted up, the Cardinals focused on their defense.
The Jumbos launched several attacks throughout the final 15 minutes, and would end up outshooting their visitors 9-6. Only two of those shots were on target, which ultimately prevented the Jumbos from scoring the go-ahead goal. The gritty performance was still good for a point, and the Jumbos continued to show improvement in many areas of their play.
Tufts will hit the road for a regional nonconference game against Babson on Tuesday, September 30 at 4:00 pm.
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--JUMBOS--
