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(12/09/15 8:06pm)
After entering the third period of both of this weekend’s games trailing their opponents, the Middlebury men’s hockey team stayed unbeaten in the NESCAC by coming from behind to tie Conn. College 2-2 and defeat Tufts 3-2 on Friday and Saturday Dec. 4-5.
The Panthers traveled to Connecticut College for their first away NESCAC game of the season, hoping to avenge their 1-0 loss to the Camels in the PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut the week before.
They struck first at around 18 minutes into the first period when Mark Lyman ’19 got the rebound off Mike Najjar ’17’s shot and put it home for his first career goal.
The Camels came back to take a 2-1 lead in the second period with two goals from Joe Birmingham assisted by Joe Giordano. Birmingham knocked in a rebound just over halfway through the period to tie the game and drove his go-ahead goal in from the slot with 1:49 remaining in the period.
Down 2-1 with 51 seconds left in the contest, Head Coach Neil Sinclair pulled goaltender Liam Moorfield-Yee ’16 for the extra attacker to try to tie the game at two. Ron Fishman ’16 received the puck at the blue line and passed it to Max Greenwald ’16. Greenwald sent the puck towards the far side where Vincent Gisonti ’18 then redirected it into the back of the net for the game-tying goal.
“I saw Vinny on the back door,” Greenwald said. “I shot it at his stick, he deflected it and it went in.”
The game went to overtime, but neither team could score and the game ended in a 2-2 tie. Moorfield-Yee made 35 saves to move to 0-1-1 for the season in his second consecutive start, while Conn College’s Jonah Conlin, after shutting out the Panthers last game, saved 36 shots.
Middlebury was back on the ice the following night at Tufts. Neither team could get it going offensively in the first period, and it ended tied at zero.
At the 9:34 mark of the second period, Gisonti was whistled for a tripping penalty, giving the Jumbos a one-man advantage. Tufts’ Nick Balboa drove home his first career goal 1:14 into the power play to move his team ahead 1-0. Less than two minutes later, Stephen Bell fired a shot and careened in to punch his own rebound into the net.
For the second straight game, the Panthers’ opponent outscored them 2-0 in the second period to take a lead into the final 20 minutes of regulation.
“In both games we had a strong start, a bad second period, and a great third period,” Greenwald said. “We can definitely improve our second period. We have come out and played down to other teams’ levels.”
Greenwald took matters into his own hands at the beginning of the third period. 2:40 in, he got to a loose puck first and skated towards the net before firing one past the Tufts netminder for the Panthers’ first goal of the game and his first of the season. Paul Falvey ’16 tied the game four minutes later, sneaking his shot from the circle just under the crossbar.
With a little over one minute left in regulation, Zach Haggerty ’16 gathered the puck in the neutral zone and sped into the Tufts zone. He ripped a shot that Tufts goalie Nik Nugnes blocked, but it rebounded to Cameron Romoff ’17, who beat Nugnes for the game-winning goal.
The Panthers outshot the Jumbos 20-10 in the third period and 52-35 overall.
Stephen Klein ’18 got the start in net for Middlebury and made 33 saves, including a couple after Romoff’s goal to preserve the lead, to move to 2-1-1 on the season.
“[Klein] has been playing great for us,” Greenwald said. “Both guys [Klein and Moorfield] have been playing well. I think coach sees that and is rewarding both of them for their hard work and their great play.”
With the win, the Panthers move to 2-2-2 overall and 2-0-2 in the NESCAC. They will put their undefeated record in the conference on the line this weekend when they travel to Hamilton and fifth-ranked Amherst on Friday and Saturday Dec. 11-12.
(11/11/15 9:30pm)
After upsetting Williams just one week ago, the Middlebury women’s soccer team couldn’t repeat the feat on Saturday, Nov. 7, falling in the NESCAC semifinals to the eventual NESCAC champions 2-1.
In the week leading up to the game, Head Coach Peter Kim described practice as business as usual.
“I can’t say we were really worried,” Kim said. “We knew we could beat them. We knew they were really good but we had a game plan going in. When you play a team like Williams you know they’re going to create some good chances but we knew were going to create our own as well and we just needed to finish them.”
The Ephs came into the game with a vengeance, and wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Just four minutes in, Jacqueline Simeon swung a corner kick in from the right to the far post, where Kristi Kirshe headed it into the back of the open net.
Two minutes later, Kirshe played the ball ahead for her teammate Kristina Alvarado, who was taken down in the box and awarded a penalty kick. Mai Mitsuyama stepped up to the spot and nailed the shot into the bottom left corner, leaving Middlebury keeper Kate Reinmuth ’17 helpless.
“We gave up the goals and it was frustrating, but it’s kind of indicative of how the season has gone,” Kim said. “We’ve had a lot of setbacks on and off the field and we’ve kept our focus and kept looking ahead. I think the whole game we felt like we were going to come back until the dying minutes. It could have been anyone’s game and it’s unfortunate it was a couple of set pieces that determined the game because you never like to see that.”
Despite being two goals down, Middlebury refused to back down. They almost came up with an answer 18 minutes in when Katherine Hobbs’ ’17 shot sailed just high. Their perseverance was rewarded in the 33rd minute through the hard work of Adrianna Gildner ’17. The fifth-leading scorer in the NESCAC unleashed a 20-yard effort from the right side that sailed into the upper left hand corner to cut the deficit to one going into the halfway point.
The second half settled into a back-and-forth affair, and the Panthers seemed to have the slight upper hand as they pushed to tie the game. Alvarado had a chance reestablish Williams’ two goal lead, but Reinmuth made the save.
In the final 10 minutes of the game, the Panthers turned it up a gear in search of a goal to tie the game and send it to overtime. Gildner sent a 35-yard free kick into the box where Amy Martin’s ’18 corralled it and shot, but was denied by keeper Tressa Palcheck. Just moments later, a Gildner shot rebounded to Hannah Robinson ’16. The Panther midfielder shot, but Palcheck made a full-extension save to keep Middlebury off the scoreboard and ultimately seal the Williams win.
Middlebury outshot its opponent 16-7, and Reinmuth made three saves, while Palcheck was credited with five.
Gildner believed that for most of the game the Panthers could walk away with the win.
“I think the best part of our play against Williams was that for almost the entire game we managed to play our style, stay connected, and stay positive as a team,” she said. “We possessed the ball and had a lot of opportunities on goal, but we weren’t able to capitalize on them, which unfortunately is just how soccer is sometimes.”
The Panthers graduate two seniors, Jamie Soroka ’16 and Robinson, who started 46 and 60 games in their career respectively. However, with much of the team returning, Kim is optimistic about the future.
“We have a lot of great young players and good team chemistry,” Kim said. “At the same time, while we’re not graduating a lot of players we’re graduating tremendous ability, so filling those shoes is going to take a lot of people.”
Despite this heartbreak, there are many positives to take away from the season and the evolution of the team.
“I think the way the team came together following so many tough setbacks — especially losing so many players — and some heartbreaking decisions on top of that really is a testament to their character,” Kim said. “The team really stuck together playing amazing soccer at the end of the season. It’s kind of tragic it ended the way it did because we really were hitting our stride.”
