The defensive powerhouse Jumbos face UMass-Boston in third round on Nov. 19
After winning the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament, the Jumbo men’s team will host a pair of Division III third-round games this Saturday (Nov. 19) and a quarterfinal-round match on Sunday, Nov. 20, at Bello Field.
The Jumbos (11-5-2) will square off against No. 15 UMass-Boston (18-1-3) in third-round action Saturday at 11 a.m., while the other third-round contest will feature No. 3 Trinity (Texas) University (22-1) and No. 5 Kenyon College (19-2) at 1:30 p.m.
The Jumbos blanked their first two opponents in the tournament, with a 2-0 victory over No. 24 Springfield College in the first round on Nov. 12 and a 1-0 victory over No. 9 Rowan University on Nov. 13.
Senior goalkeeper Scott Greenwood (10-4-1) tallied shutouts for the Jumbos in the first- and second-round victories last weekend. He made eight crucial saves in the win over Rowan, stopping four shots from sophomore forward Shane Doherty (14 goals, three assists, 31 points). Greenwood now has nine shutouts on the season and a program-leading 36 career shutouts.
Senior forward Gaston Becherano tallied the game-winner for the Jumbos in the 56th minute off a free kick by junior back Stephen McMillian from 25 yards out during the 2-0 victory over Springfield. Freshman midfielder/forward Gavin Tasker scored his third goal of the season in the 68th minute, giving the Jumbos a two-goal cushion.
Becherano leads the team in goals (12), points (25) and game-winning goals (seven). Senior captain and forward Nathan Majumder provided the heroics Sunday as he posted his first game-winning tally of the season in the 29th minute, assisted by senior back Daniel Sullivan.
The Jumbos have relied on their defense all season, recording 10 shutouts. The defensive unit has boasted an impressive average of 0.59 goals against per game. They’ve allowed more than one goal only three times this season, while never giving up more than two goals in a game.
Under seventh-year head coach Josh Shapiro, the team has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five years. The Jumbos were NCAA Division III national champions in 2014, the first time in program history, when they defeated Wheaton (Ill.) College, 4-2, in the title game.
