By Zach Perbeck

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The No. 6 Connecticut College's men's soccer team fell to No. 7 Tufts in the NESCAC Championship game on Sunday by a score of 2-0. The Camels, who were both hosting and playing in the championship match for the first time in program history, ended the weekend having compiled an overall record of 14-4.
 
In a rematch from two weekends ago, the Camels and Jumbos faced off again, this time with much higher stakes. Despite taking the regular season matchup by a score of 2-0, Connecticut College was unable to create any offense this time around as the Jumbo defense held them scoreless.
 
While opportunities were few and far between for both teams, the Jumbos were able to convert early and hold the lead throughout the contest. Sean Traynor converted a breakaway opportunity in just the ninth minute to put Tufts ahead 1-0 and put the pressure on the Connecticut College offense. The first half remained a defensive battle, with the Camels controlling the ball for the majority of the 45 minutes. However, they were unable to convert on any opportunities, including quality looks by sophomores Rye Jaran (Dowingtown, Pa.) and Jake Creus (Rye, N.Y.). The two sides combined for just three shots on goal throughout the first half of play.
 
The second half was a similar story, with Connecticut College maintaining possession for the majority of the period but unable to come up with any goals. A free kick by Travis Van Brewer from right outside of the box found the back of the net in the 62nd minute to put the Jumbos up by a score of 2-0 and would prove to be the final goal of the tournament. The Camels totaled eight shots in the second period, including five in the last eight minutes of the contest, but were unable to convert due to the strong Jumbo defense.
 
Erik Lauta earned the victory for Tufts (13-1-3) after making two saves for the Jumbos. Sam Maidenberg (South Orange, N.J.) took the loss for Connecticut College (14-4) while making one save in three opportunities. The Camels led their opponent in shots by a 12-7 margin, while the Jumbos led their opponent in corner kicks by a tally of 5-4.
 
The Camels now await their qualification and subsequent seeding for the NCAA Tournament which will be announced at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, November 8th.