(11/05/15 12:43am)
After losing 2-0 to Bates on Saturday, Oct. 24, the Middlebury women’s soccer team’s possibility of making the NESCAC playoffs was in jeopardy. They were able to qualify for the tournament by beating Williams 2-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 27 in the last game of regular season, and then came from behind to beat Amherst 3-2 on Saturday, Oct. 30 in the NESCAC quarterfinals to secure a semifinal spot against Williams.
Bates snapped the Panthers seven game unbeaten streak. The Bobcats, riding the momentum from a draw with Amherst, controlled the game early. They were rewarded for their efforts in the 32nd minute, when Allison Hill sent a corner ball into the box that found the head of Karen Lockhart. The Bobcat striker was able to rise up above the Middlebury defense and place the ball in the back of the net.
Middlebury came out of halftime the better side, but none of their seven shots on goal were able to find the back of the net. Hill was the hero yet again by blocking a Panther shot in the 72nd minute to keep her team in front. Bates added insult to injury in the 83rd minute, when a cross from Olivia Amdur fell at the feet of Leah Humes, who doubled her team’s lead.
The Panthers were without Head Coach Peter Kim who stayed in Middlebury to await the birth of his second child and watched the game online from home.
“I feel like we just got too tracked into forcing passes,” Kim said. “[Bates] played really well, especially defensively, but we really didn’t finish our chances.”
With their hopes of a place in the NESCAC championship playoffs hanging by a thread, Middlebury looked to bounce back at home against Williams. However, this looked to be no easy task; Williams was currently undefeated in the conference with an unbeaten streak running 33 games long and ranked fourth nationally.
The Panthers didn’t seem to be daunted by the possibility of this challenge, and came out fighting. Jamie Soroka’s ’16 effort in the 25th minute from a free kick was just tipped over the crossbar by Eph’s keeper Tressa Palcheck. Williams threatened as well, when Madison Feeney’s shot was just saved by Kate Reinmuth ’17.
The two teams went into the second half still locked at 0-0. Williams looked to be the stronger team in the opening stages, but Reinmuth foiled a pair of chances from Abby Mors. The Panthers soon grew into the game, however, and continued to push for the game winner.
The breakthrough came in the 80th minute when Rebecca Palacios ’18 scored the first goal of her career. Amanda Dafonte ’19 found herself with some room on the right side before sending a cross that Palacios one-touched into the back of the net.
The Panthers refused to let go of their grip on the match and held off a William’s last offensive effort. They even gave themselves some breathing room with two minutes left on the clock, when Amanda Hotvedt ’17 connected with Dafonte’s cross into the righthand corner.
“We know [Williams] very well and they’re a familiar opponent,” Kim said. “So we made sure we were aware of their tendencies and we played to our strengths. We defended really well as well as transitioning to attack and I believe that the score probably could have been higher.”
Riding high, the sixth-seeded Middlebury was able to knock off third-seeded Amherst in an exhilarating match. The Lady Panthers suffered a tragedy after the Williams game with the loss of one of the Lady Panther’s father. The team came into the match with even more focus and determination.
The Panthers got on the scoreboard early, when Alissa Huntington ’18 fired in a shot from point-blank range just 10 minutes in. Amherst, however, responded eight minutes later when Emily Hester was brought down in the box. Ashlyn Heller stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty kick past Reinmuth. After the two goals, neither team could make much progress out of their own half, as the game evolved into a battle of the midfields. The Lord Jeffs found a way through in the 37th minute when Rachael Abernethy pounced on a rebound and one-touched the ball into the goal.
The Panthers were far from defeated, and came out in the second half looking to respond. They didn’t wait very long before Katherine Hobbs ’17 beat a defender and released the trigger on a shot from just outside the box, sending the ball flying over keeper Holly Burwick’s outstretched arms.
The winner came in the form of NESCAC Player of the Week Hotvedt, who scored the deciding goal with just 22 seconds remaining on the clock. The Panthers had moved the ball quickly up the field, when Hobbs sent a ball behind Amherst’s backline for Hotvedt to chase. The junior quickly touched the ball past the Amherst keeper and sent the ball into an open net.
“Scoring the final goal in our NESCAC quarterfinal game against Amherst felt so amazing,” Hotvedt, who earned NESCAC player of the week for her efforts, said. “The entire game was a full team effort, which really made the difference.”
The Panthers now gear up for a semi-final rematch against Williams this Saturday, Nov. 7.
“We beat Williams a week ago, and we’ll beat them again,” Hotvedt said. “There’s no better opponent than the no. 1 seed, and we’re ready to knock them right off their pedestal.“
(10/22/15 12:12am)
On Saturday, Oct. 17, a windy and below freezing day, former teammates gathered to watch the Middlebury women’s soccer team snatch a crucial 3-0 win against Trinity on homecoming weekend, who is second in the NESCAC standings. The Panthers now sit sixth in the conference with two games left in the regular season.
“We were trying to finally play our game,” Kim said. “We’ve shown really great glimpses this season, but haven’t really put together a full game that I knew we could. To the players credit they did that in the game against Castleton and just carried it over to the weekend.”
The beginning of contest started evenly matched with neither team able to get the ball beyond the halfway line. However, Middlebury soon came into their own and started generating some offense. The attacking trio of Hannah Robinson ’16, Jamie Soroka ’16 and Adrianna Gildner ’17 continued their impressive form, linking up well in the opening stages. Fifteen minutes into the half, Robinson found Gildner down the right side of the box, and she crossed the ball across the goalmouth to Soroka, who could not quite beat Trinity keeper Monica DiFiori. Soroka was back in action just five minutes later when she won the ball at the halfway line and played a diagonal ball in for Gildner. After chasing down the ball and drawing out the Trinity keeper, the angle was too difficult for the Middlebury striker whose shot found the feet a Trinity defender instead of the net.
Gildner broke the deadlock in the 29th minute for her eighth goal of the season. Amy Martin ’17 controlled a pass on the edge of the box and laid the ball down for Gildner to then loft the ball over DiFiori’s outstretched hands.
Middlebury seemed to find their rhythm after the opening goal, as most of the action took place in Trinity’s half.First-year Amanda Dafonte ’19 took the ball to the endline before lofting a cross in to Robinson, who almost scored on a header. Robinson followed up just minutes later, weaving in between defenders on the top of the box, but could only get off a shot that ended up in the keeper’s arms.
The Panthers picked up where they left off in the second half and were rewarded just four minutes in. Martin pounced on a Trinity mistake 30 yards out and turned on the turbo charge before sending a bouncing shot to the inside of the far post.
The Bantams showed brief signs of life after the second goal, and Middlebury had to play defense as the visitors tried to gain one back. They faced a scare with 25 minutes left in the game when the ball rolled across the face of the Middlebury goal, but no Trinity player could get on the end of it.
The Panthers responded by putting the game to bed in the 78th minute. After being fouled, Robinson sent a curling free kick that Alissa Huntington ’18 flicked backwards with her head into the net for the defender’s first goal of the season and a 3-0 Panther win.
“It’s hard to look past the shutout, the team as a whole defended really well and limited a dangerous attack to very few chances,” Kim said. “Additionally, to score three goals in a NESCAC game is a big deal.”
The Panthers ended the match with a 20-7 advantage in shots, while Kate Reinmuth ’17 finished with four saves to earn the win and her second shutout of the campaign. They move to 5-3-4 overall and 3-2-3 in the NESCAC with two league games remaining. The ladies return to action at Bates on Saturday, Oct. 24, and can improve upon their season-long two game winning streak and six game unbeaten streak.
