Women’s soccer poised for showdown with Williams

Playing their first home game in a week and a half, the Panthers fed off of the crystal clear fall day and the support of enthusiastic alums to pounce on a 2-0 shutout win over Bates in their Homecoming match. The win snapped a three-game scoreless streak for Middlebury women’s soccer –– the team battled two Connecticut NESCAC rivals, Conn College and Wesleyan, to scoreless ties and fell 1-0 to Plattsburgh in their last three contests. During the conference games played over fall break, tri-captain Lauryn Torch ’11 came up huge with a total of 14 saves, repeatedly making game-saving stops and earning her second and third shut-outs of the season in the process. After these three games, Middlebury’s record stood at 6-3-3 on the season, and the Panthers set out in search of their seventh win against a much-improved Bates team that upset Williams earlier this season.
In Saturday’s game the Panthers’ goal drought finally come to an end, as the team decisively defeated the Bobcats and extended their unbeaten streak in the NESCAC to six games. After seeing all 53 of their shots fail to find the back of the net in the last seven halves of play, the Panthers finally netted a goal 22 minutes into the second half, as tri-captain Drew Smith ’11 rebounded a shot for what proved to be the game-winning goal.
“Drew really took control of the game on both sides of the ball, making key defensive stops while also sparking our attack,” said coach Peter Kim of the captain’s efforts, adding that credit for the shutout also goes to the solid back line of Colby Gibbs ’13, Lindsay Kingston ’14 and Anna Thurston ’13.
The Panthers took control of the game from the beginning, playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd of soccer alums and fans. Sparked by the Homecoming spirit, Middlebury’s attack launched 14 shots at the Bates goaltender Annie Burns in the first half, whereas the Bobcats managed just two of their own. While a goal proved elusive at first, the team maintained their composure and refused to be rattled by the lack of offensive production. Smith’s goal at 67:54 was a long time coming, and gave the Panthers much to cheer about, while also breathing a sigh of relief.
After gaining a 1-0 edge, the team settled down for the rest of the game and denied Bates any serious offensive challenges. With just over three minutes remaining, Scarlett Kirk ’14 netted her team-leading sixth of the year, also off of a rebound (from a Katie Ruymann ’11 25-yard bullet), proving that with enough determination, a goal for this Panther squad is nearly inevitable, one way or another.
“The alums provided great energy from the sideline that definitely elevated the intensity on the field,” said tri-captain Ruymann, who anchored the center of the midfield for the Panthers. However, she noted that looking forward, “the team will definitely be looking to score more first half goals as we move into our game against Williams and the playoffs.”
The Panthers have built off a shaky start this season to wrap up in prime position to embark upon a successful playoff run. Middlebury is tied with perennial powerhouse and three-year NESCAC champion Williams for third place in the ultra-competitive division, and the upcoming face-off in Williamstown tomorrow will determine if the Panthers will host their first-round playoff game this Sunday.