Men's Soccer Follows the Bouncing Ball Up and Down

Author: Josh Axelrod

Middlebury men's soccer had an up and down week finishing with a tie against Colby-Sawyer, a win against Colby and a loss to Bowdoin, who has now claimed the number one spot in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rankings. Middlebury now sits in fourth place, one win behind Bowdoin and Wesleyan.
The week started with the Panthers playing away at Colby-Sawyer. In their past four meetings, Middlebury had won every game, and entered the game with great confidence to continue the trend. The first half came to a scoreless draw that was broken 51 seconds into the second by a Middlebury goal from Jason Griffiths '04. Colby-Sawyer responded 20 minutes later on a header goal from Matt Wheel. Play went on into double overtime, though neither team could break the deadlock
Slightly dismayed, the Panthers traveled to Maine for two games against their conference foes, Colby College and Bowdoin College. On Saturday, Middlebury took to the pitch with fury and silenced the Colby fans with a resounding 3-0 victory over the White Mules. Kyle Dezotell '03 set the pace for the Panthers late in the first half with Middlebury's first goal. Jacob Whitted '06 and Matt Haddad '05 each added another goal in the second half.
After the dominating win over Colby, Middlebury's confidence was mended, as they prepared to face Bowdoin, the team who had just defeated Williams – one of Middlebury's most bitter foes. The game remained tied for much of the first half, as neither team was able to capitalize on their chances at the net. Then, 41 minutes into the half, the Polar Bears' William Waters ended the Panthers' momentum with a perfect shot to the upper ninety. Six minutes into the second half, Bowdoin scored for the final goal of the game ending Middlebury's hopes for a big win with a 2-0 loss.
The Panthers now sit at 3-2-2 for the season and 2-1-1 in NESCAC play. They remain a definite threat to the top spots in the East with their consistent play. Middlebury next hosts NESCAC rival Amherst College this Saturday at 1 p.m.