“We’re continuing to fine tune ourselves,” Kim said. “We know what we’re capable of, but we have some tough opponents left in the schedule. It’s nice to know that our fate is in our hands, and if we win on Saturday, we’ll lock in a place in the conference tournament and even a potential top four showing, which isn’t completely up to us. Saturday’s game is massive.”
Kim’s biggest worry for the weekend, however, missing the game for the birth of his second child, due any day now.
(10/15/15 12:19am)
This weekend could have been much more for the Middlebury women’s soccer team, as the Panthers earned their third consecutive draw, tying Tufts 1-1 on Saturday, Oct. 10 and Wesleyan 2-2 on Sunday, Oct. 11.
The Panthers began the weekend with a trip to Tufts on Saturday. Middlebury followed their recent trend of getting on the board early when Adrianna Gildner ’17 scored in the tenth minute. Jamie Soroka ’16 dribbled down the left side, drawing Tufts goalkeeper Emily Bowers out of the goalmouth before feeding the ball to Gildner who tapped it into the back of the net.
Tufts hung around though, and Kate Reinmuth ’17 worked hard to deny long distance efforts from Tufts strikers Jess Capone and Alex Scheman. Tufts’ pressure was finally rewarded with just 42 seconds left in the first half, with Alessandra Sadler getting her first career goal for the Jumbos.
Both sides were unable to break the deadlock in the second half. Middlebury looked to be the better side, with an offensive onslaught that threatened to score several times. Middlebury saw two chances on back-to-back free kicks saved earlier on in the half, followed by back-to-back shots in the 80th minute. Capone had the last opportunity for Tufts, capitalizing on chaos in the Middlebury box after a corner, but Reinmuth made an outstanding diving save to paw the ball away from goal.
The overtime periods were quiet, with almost no shots on goal. Middlebury finished the game with a 14-9 shots advantage while Reinmuth finished with six saves.
“I thought that our midfield did well, [the] whole team played strong and the goalkeeping was excellent” Head Coach Peter Kim said. “We basically gave up one mistake and we paid the price for it. The field conditions are really awful there and they forced a lot of messy play and mistakes. When you play at Tufts a lot of it is about mistake management and we didn’t play a bad game. Tufts is always a tough game at home and it was their homecoming and senior day to boot, so it was an emotional day for them.”
After coming so close against Tufts, Middlebury travelled to Wesleyan on Sunday looking for a huge conference win. Gildner, whose play this weekend earned her NESCAC player of the week honors, continued her excellent form when she opened the scoring just four minutes into the game with her fourth goal in four matches. She unleashed a rocket from 20 yards out that bent just inside the right post.
“We’ve been working hard to combine well from the back line all the way to the front four, so it was great to finally see our work pay off and get goals that took the entire team,” Gildner said.
However, Kim is always cautious of a lapse of focus when his team gets on the board early.
“It takes a lot of focus and discipline,” Kim said. “It’s even harder when you have these double header weekends when you have all these people dropping out injured. Soccer is not a game meant to be played back to back, so it’s challenging with physical fatigue on top of mental fatigue. Credit to the girls for what they did put in.”
Middlebury’s momentum was interrupted when the team was forced to change goalkeepers ten minutes later when Reinmuth was injured and replaced by Emily Eslinger ’18. The Cardinals responded with a goal in the 15th minute of the half. Madeline Keane’s shot off of a corner was blocked by a Panther defender before the rebound came right back to the striker, who wasted no time making sure her second effort hit the back of the net.
Middlebury notched it up a gear, and the team’s efforts were rewarded just before the halftime whistle blew. Katherine Hobbs ’17 curled a shot from 20 yards away that dipped in just under the crossbar to give her team a 2-1 lead heading into the break.
The second half was characterized by congestion in the midfield, where neither side could progress much beyond the halfway line. Cardinals got the goal they were looking for in the 78th minute when Sarah Sylla scored on a corner kick, placing the ball just inside the right post. Sylla nearly grabbed the win for Wesleyan with just 30 seconds left on the clock, but her effort was saved by Eslinger.
Wesleyan was the better of the two sides in the overtime periods, with their efforts off of corner kicks furiously cleared by Middlebury. The Cardinals finished with a 15-12 shot advantage and 11-3 advantage in corners kicks.
“Obviously we wish we could’ve come away with two wins this weekend, but we are using that to motivate us going into the next couple of matches and hopefully raise our ranking in the NESCAC,” Gildner said.
The Panthers return to action on home turf for homecoming weekend against Trinity on Saturday, Oct. 17.
“Our goals for this weekend are going to be to come out stronger and harder than any of our opponents from the start and take (and keep) the lead early on,” Gildner said. “If we keep connecting as a team, play our style of possession and stay composed I have no doubt we will get the results we want this weekend.”
(10/07/15 11:41pm)
The Middlebury women’s soccer team bounced back in a big way on Saturday, Oct 3, trouncing Colby 4-0 to show off in front of a large crowd of parents and alumni.
From the whistle, Middlebury immediately looked to be the better team, as Head Coach Peter Kim demanded confidence and composure from his side.
“It was important for us to bounce back [from the game against Bowdoin] and they did a great job in responding positively,” Kim said. “They played a great match and played the game we wanted to play last weekend.”
The Panthers were almost instantly rewarded, when Adrianna Gildner ’17 fired a shot that deflected to Amy Martin ’17. However, Colby goalkeeper Ashley Conley shut down that attempt as well.
The Panthers looked to exploit a weak Colby defense by playing long balls to try to catch the Mules out of position. The Panthers finally got on the board in the 13th minute using their pace to their advantage. Gildner chased down a ball near the endline, and took the ball to the center before playing in Grace Woroch ’17. Woroch’s fancy footwork earned her some space before she placed the ball into the top-left corner for a 1-0 lead.
Middlebury continued to grow in confidence, easily shutting down any Colby attempt at generating offense. The Panthers were content to patiently build play and pass circles around the Mules. Middlebury, however, did suffer a blow in the injury of Alissa Huntington ’18, after the defender was taken down in the box and knocked in the ankle.
With just 31 seconds left, Middlebury doubled their tally when Martin sent a pass across the face of the goal, which Katherine Hobbs ’16 latched onto and one-touched it into the right corner to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Middlebury continued to outplay Colby in the second half. Gildner consistently outran the Mules defense to balls lofted from the Middlebury midfield, but was unable to find the mark. Jamie Soroka ’16 also went one-on-one with the Colby keeper after beating a defender, but her shot was too heavy, sending the ball sailing over the net.
However, Soroka soon scored the goal of the game. Hannah Robinson ’16 dribbled the ball around the box but was tripped and lost the ball, allowing for Abigail Blyler ’19 to pick it up and find Soroka just inside the box. Soroka took a touch then curled the ball into the top right-hand corner.
For the rest of the game, Colby could barely get the ball out of their own half, let alone contain the constant attacking threat of Gildner. The striker finally got the goal she deserved when she tapped the ball into the net after the Colby goalie had fumbled Robinson’s cross into the box.
Gildner felt that the highlight of the game was the contribution of the attacking quartet.
“After a tough loss at Bowdoin last week the front four has been working hard to improve their runs and movement up top,” Gildner said. “It was so rewarding to see the hard work pay off and to score goals that involved the entire team. This win is exactly what our team needed to gain momentum going into our upcoming games.”
