Last Saturday, No. 10 -ranked Middlebury women’s soccer celebrated its Senior Day against Bates, recognizing its graduating class: goalkeeper Livia Davidson ’26, defender Roshan Purcell ’26 and forward Carolina Espinosa ’26. The festivities complemented a hard-fought 1–0 victory.
The Panthers dominated the first half, preventing Bates from generating a single shot and taking the lead with a floated finish from the top of the box by Mia Feldman ’27, her third goal of the season. The performance was emblematic of a top 10 team in the country, confidently linking up play and defending with confidence.
The game opened up at the start of the second half, with both teams trading chances within the first 10 minutes. Following this brief lapse, Middlebury regained its dominant position and was unfortunate not to have extended its lead when a shot was headed off the goal line by a Bates player. Middlebury continued to apply pressure, with Taya McClellan ’28 forcing Bates’ goalkeeper to make two more last-ditch saves.
The impact of the Panthers’ seniors was clear during the game and has been evident throughout the season. Espinosa cleverly linked up play throughout the game, often dropping into midfield from the front line to receive the ball before playing a well-placed pass. Purcell and Davidson have both been essential to Middlebury’s excellent defensive record throughout the campaign, allowing only five goals in 14 games. On Saturday, the duo neutralized Bates’ offense for most of the game. Head Coach Peter Kim said it was hard to encapsulate just how large an impact the seniors have had throughout the season, both as players and as leaders.
The win marks the Panthers’ tenth of the campaign, putting them in position to contend for the top spots in the NESCAC standings. The team has a chance to topple the leaders on Oct. 28 as they travel to rival #14 Williams, who currently sit just two points ahead of Middlebury in the table. The matchup is always an exciting one.
“Standings don’t really matter when you play Williams — all you want to do is win,” Kim said.
The team will also be preparing for the first round of NESCAC tournament play this weekend.
