Women’s soccer pulls off four-goal comeback in “miracle at Middlebury”

Down 3-0 with only 10 minutes left to play, most teams would drop their heads and resign themselves to defeat. That attitude, however, is not what legends are made of, and uncharacteristic of the hard-working, fired-up Middlebury women’s soccer team of late. The Panthers came alive in the closing minutes of the game to score three goals and send the game into overtime, which they ended by finishing the unbelievable comeback drive with a fourth and game-winning goal.

“It was the most amazing soccer moment of my Middlebury career,” said tri-captain Katie Ruymann ’11, who delivered a phenomenal performance for the team in anchoring the center of the midfield.

The story of the day, however, was first-year Scarlett Kirk’s ’14 scoring debut, as the stellar new addition to the Panther offense netted a hat trick and sparked the best comeback the team has ever seen. Clearly, teammate Rachel Madding’s ’13 pre-game pump-up speech in the locker room had a big effect on the first-year.

“I told her that today was her day,” said Madding. “I said at least one of us needs to score. It’s time.” The prophetic Madding would soon see these predictions realized, as both forwards scored their first goals of the season in inspiring fashion.

After a slow start to the game, the Panthers ended the first half down 1-0, with tri-captain Lauryn Torch ’11 coming up big in some huge save situations to keep the game close. Amherst knocked in two more insurance goals early in the second half that seemed to put the game out of reach. However, the seemingly secure victory crumbled in front of the Lord Jeffs in the final 9:08 minutes of regulation.

Kirk broke the shutout late in the second half, when she scored two goals within a four-minute span to launch Middlebury right back into contention. The goals catalyzed the whole team with new energy and created an electric atmosphere among the players as well as the numerous fans in attendance on the chilly but clear Fall Family weekend.

“After Scarlett scored her second goal the momentum of the game completely changed,” said Madding. “There was no doubt in my mind that we were going to come back.  There are very few times I can say that I have looked at a clock, being down one, with four minutes to go, and believed that we were going to win the game.”

Feeding off of the invigorated spirits of the Middlebury team, Madding took the game into her own hands and evened the game with a little under three remaining, as she controlled a cross from Nora Tomlinson-Weintraub ’11 and shot a rocket into the top right corner of the net. The Panthers had tied the game and there were few in attendance who did not firmly believe that the team would put the game away.

“After scoring the tying goal I was shaking,” said Madding, one of the heroes of the hour. “I can’t recall another moment filled with so much adrenaline or emotion.” The team took the field for the first overtime period looking like they were on a mission –– the opening minutes of play saw Middlebury largely dominate possession. With five minutes elapsed, the Panther attack converged on the Amherst goal, blasting numerous shots until Kirk sealed the victory with a beautiful shot launched into the upper netting. The team stormed the field to congratulate the first-year hero and celebrate a much-deserved 4-3 win. It takes serious heart to complete a comeback of that magnitude, and the squad accomplished the feat with incredible teamwork and poise.

The Panthers’ ascendency in the NESCAC continues with their fourth straight win, and few of their upcoming competitors should doubt their resolve to regain dominance of the division. With Williams being delivered its second straight loss by the underdog Bates Bobcats and Trinity tying Conn. College, the conference remains wide open for the taking, and Middlebury is sure to challenge for the top spot in its upcoming games.