The Panthers finished the match with a 24-5 advantage, generating chances right and left in the second half. Goalie Emily Eslinger ’18 earned the win with her first shutout this fall.
Middlebury looked to continue its winning ways in the opening half against Keene State on Monday. The Panthers opened the scoring in the 12th after Amanda Haik ’17 hit the mark for a free kick. They then doubled the scoring ten minutes later when Gildner’s shot bounced on the inside of the crossbar into the net. Middlebury reaped the rewards of another set piece, when with just six seconds left in the half, Gildner sent the ball flying over KSC goalie Dani Warhall from 28 yards out.
Middlebury, however, let their momentum slip in the second half. The Owls nicked one back in the 68th minute when Tori Laires headed in Jennifer Wilson’s corner kick. Growing in confidence from this goal, Keene State produced an offensive onslaught that Middlebury couldn’t handle. The Owls scored twice in 23 seconds to tie the match. In the 83rd minute, Patricia Norton sent a through ball for Shannah Summers, who chipped the ball over Eslinger. Sierra Trzepacz then beat Eslinger off the restart on the far side to even the score.
Middlebury was unlucky not to score in both overtime periods, as Warhall denied efforts from Woroch, Robinson and Gildner. Warhall finished with a career high 10 saves, while Middlebury finished with a 19-9 advantage in shots
Middlebury returns to action at Tufts on Saturday, Oct 10, a contest Kim is eagerly anticipating.
“Tufts is a really strong team and they’re always strong defensively, so we’ll be continuing this week to look to improve our scoring ways,” Kim said.
(09/30/15 9:54pm)
The Middlebury Women’s Soccer team came up short against NESCAC foe Bowdoin, losing 1-0 on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Bouncing back from an arduous week in which the Panthers played a total of 290 minutes in four days, the team travelled to Brunswick, Maine to take on the Polar Bears. From 2009-2013, Middlebury ruled this matchup, defeating Bowdoin six straight times, before losing for the first time in six years last year.
However, the team’s youth is still visible, and Head Coach Peter Kim has attributed the team’s early difficulties to a steep learning curve.
“We’re coming into our own as a team,” Kim said “We’re young, so we’ve made some young mistakes. It’s a matter of getting some composure to play our style of play and create more goal scoring opportunities.”
The lone goal of the game came 20 minutes into the match. After a Polar Bear lofted a pass forward, Kiersten Turner raced into the box to challenge Middlebury keeper Kate Reinmuth ’17 on a loose ball in the box. After Reinmuth fumbled the ball, the senior captain was able to tap the ball past Reinmuth and an oncoming Middlebury defender into the back of the net to give Bowdoin the 1-0 advantage.
Turner’s effort would prove to be the only goal of the game as neither team could get on the score sheet in the remaining 70 minutes. Adrianna Gildner ’17 almost grabbed one back for the Panthers with just four minutes left in the game, but the Bowdoin goalkeeper just barely kept the attempt out.
“We worked very hard, but overall we played poorly,” Kim said. “We lost our composure. Full credit to Bowdoin as they’re a very good team, but we have the ability to play a lot better than we did.”
Bridget McCarthy was the hero for Bowdoin, making four saves in the opening half to deny Middlebury any opportunities. Reinmuth made a pair of saves in the first 30 minutes before being replaced by Emily Eslinger ’18 who finished with three saves of her own.
Bowdoin held a 4-2 edge in corner kicks and 12-9 shot advantage. Hannah Robinson ’16 finished with three shots and two on goal to lead the Panthers’ offensive efforts.
Kim is looking for his team to work hard in practice this week and come back even stronger.
“We’ve lost heartbreakers to two important opponents but we still have the bulk of our NESCAC schedule left,” Kim said. “The next couple of weeks are crucial; it’s too early for us to be too worried about our position in the conference, but we also know we need to start winning games.”
Middlebury looks to redeem a NESCAC win when Colby visits Dragone Field on Saturday, Oct. 3.
(09/24/15 12:55am)
Middlebury women’s soccer came away from its first doubleheader of the season with mixed results. After conceding a 2-1 defeat in the final 15 seconds of the game against Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 19, the Panthers bounced back with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Hamilton on Sunday, Sept. 20. The team also traveled to play local rival, Plattsburgh, on Tuesday, Sept. 22 (RESULT).
When Amherst played host to Middlebury’s second in-conference game last Saturday, the opening half proved to be a hard-fought affair. Both teams became entrenched, unable to score any of the combined nine total shots on goal. Despite this back-and-forth action, the half was highlighted by just two main attempts, one from each side.
Amherst’s chance emerged when Megan Kim fed the ball to Rubii Tamen, whose shot to the right corner forced Middlebury’s keeper Kate Reinmuth ’17 to make a diving save. Middlebury’s best opportunity came with just a minute left in the half, after Emma Shumway ’18 made contact with the ball in a scuffle in the Amherst box, sending her shot just wide.
The Lord Jeffs broke the deadlock in the 58th minute off of a corner kick. Emily Hester collected the ball off the corner and passed to Guzzi at the top of the box, who sent it rocking into the back of the Panther net.
The Panthers were unable to respond for another 20 minutes, after the rebound from Katherine Hobbs ’17’s shot found the feet of Shumway, who drilled it into the back of the net.
With the game heading into overtime, the Panthers were caught sleeping in the final minute of the game. After Amherst sent the ball down the right sideline, Hester clinched a narrow victory for the Lord Jefferys by beating Reinmuth with her shot from just inside the box. Amherst held the advantage in both shots (15-9) and corner kicks (8-5).
Despite losing in such disappointing fashion, Head Coach Peter Kim was quick to derive positives from the game.
“We had some lapses in the Amherst game, but at many times we were the better team and it could have been either team’s game,” Kim said. “They preserved and caught us unaware at the very end of the game, but there were positives to take out of it. So even though it stung a lot, I feel like we’re right there with a lot of the teams in the conference.”
Kim said that at the final whistle of the Amherst game, the team already knew that it had to learn from its mistakes and move on to prepare to play Hamilton the next day.
Middlebury found its rhythm early, and was patient in building play around the midfield. A few early chances came for Middlebury’s offense including a shot skewed high and wide by Adrianna Gildner ’17, after Day Robins ’17 had faked out a defender and found Gildner in the box.
Panther fatigue was evident, however, as Hamilton looked dangerous only when capitalizing on Middlebury’s mistakes in its own half.
The first goal came for Middlebury in the 21st minute after earning a free kick when a Hamilton defender illegally sat on the ball. Grace Woroch ’17 quickly touched the ball to Jamie Soroka ’16 who coolly placed the ball into the upper right side of the net.
Soroka continued to wreak havoc on the Hamilton defense, scoring again just three minutes later. After the ball was lofted into the box, it found the head of Alissa Huntington ’18, who nodded the ball towards goal. Soroka had the killer touch, heading the ball into the Continental net.
Hamilton was sluggish to respond, and the Panther’s third goal came with ten minutes left, after Amanda Hotvedt ’17 found herself with time and space on the edge of the box and scored from 18 yards out.
The Continentals came back with heightened urgency, and looked certain to score with six minutes left in the half. After outrunning the Middlebury defense, Ali Clarke sent a ball towards goal, but Amanda Dafonte ’19 dove and put her body on the line to stop the shot. Hannah Withiam’s follow-up was then deflected away. Hamilton was finally rewarded in the 42nd minute after Reinmuth could only palm away Clarke’s effort. Reinmuth reflected the ball into the path of Darbe Philbrick, who forcefully placed it into the back of the net.
