Tuesday, October 18, 2005
MEDFORD – Junior forward Mattia Chason (Rome, ITALY/Lycee Chauteaubrian) scored three huge goals for the Tufts University men's soccer team last week and was rewarded for the trifecta with Player of the Week honors from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).
On Saturday, Chason brought the Jumbos one step closer to clinching a conference tournament berth by scoring two goals in a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over Trinity College at Bello Field. Three minutes after Trinity took a 2-1 lead in the second half, Chason capitalized on a head ball from teammate Derek Engelking (Westborough, MA/Westborough) that eluded two Bantam defenders. His first goal of the game in the 71st minute tied it at 2-2. The match went to overtime, and Chason won it quickly just one minute in off a cross from senior tri-captain Mike Guigli (North Stonington, CT/Wheeler).
Earlier in the week, Tufts tied #8 in New England Plymouth State, 1-1, on Chason's goal with 14:06 remaining on the clock. He booted a ball from sophomore Dan Jozwiak (Boulder, CO/Fairview) out of mid-air and into the net, setting up the extra time. Neither team scored, but the Jumbos left with a satisfying non-conference draw.
With his three goals, Chason's season total vaulted to seven, tied for second-most in NESCAC. His 16 points on the seven goals and two assists in 10 games is second in the conference at 1.60 points per game.
The Trinity game marked the third time this season that Chason scored twice in a game. He scored both goals in a 2-0 victory against Amherst on September 24 and had a pair during a 3-0 victory against Rhode Island College on September 27.
"I originally evaluated Mattia at my camp before he came to Tufts," Coach Ralph Ferrigno said. "It was clear to see then that Mattia had a wide range of skills and a strong knowledge of the game. Growing up in Europe he had developed a lot of natural instinct for the game, things you cannot teach. The only question mark in my mind was whether he could cope with the high pressure American game. Mattia's performances this season have answered that question in no uncertain terms."
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