Tufts at Stevenson: Halftime thoughts
Looks like the game was worth the wait after all.
After a weather delay that lasted 1 hour, 45 minutes, Tufts and Stevenson finally took the field at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, and the visiting Jumbos own an 8-6 advantage at halftime in the showdown between the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in Division III.
Stevenson (8-0) led 6-5 after senior midfielder Kyle Moffitt scored his second goal of the game with 2:02 left in the second quarter.
But Tufts, the 2010 NCAA champion, roared back with three consecutive scores in the final 1:28, including two within an 8-second span. That run was fueled by senior attackman D.J. Hessler, a Monkton native and St. Paul’s graduate, who scored twice.
The Jumbos had capitalized on the Mustangs’ porous interior defense and their shoot-first mentality to take a 5-2 lead into the second quarter. But Stevenson answered back with goals from senior midfielder Neal Barthelme (14:14), Moffitt (13:14) and freshman midfielder Tony Rossi (6:54).
Other notes:
*Mustangs senior attackman Richie Ford will not play in the second half. He scored a goal in the first quarter, but he was relegated to the sideline for the latter half of the second period. He wore his helmet, but did not have his stick. It’s unclear if he was injured or how he got injured.
*Tufts has been buoyed by the play of junior goalkeeper Steven Foglietta, who has turned away 11 Stevenson shots. The Mustangs have outshot the Jumbos, 35-22.
*Stevenson senior attackman Jimmy Dailey’s goal with 11:03 left in the first quarter helped him pass Eric Schmith as the program’s all-time points leader. Dailey, who now has 260 points, has registered 133 goals and 127 assists.
*Besides Hessler, Tufts has been paced by junior midfielder Kevin McCormick’s two goals and two assists and junior attackman Sean Kirwan’s two goals.
Categories: Halftime thoughts, Stevenson