Hamilton started the second half the better team, playing slick passes behind the Panther defense to its quick strikers. Reinmuth had to race out to make a diving save three minutes in from an oncoming Hamilton player. Just minutes later, a Continental shot just hit the outside of the net. Middlebury was also lucky to escape a penalty after Reinmuth came intertwined with a striker that had sidestepped her in the box.
After a slight lapse in play, Middlebury got on the scoresheet for the fourth and final time. Shumway played Hotvedt at the top of the box, who capitalized on a keeper out of position, and one-touched into the top-left corner of the net.
Play quieted down in the final quarter of the game, with the ball bouncing back and forth between the teams. Middlebury started to play to the corners to neutralize any Hamilton threat.
The Continentals ended the game the stronger team with a 13-12 shots advantage.
Despit a slightly sloppy effort by the Middlebury Panthers, their firepower was put on display against Hamilton.
“Our goal scoring was very excellent [against Hamilton],” Kim said. “As a team, we didn’t play the game we like to play; it was something we had to dig out in these brutal doubleheader conference weekends. It’s a lot to ask the players, so even if it wasn’t the prettiest, full marks to those two for some great goals and some nice set-ups as well.”
On Tuesday Sept. 22, the Panthers fell in double-overtime to Plattsburgh State, conceding a 2-1 defeat.
Middlebury took a 1-0 lead just 7:46 into the game as Robinson scored her second goal of the year. In captain made goal, Hobbs fed Robinson, who then took one touch before firing the ball into the left side of the net.
The Panthers continued to be the better team until well into the second half when they conceded a Cardinals goal to even up the game. Anissa Hartmann calmly slotted a penalty kick after a Middlebury foul in the box.
Hartmann finally broke the deadlock four minutes into the second overtime to give the Cardinals the win. Hartmann latched on to the ball from a corner kick and blasted it into the net.
Plattsburgh held a 15-11 shot advantage and 5-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Panthers will next travel to Maine to take on Bowdoin on Saturday, Sept. 26.
(09/18/15 12:51am)
The cross country teams began their season at the Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 12. Squaring off against five teams across all levels of NCAA competition, the women finished third while the men finished fifth.
Due to the length of the season and the race’s falling on the sixth day of preseason, the Panther runners limited their efforts in the opening race to a controlled effort.
“We really held back on racing it and instead focused on running a more conservative tempo pace while working on the running together,” Head Coach Nicole Wilkerson said. “We wore heavier training shoes and not racing flats and really worked on pacing and strategy. It played out exactly how I had wanted it to and the day was really enjoyable.”
After running in tightly bunched pacing groups, Katherine Tercek ’16 set the pace for the women ranked third in the nation. She crossed the line in 15th (23:02.97), while Addis Fouche-Channer ’17 was close behind in 19th (23:27.68). Robin Vincent ’18, Adrian Walsh ’16, and Erzsie Nagy ’17 followed in 21st (23:31.49), 23rd (23:36.97),and 26th (23:52.91) respectively to round out the scorers.
Tercek believes that the team’s performance at Dartmouth proves how strong the squad will be this year, and is ecstatic to be running in a Panther uniform again after studying abroad last fall and fracturing her hip in the spring.
“It’s a fun group of girls who are all motivated and hard working,” Tercek said. “This was my first hitting the line before the race, I was so happy to be back running in the panther pack.”
Over the 8k distance, the men were slightly less successful than their female counterparts. Sam Klockenkemper led the Panther scorers with a 33rd-place finish (26:17.42) followed by Sebastian Matt ’16 in 38th place (26:22.61). The final three scorers finished just seconds apart with Brian Rich ’17 in 43rd (26:36.79), Sam Cartwright ’16 in 44th (26:45.91), and Tim McGovern ’18 (26:51.62) just behind.
Wilkerson is pleased with the progress her
team is making, but concedes that the road ahead will be a difficult one.
“We had a great year last year but think both teams would like to improve upon what we did last year and will do what we can to reach those goals,” Wilkerson said. “We have some incredible competition in the
Conference and at the regional level where many of the teams we will race against are top 10 teams in the Nation.”
The Panthers look to defend home turf on Saturday, Sept. 19, when they host the Aldrich Invitational. Races begin at 12:30 near the rugby field.
(09/18/15 12:47am)
The Middlebury women’s soccer team opened conference play with a 1-1 home draw against Connecticut College on Saturday, Sept. 13.
Despite an unusually short preseason and annual difficulty of forging a new team with lots of new faces, Head Coach Peter Kim went into the match positive of what his team could achieve.
“Our team’s strengths include its work rate, technical ability and tactical flexibility,” Kim said. “Our biggest challenge will be simply to come together as a relatively young team. We have lots of talent, and many of our players just need more game experience. In less than two weeks we’ve already shown excellent depth, leadership and team spirit.”
The two sides began the half with equal opportunities to score. The Camels opened scoring in the 13th minute after Annie Higgins sent a low cross into the box. Finding Nicole Medina, the striker needed only one touch to send the ball into the left side of the goal past Emily Eslinger ’18.
Refusing to back down, Middlebury kept up the pressure and answered with a goal of their own just four minutes later. Grace Woroch ’17 collected a loose ball close to the right sideline and sent it towards goal with Amy Martin ’17 on the receiving end. Martin had to think
quickly, shrugging off defenders to strike the ball into the upper-right corner.
The score remained at one goal apiece going into the intermission. With rain picking up, neither team could manage many shots on goals in the second half.
Middlebury’s greatest chance to move ahead was in the 58th minute, as Captain Hannah Robinson ’16 let rip a firecracker from 20 yards out, challenging Camels keeper Bryanna Montalvo into a fine save.
With six minutes to go in regular time, Conn. College almost secured an advantage. Higgins tried to knock down a skipping cross from the right, narrowly missing crossbar.
The deadlock continued into both overtimes. After the first overtime in which each team had just one shot, play opened up in the second extra session. In the 102nd minute, Montalvo came off her line to deny a sprinting Jamie Soroka ’16 from 25 yards out. Soroka continued to challenge, sending a free kick curling toward the left side of the goal that the Camels keeper needed to dive to save. Robinson joined the onslaught with a shot from the left just minutes after forcing a diving save from Montalvo.
Katherine Hobbs ’17 feels that her team’s performance was a positive start to the season.
“It was hard to swallow the tie since we know we could have come away with the win, but we fought a hard battle against the defending conference champs and saw lots of positives in our play,” she said.
The Panthers held a narrow 17-14 edge in shots, while the Camels had four corners to Middlebury’s three. Eslinger made two saves in the opening half, while Kate Reinmuth ’17 closed out the game making four saves. Soroka finished with five shots, a game high.
Kim’s goals for the rest of the season are simple.
“Our goal for the season is to enjoy every day that we have together. The team is focused on the process of preparing for each match and performing well one game at a time.”
Middlebury returns to NESCAC action on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Amherst.
(09/17/14 10:48pm)
This past Saturday, Sept. 14, the cross country teams opened the season with a quick trip to Hanover, NH to run in the Dartmouth Cross Country Invitational. Squaring off against five teams across all NCAA divisions, the women secured a fourth place finish while the men finished sixth.
