Women's Soccer Dismantles Foes

Author: Kate Nerenberg

The Middlebury women's soccer improved to 2-0-1 on the season as they dominated both Norwich and Wesleyan. Building on their first game, a 2-2 tie against Trinity, the Panthers scored a total of 16 goals in two games.
On Wednesday, although Middlebury did not start scoring until midway through the first half, they could not be stopped once that first goal hit the back of the net. Leah Cumsky-Whitlock '03 started a first-half barrage of goals after 26 minutes. Over the next 4:12, Mayo Fujii '05 scored twice and Amanda Green '04 once to extend the Panthers' halftime lead to 4-0 .
However, the team was relentless and did not stop there. Meg Bonney '03 "strengthened her role as a target striker and server," according to Coach Diane Boettcher as she opened the second half with three consecutive goals. Jessica Ross '06 and Gillian Menza '05 topped the game off with a goal apiece as Middlebury walked away with a 9-0 win. Allison Bell '04 had two assists in the win.
On Saturday, the Panthers had an equally convincing win as they used a strong second half to run away from Wesleyan. The Panthers battled the Cardinals closely for much of the first half as Cumsky-Whitlock and Britt Kittelsen '03 each scored to tie the game at 2-2. At 32:03, Kittelsen put Middlebury on top for good, turning the game around.
"Clearly, [the turning point for Middlebury] was the leadership of Kittelsen, who took the game on her shoulders when the going was not firmly for Middlebury. Wesleyan tried to use Trinity's scouting report by marking Britt with a good midfield winger, but Britt simply schooled her," noted Boettcher.
Coming out of halftime, Cumsky-Whitlock led the fiery Panthers with three straight goals, cracking the lead open and tying her own school record with four goals in one game. Bell added a late goal to give Middlebury a 7-2 win. Both Michaela Dietz '04 and Green contributed assists. For her efforts, Cumsky-Whitlock earned co-NESCAC Player of the Week.
Boettcher was impressed with her team's improvement from their first game, from the offense to the defense: "Our team's strongest phase of the game is the attack. Both against Norwich and Wesleyan they were able to open the throttle and gain some confidence. We took better percentage shots and in the Wesleyan game took the keeper on in order to finish, rather than simply unloading a strike."As promised, the Panthers' defense is gradually becoming stronger every time they take the field. According to Boettcher, they are learning, with experience, new and different ways to handle the ball and dominating with their physical presence.
Their next chance to learn comes Wednesday when the Panthers take on Keene State (4-1-1), ranked fifth in New England for Division III. This weekend, they take their show on the road, as they test Colby (2-2-0) on Saturday and battle Bowdoin (4-0-1) on Sunday. The match-up against Bowdoin is especially significant, as the Polar Bears are not only ranked 19th in the country, but also tied with the Panthers for first place in the NESCAC.