Women steady as a rock vs. Plymouth, erased by Ephs

Author: Dan Stevens

As the fall foliage descended on New England, the women's soccer team played in a series of matches including face-offs against the best of the NESCAC. Matches at Amherst and against Plymouth State preceded a beautiful Fall Family Weekend that saw the Panthers take on Williams.

Fall forgot to flourish for the match at Amherst, and the lasting warmth of summer played a crucial role in the game. The Panthers came away from the Oct. 6 bout with a scoreless draw after 110 minutes of exhausting soccer. Coach Peter Kim said the team played well, but the heat played a role in the end.

"It was a very hard-fought match," said Kim, "but Amherst had the upper hand for much of the first half. Adele [Plunkett '09] really kept us in the match as the team got their feet under them, and the girls played much more confidently as the match wore on. The weather was a major factor in the match. Several players went down with heat-related injuries, and lots of mistakes were made due to fatigue."

The Panthers traveled to Amherst for the first time since defeating the Lord Jeffs on their home turf a year ago to win the NESCAC title. Co-captain Elise Tarbi '08 said the match really brought the young team together.

"I think the Amherst match was a turning point in the season for us, because it was an event that the entire team was able to struggle through together," said Tarbi. "I feel like we came out on the other side a much more cohesive unit."

The Panthers followed up the contest in Amherst with a formidable showing against Plymouth State on Oct. 9.

On a beautiful Tuesday afternoon, the Panthers struck early and often with five goals in the first 37 minutes to cruise to a 5-0 victory. Goals from Carly Berger '08, Lindsay Walker '10, leading goal scorer Nora Tomlinson-Weintraub '10 and two from Ashley Pfaff '09 filled out the Panther score sheet.

After the Tuesday match up against Plymouth, the weekend served up an onset of parents for Fall Family fun.

The event brought with it a full day of athletic events, including a women's soccer match on Dragone Field against NESCAC rival Williams. Although the weather flowered the campus with flare, the Panthers could not capitalize and fell to the visitors from Williamstown, Mass. 4-0.

All of the Williams goals came in a span of 15 minutes in the second half. Kim said that although the Ephs eked out a victory, the Panthers by no means floundered.

"I would say we played really well in the first half," said Kim. "The second half wasn't a huge shift. They just managed to finish the chances that we gave them. We had as many chances as they did, they just capitalized."

A number of Panther shots failed to find the back of the net in last Saturday's contest. Walker's header in the first half found the crossbar, while in a one-on-one duel with Williams' goalie Lauren Sinnenberg, Tomlinson-Weintraub won a race to the ball but the ensuing kick careened off the bar without finding the net.

Tomlinson-Weintraub came down hard after the play and was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. X-rays came back negative and the team awaits MRI results on Monday. Tomlinson-Weintraub said the Panthers definitely could have won the game.

"Our first half and the first part of the second half might have been the best soccer we've played all year," said Tomlinson-Weintraub. "We let up a few unfortunate goals, which we almost bounced back from, both times. Just because we didn't score doesn't mean that we weren't in the game-it just means we couldn't finish. We got our chances during the game≠. Williams is a good team, but they're beatable."

After the three games, the Panthers fell to 6-3-2 with three games remaining in the regular season. Kim said the team will definitely be ready to play come Tuesday.

"I wouldn't want to be a team that plays us right after we lose like this on our home field," said Kim. "One thing you can be sure is we'll bounce back and take it out on the next team."

Fateful words for Middlebury's next opponent, Castleton State, which is slated to play on Dragone Field on Oct. 19.