Due to the length of the season, Coach Nicole Wilkerson limited her athletes’ efforts for the season opener: “The men [ran controlled] for 3 miles and then started racing for 2 miles and I held the women back for 2 miles and then they raced for the last 1.6 miles. I had divided each of the teams into 3 ‘packs’ but they kind of blended, as they were only about 5-10 seconds off per mile.”
The men kicked off the day with a fine showing in the 8000m distance. Kevin Wood ’15 led the way for the Panthers, finishing in 26:14, good for 29th place. Wood was followed closely by fellow tri-captains Wilder Schaaf ’14.5 and Jake Fox ’15, who made his Middlebury cross country debut after fighting injuries last season. Picking up the last scoring spots were Brian Rich ’17 and Sam Cartwright ’16 with 45th and 46th placing finishes. The varsity squad was rounded out by first years Tim McGovern ’18 and Peter Elkind ’18, who finished strong in their attempts at the 8000m.
On the women’s side, the team was fronted by Alison Maxwell ’15 and Katie Carlson ’15. Maxwell—the team’s top finisher at the NCAA meet last year—picked up right where she left off, clocking a time of 23:28 for 6000m, good for 30th place. Carlson followed nine seconds behind for a 31st place finish, a strong performance after missing last year’s track season. Behind the two seniors came the patented Middlebury “blob” — a pack of runners all finishing near one another — to close out the scoring. Addis Fouche-Channer ’17, Robin Vincent ’18, Adrian Walsh ’16, Olivia Artaiz ’16, and Brianna Bisson ’18 all finished within five seconds of one another. On the pack of Panthers, Carlson said, “As a team, we gained valuable practice running as a tight-knit pack, and as the season goes on I know we will only continue to narrow our spread. I think the underclassmen in particular are excited to step up and contribute.”
Since this meet was the first race since track season wrapped up in May, results were unpredictable for most. With tired legs from hard preseason training and tired minds from the first week of school, adjusting to racing can be difficult. Rich remains confident on the team’s prospects, saying, “I think that we came back well from preseason, which is incredibly demanding in terms of energy and time…I have full confidence that when we get to late season and post-season meets, our men’s team will be incredibly deep and very strong.”
The Panthers return to action on Saturday, Sept. 20th, hosting the Aldrich Invite in a preview of the NESCAC Championship course. Races begin at 12:30 near the rugby field.
(04/16/14 3:03pm)
While most Middlebury students were enjoying three days off last weekend, the softball team was busy playing five games over the course of three days. They swept a three-game series with NESCAC rival Wesleyan on April 11-12 and split two games with Keene State on Sunday, April 13.
The Panthers won the first game of the series against Wesleyan 6-2 on Friday. Kimber Sable ’14, Jackie Stern ’16 and tri-captain Emily Kraytenberg ’14 scored when Hye-Jin Kim ’17 smashed a three-run double, putting the Panthers up 3-0 in the third. Wesleyan scored in the fourth and fifth, but Middlebury secured the win in the bottom of the fifth with runs from Kim, Carlyn Vachow ’16, and Kelsey Martel ’15.
The Panthers won both games of the Saturday doubleheader 4-3. The Cardinals started the first game with a bang, scoring two early, and their pitcher, reigning NESCAC Pitcher of the Week Su Pardo, made it difficult for the Panthers to answer. Kim proved key in this game, sending Kraytenberg home in the fifth, and Stern home in the seventh. Stern’s run tied the game and sent it in to extra innings. The game proved to be a nail biter, and neither team managed to cross home plate during the eighth or ninth inning, forcing the teams to start the 10th with a runner on second, according to NESCAC tie-breaker rules. Wesleyan snuck in a run the 10th, but Middlebury fought back, taking advantage of a throwing error to tie the game, and then Martel hit a fly that sent Vachow in to score, winning the game.
Middlebury rode the momentum into the final game of the series, scoring three in the first when Vachow cleared the bases with a double to left. The Cardinals worked their way back, responding with runs in the fourth and fifth before they tied the game in the seventh. It was then that Vachow stepped up once again to seal the Panthers’ victory, this time with a home run. Kim sang the praises of her teammate. “Carlyn was especially amazing…both behind the plate and at the plate,” Kim said. “She’s clutch.”
The team was back on the field on Sunday with another double-header, this time against Keene State. The Owls got on the board first with a bases loaded walk in the first and then again with a run in the third, but the Panthers made a fierce comeback, with five hits and four runs. One three-run double on the weekend wasn’t enough for Kim, as she smacked yet another one in the third, then scored off a hit by Sarah Freyre ’17. Keene State tied the game in the fourth, but Middlebury went full steam ahead, and Sable, Christina Bicks ’15 and Kim all scored in the fifth.
The Panthers faltered in the nightcap however, trailing by five until the third, but the resilient team bounced back when Sable hit an RBI triple and Vachow smashed a ball to the fence that sent three runners home. Siobhan O’Sullivan ’17 and Emily Smith ’14 added a run each when Kraytenberg smashed one in the fourth. The Panthers looked like they had the game, but the Owls managed to come back in the seventh. It was a tie game with two outs when the Owls managed to eke out one more run to win the game, breaking the Panthers six-game winning streak.
Despite being “a little bummed” to split with Keene State, Kim was very happy with the team’s performance.
“Our games this weekend were a complete team effort,” Kim said. “We never lost confidence in each other even when we were down a couple runs, which was really cool.”
Coach Kelly Bevere also complimented her team on doing “an excellent job staying mentally tough in some really tight games.”
The Panthers play Hamilton at home this weekend, and Kim feels supremely confident about the coming series.
“Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wives, and hide yo’ brooms because we’re planning to sweep Hamilton,” Kim said.
(04/09/14 2:57pm)
The Middlebury Cycling Team has quietly become a powerhouse.
After the fall mountain bike season and the winter cyclocross season, it’s now time for road racing. The highlight of the winter season came on Jan. 12, when Sam O’Keefe ’16.5 rode to second place in the Division II US Collegiate Cyclocross National Championship in Boulder, CO. Now, it is halfway through the two-month spring season, and in that time, nine Middlebury riders have competed in races in Philadelphia and New York. The team has claimed three wins, two second-place finishes, and a fourth-place finish. With only these results, Middlebury is currently ranked eighth among east coast Division-II schools.
Collegiate cycling is unique in that any student from any school on the east coast can compete in races organized by the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC). That means that first-years from Skidmore might race against 26-year old Yale Medical School students. Road, mountain, cyclocross and track cycling all have their own seasons.
In road racing, men and women race in time trials (against the clock), criteriums (short course, lots of laps), circuit races (medium course, multiple laps) and road races (long course, few laps). Most of the events vary in distance based on each of the five categories - Intro, D, C, B, and A, in ascending order of the level of competition.
The Intro category is a great way to start bike racing, or even just to get a taste of what the pros do in the Tour de France; each race is preceded by a clinic with a veteran coach who guides new cyclists through the technicalities of racing with other competitors. From there, racers work their way up through the categories by accumulating points from good results in each respective field.
The most elite category, the A category, frequently sees professional and nationally-acclaimed riders. Since cycling is not an NCAA sport, professionally paid athletes are permitted to compete at all collegiate events. At the end of the two-month road season that features events around the northeast, the top men and women racers from the ECCC A category travel to nationals, where they compete against other collegiate teams from across the country.
