Two Sundays ago, a long, hard-fought season for men’s soccer ended with a 1–0 loss to Wheaton College. A goal in the 20th minute proved enough to push the Lyons into the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament, but not without a moment of controversy and a hotly debated goal-line photo.
After a 3–0 win against SUNY Geneseo in the first round, Middlebury traveled to Massachusetts to play in front of more than 500 people in the round of 32 matchup. The Panthers started positively, but Wheaton netted the decisive goal when a corner weaved through a jumble of players to sneak in at the near post.
Minutes later, Joey Waterman ’26 saved a Wheaton penalty down the middle — the first of two on the night — adding to the bittersweet ending of an incredible season for the senior goalkeeper.
The day’s most intense drama unfolded from a corner kick in the 35th minute. Pablo Gonzalez ’26.5 rose for a header that was seemingly blocked by the Wheaton goalie. However, Middlebury’s squad insisted the ball went over the line before the keeper swiped it away. Rumors have circulated that the Wheaton photographer snapped a photo of the dramatic moment of the ball over the line — the goal that could have saved Middlebury’s season. But with the evidence in the enemy’s hands, the Panthers couldn’t prove their case. Despite having outshot their opponent 10–5, the Lyons held on to win by the solo goal.
Head coach Alex Elias cautioned the team not to ruminate over the unfortunate moment.
“If we want to be great, we’re going to have calls go against us, we’re going to have bad moments go against us,” Elias said. “We still have to find a way to win.” For a Panthers team who has found a way to win plenty in the past two seasons, this year snapped the streak.
Since the last issue, Middlebury also fell in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament to the #1 ranked Tufts, who went on to win the championship. After Middlebury went up 2-0 with 20 minutes left, the Jumbos scored three unanswered goals. The final was an overtime game-winner, crushing the Panthers' hearts in a game in which they were the better team.
The match ultimately came down to who took their chances; Middlebury squandered a point-blank header that should have made their lead three, rattling the crossbar instead. Overall, performing in the clutch was a season-long problem for the team according to winger Keagan Harder ’28.
“In the end it’s about taking moments and I think we didn't take our moments as well as we should have this year,” Harder said. “And credit to our opponents. They did well in that aspect.”
Elias echoed that sentiment. “We did not encounter a team that was just unbeatable and we got out-executed in some moments… I think we had the capacity to still be playing.”
All season long, Middlebury’s campaign walked the line between mediocre and great. In their five losses this year, they had at least as many shots as their opponent, including in their match against Wheaton and two games facing Tufts. The Panthers weren’t outplayed, just out-executed in decisive moments.
For a team ranked #3 at the beginning of the season, defeat was a tough pill to swallow — and the departure of the seniors made it even harder.
“That’s the worst part about losing,” Elias said. “Yeah, you want championships and you feel like we had more to do on the field, but we will not get together every day again.”
The graduating seniors are Alem Hadzic ’26, Eduardo Casanova ’26, Daniel Kaye ’26, Tyler Milne ’26, Gavin Randolph ’26, and Joey Waterman ’26.
“I will miss spending every day with this team,” Elias said.
Although the makeup of the team is changing, Middlebury will remain competitive next year. First-team NESCAC forward Will Sawin ’27 will return for his senior season. Harder, 2024’s NESCAC freshman of the year, is going into his junior campaign. Gonzalez hopes to finagle an extra year of eligibility. And the new first year class will add fresh firepower to the team’s arsenal.
“We have a lot of really talented young players,” Harder explained. “And even though we didn't achieve what we wanted to achieve this season, I feel closer with this team than I ever have.”
With another year gone, the clock is ticking for the Panthers to win a championship. Their last trophy was in 2010: a NESCAC title. Since then, Middlebury has been a NESCAC finalist three times and a semifinalist seven times — often close, but no cigar. With returning talent, incoming potential and a great coach, there’s reason to believe Middlebury’s breakthrough is close.
