Medford, Massachusetts - The NESCAC conference is really, really good.

The ebb and flow of sports allow new teams to emerge and dominant ones to fall, keeping the passionate fans engaged and the players always optimistic for glory. Colby's change at the helm is a promising start, but the conference is tough. With their only two losses coming from NESCAC opponents this year, the Mules now fall to 2-2 after a 2-0 loss to Tufts. The #11 ranked team in the nation looked a formidable opponent, but like Bowdoin, only finished in the middle of the conference last year–showing yet again how strong the NESCAC can be.

Barring the first game, Colby was on the back foot to start the game as they faced seven shots in the first twenty minutes. Charlie Scott had the first shot of the half but the Mules were soon defending. However, for the amount of pressure that Tufts put on Colby's net(ten shots in the first half), heading into the break only down one goal was a sigh of relief and an opportunity to reset.

Coming out of halftime, Colby did exactly that. The match was more of an even contest as the visitors settled into the match while Tufts had lost some momentum from the first half. The Mules earned a corner ten minutes in, kickstarting a change of pace as Scott had another shot go wide. Colby's best chance of the game came minutes later as Mario Simoes got on the end of a cross, redirecting it towards the bottom corner and forcing a big save from the Jumbo's goalkeeper. Tufts quickly recovered and sprung a breakaway down into Colby's penalty area, causing a scrambled defense to trip forward Bijan Akhtarzandi-Das, earning the Jumbos a penalty. The spot kick was confidently converted and eventually sealed the game.

Ultimately, a 2-0 result today counts as a loss on the scoresheet but what could've been would have made the bus ride home a lot worse. Like against Bowdoin, the Mules showed glimpses of brilliance and potential to hang with the NESCAC's best. 

Whether it's this year or next, Colby is rising and will join the upper echelon of the coveted conference, it's now up to them to decide when they want it. The Mules will be back in action this Saturday, September 21st, to host Connecticut College in another conference matchup.