This year, Middlebury Cycling, one of the oldest and most productive sports teams at the College, is stacked with a diverse and talented group of racers.
Alex Gimbel ’16.5 fell in love with cycling when she got to Middlebury, but she had never considered racing until a couple friends on the team convinced her to give it a shot. In her first intercollegiate cycling weekend on March 15-16, Gimbel decided to race in the women’s Intro category. Saturday’s circuit race found Gimbel charging off to the front of the pack, with only one rider from Temple University able to stay on her wheel. Gimbel claimed second place, a truly amazing result for her first-ever bike race. But Gimbel wanted to win, and she exacted her revenge during Sunday’s criterium, breaking away from the main field on the first lap and winning the race by nearly a minute.
That same weekend, Kai Wiggins ’16.5 and Zack Isaacs ’15.5 raced in the men’s A category. They targeted Sunday’s criterium as the race to win. Halfway through the race, a 10-man breakaway split from the main field. Wiggins attacked the breakaway relentlessly, before he and a rider from Northeastern University left the group behind entirely. On the last lap, Wiggins powered away from his companion to take a definitive victory.
The next weekend on March 22, the team traveled to Bard College for another criterium. Jake Barker ’16 and O’Keefe raced in the Men’s B field. O’Keefe rode like a lion throughout the race, countering moves and riding at the front of the pack, but with five laps to go, Barker attacked with a rider from Northeastern up the climb on the back half of the course. O’Keefe slipped off the front of the pack to let the others try to chase his teammate down, but their efforts were for naught, and Barker captured another second-place finish for Middlebury Cycling.
Looking forward, the team will be traveling to Dartmouth for L’Enfer du Nord, to the University of Vermont for the Mount Philo Road Race and to the conference championship in Providence, RI in late April.
With Isaacs already qualified, the team is also planning to send a small contingent of members to the U.S. Collegiate Road National Championship in Richmond, VA, in May.
The cycling team is always looking for new members, and anyone interested should send an email to cycling@middlebury.edu, or just flag down someone in spandex.
(03/19/14 3:00pm)
As I lay tossing and turning last Thursday night in our Omaha hotel, I finally fell into a shallow sleep. Suddenly I was on the line for the 400 meters, in front of thousands of people. The gun had gone off and I was running smoothly. I saw the whole race ahead of me, and with every meter I was growing in confidence. I had passed the top-seeded runner on the final turn and when I dipped my chest over the line I saw 55 seconds flash onto the board. Everything had gone perfectly. And then I woke up. Sometimes our dreams have their happy endings, but many times they do not. It is how we learn to deal with the disappointment that makes us stronger, faster and better.
My dream did not have its happy ending this time. After finally making it to the 2014 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska a day late due to snowstorm Vulcan, I could already feel nerves building. This was not my first nationals; I had come last year as a member of a phenomenal distance medley relay team. As a fresh-faced first-year and the 400-meter runner in the relay, I had let the older senior girls take care of me. Now I was alone. As a qualifier for the 400 individually as well as the now 800-meter runner for the distance medley relay, there was no one to hold my hand. I had to deal with the expectations I had created for myself.
I have always considered myself a competitor and never had I been hungrier for a win. But sometimes no matter how driven, how focused, how ready we might feel, fate takes a different direction. Sitting in the bullpen minutes before the race, I was surrounded by sixteen other girls just as hungry as I was and most more experienced. Although there was barely space for us to move, I felt so alone.
Sometimes before even stepping onto the line, I know that I am going to have a bad race. But this was not one of those times, I felt like I had it all in me. But as soon as the gun went off, it just did not click. The girls were too strong and fast right from the start, and as a runner that thrives in the second lap by chasing people down, they were already too far out of my grasp for me to even think that was a reality. I am never in my head during a 400, but this time, the whole second lap I could not stop thinking about how much I had messed up. I had let a great opportunity literally run away from me. Reality does not get much harsher than finishing in dead last place.
I could only weakly hug my mom and my coaches who did their best find the positives in my race. I couldn’t even tell them where it had gone wrong. I had not felt weak, tired, or slow. Sometimes the race just gets the best of you. My teammates knew that no words could make me feel better; they had all been there before. We all have those days, but I was kicking myself that one of those days had to be on the national stage.
The individual nature of track is both my favorite and sometimes the hardest thing about being a runner. Success is solely mine, but so is that failure. When you set such high expectations for yourself, it is hard not to be disappointed. We must take ownership of our actions, and make sure that a loss is not our downfall but rather just one hurdle on the road to greatness. As much as I wanted to beat myself up about what I could have done better, less than three hours later I was running in the distance medley relay – running for three other girls that deserved glory collectively more than I deserved it individually. And receiving All-American honors was a great way to bounce back.
It is so hard to not get in your head, to define yourself based on your latest race. But I came into Middlebury having never run indoor track, never having run under 60 seconds, and unsure how I would be able to prove myself. Going into that Friday race, I should not have lost sight of how much I had accomplished from that starting point. I will always be disappointed with what happened in that race, but I cannot help but be proud of how much I achieved, especially this season, just to be able to be in that 400.
For now, there is nothing to do but move on. I am ready to do anything to earn that spot again on the 400 starting line, this time on the outdoor track. Then, maybe my dream will have its happy ending.
(12/04/13 9:24pm)
With less than 20 seconds on the clock on Sunday, Nov. 24, Scarlett Kirk ’14 was battling 25 mph winds and a Johns Hopkins defender with her back to the goal and seemingly nowhere to go. In one quick motion, the Middlebury forward’s turn opened up space to tuck away the ball past the outstretched Hopkins keeper in the back of the net. Kirk turned with arms open to welcome her celebrating teammates and the program’s first ever spot in the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
“The whole play is a bit of a haze, but I remember getting the ball and thinking that this was my chance to end this game before overtime, and I got lucky that it was a good shot that beat the keeper,” Kirk said. “I was so cold and exhausted at that point, I was so happy that the game wasn’t going into overtime. I still can’t believe that it happened and that we’re actually going to the Final Four. It’s been our dream ever since I’ve been at Middlebury.”
Just a day earlier, on Saturday, Nov. 23, the Panthers emphatically announced themselves as serious NCAA contenders with a 5-1 win over Misericordia, in a game that included a hat trick from Kirk.
In the beginning, Middlebury looked uncomfortable playing on the largely unknown turf field, with the Panthers having a hard time finding feet and controlling passes on the fast surface. It didn’t take long for Middlebury to grow into the game, generally dictating play and limiting Misericordia’s chances on goal.
Kirk netted her first goal of the game in the 38th minute after an impressive Hannah Robinson ’16 one-touch pass toward the striker to knock it past the keeper.
Middlebury doubled its lead in the final minutes of the first half with Molly Parizeau '15 her first goal of her Middlebury career. Kirk was yet again instrumental, earning a corner after chasing down a long ball and her shot with deflected behind. Ali Omsberg ’15 quick pass found Parizeau at the near post for a header and 2-0 lead before halftime.
Middlebury came out even stronger in the second half, with two goals in the first five minutes of play.
Robinson played a weighted ball down the left hand side to carve open space to find Jamie Soroka ’16, who cut the ball back to find Kirk open in the middle of the box. In a tight space, Kirk volleyed the ball into the corner of the net.
Just four minutes later, Kirk earned her hat trick after a masterful series of passes from the Panthers. Quick, one-touch passing didn’t allow Misericordia to close down Middlebury fast enough. Robinson found Julie Favorito ’14 at the top of the box, where the tri-captain one-touched a through ball that Kirk converted despite tumbling to the ground and her hair falling out of its ponytail.
The Panthers continued their dominance on corners, with their final goal of the game coming from a header by Sarah Noble ’14 after a corner from Carter Talgo ’15 in the 58th minute.
Middlebury then began to slow the game down, with patient build-up and relaxed play. The Panthers were briefly punished for this, after a consolation goal from the Cougars in the 71st minute. Middlebury was caught sleeping on the corner, as a shot from Megan Lannigan was deflected into the goal.
The dominant performance wiped away the painful memories of last year’s NCAA Regional final’s 1-0 loss to the Cougars.
“I thinking going into the game we were just happy how far we had already come, but the fact we had that history with them made us want to win that much more, and I think that showed in how we played,” Noble said.
On Sunday, Johns Hopkins and Middlebury braved brutal conditions of harsh winds and a temperature (without wind-chill) of 20 degrees. The Blue Jays benefited in the first half with the wind at their backs, posting a 9-0 shot advantage.
Hopkins’ first real chance of the afternoon came just two minutes into the game after being awarded a free-kick, but saw their effort go just over the crossbar. Neither team threatened again until the 20th minute when Hannah Kronick and Kelly Baker worked a give-and-go, but Kronick was unable to handle the return pass.
Middlebury’s best chance of the half came in the 23rd minute when Soroka rocketed down the left hand side, but tried to play a pass to Kirk in the middle instead of shooting. Chances were few and far between for Middlebury, as the Blue Jays kept pushing the Panthers back.
Johns Hopkins finished the half with the last real chance, as goalie Elizabeth Foody ’14 produced a top notch save, catching Baker’s fizzing shot in mid-air.
The Panthers came out in the second half looking to make amends for their poor first half performance.
In the 61st minute, Middlebury was denied a penalty kick after Robinson’s shot hit the hand of a Blue Jay defender, the ball instead deflected behind for a corner. Parizeau saw her shot denied, her rebound falling to Robinson who’s follow up attempt rattled the cage.
On the other end, Kronick continued to pile on the pressure, first seeing her effort from 20 yards out stopped by Foody and just three minutes later launching a shot over the goal.
With overtime looming, Middlebury began to crank into gear, pushing forward. On their last offensive threat, Favorito touched a challenged ball ahead to Kirk for the senior forward to net her 16th goal of the season and the 47th of her career.
Middlebury’s final push is reflective of a season that has seen the majority of the Panthers’ goals scored in the final five minutes.
“One of my professors came up to me after the game and said that something in the last five minutes seemed to literally just switch with us, but I think that’s just how our season’s being going, we’ve won so many games in the last couple minutes,” Lindsay Kingston ’14 said. “We talk about how it has to be a 90 minute game and play through it all and I think that’s really helped us beat many teams.”
Favorito thinks this weekend’s performance showed that Middlebury’s spot in the Final Four is no fluke.
“I think beating a big name team like John Hopkins that we have heard about for years really boosted our confidence in terms of playing teams like Trinity-Texas who we’ve never played before but have heard a lot about,” Favorito said. “We proved to ourselves that we are up there with the nationally ranked teams. Not sure what to expect but I’m so excited to get on a plane with this team, it has been a dream of the seniors for a long time.”
Middlebury will face second ranked Trinity University on Friday, Dec. 6 in the National Semifinal. Despite the significance of the game, head coach Peter Kim insists that nothing will change in the team’s preparation.
“We’re going to continue what we’ve been doing all year: take each game one at a time,” Kim said. “We’ve never expected anyone to be a weak opponent so there’s not going to be any surprises when we play against a good team. I don’t think we even want to play against a weak team at this point.”
(12/04/13 8:45pm)
As I counted the bruises up my shins, I also kept counting down the days until the bubble would be torn down. I thought that I would never miss that two-and-a-half lane track — one of the lanes just disappearing into nothingness, the sharp corners, and concrete straightaways disguised with a thin layer of rubber. We dreamt of the new field house we had been shown on building plans and posters since the day we had our first recruitment meeting. We hardly thought about what we were going to do in the interim without a track, nervously giggling when we mentioned it off the cusp and our coach even shrugging with a grin when we asked about our plans for next year. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” With that bridge now ahead of us — and the baseball, softball, ultimate frisbee, and lacrosse teams all waiting to cross it with us — life outside the bubble all of the sudden feels very real.
I love running for its simplicity. That it’s just you out there on the trail or in your starting blocks, and that all you need is a pair of shoes. Abebe Bikila even won the 1960 Olympic Marathon in Rome barefoot. You are the creator of your own destiny. No one else.
However, it’s easy to say that simplicity has not been the theme of this year’s season. We leave now our fate in the hands of the weather gods, constantly checking the weather app on our phones for whether the temperature will peak at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m., when the sun will set, switching our off-day from Sunday to Wednesday in pursuit of an extra ray of sunshine and one more day on the outdoor track. 43 degrees used to be our outdoor cut-off point; we’re now pushing low 20s — snowflakes mixing with our cold sweat.
Indoors, Nelson Arena resembles something of a refugee center. Sprinters run on rolled out pieces of rubber or hug the walls of the arena trying to replicate 200m intervals. Hurdlers walk over hurdles set up in the middle of tennis courts. Throwers hurl javelins that occasionally get stuck in basketball hoops and jumpers launch themselves onto mats squished in the back. Other teams watch on patiently, waiting often until 7 p.m. or later for their turn.
Yet no one complains.
We are still the creators of our own destiny and nobody can change that. I’ve often been called crazy for choosing track and field as the sport I wanted to pursue in college. And to be honest, I probably am crazy; most of this team crazy is for how much they love running. That love is what is making life outside the bubble tolerable. The desire to get better, faster, and stronger never stops. I’m still hungrier than ever, and lamenting the fact we have no real place to practice doesn’t win races.
The future of Middlebury Track and Field is exciting; in the next year, and for the next 30 years and beyond, this team will be practicing in a facility that is capable of hosting NCAA competitions. Seniors, in their last year of racing and unable to reap the rewards of the new field house, still excitedly talk about the benefits of the construction. While racing is an individual event, this team is truly a family. While we run for ourselves, we ultimately each run for each other. We run bubble-less for this year for what it gives the next generations of Middlebury athletes, with the schedule changes, crowded spaces and sore shins are more than worth it.
Sport is sometimes sacrifice, but it makes the victory so much sweeter.
(11/26/13 9:48pm)
With less than 20 seconds on the clock on Sunday, Nov. 24, Scarlett Kirk ’14 battled against winds over 25 mph and a Johns Hopkins defender with her back to the goal and seemingly nowhere to go. In one quick motion, the Middlebury forward’s turn opened up space to tuck away the ball past the outstretched Hopkins keeper in the back of the net. Kirk turned with arms open to welcome her celebrating teammates and the program’s first ever spot in the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
“The whole play is a bit of a haze, but I remember getting the ball and thinking that this was my chance to end this game before overtime, and I got lucky that it was a good shot that beat the keeper,” Kirk said. “I was so cold and exhausted at that point, I was so happy that the game wasn’t going into overtime. I still can’t believe that it happened and that we’re actually going to the Final Four. It’s been our dream ever since I’ve been at Middlebury.”
Just a day earlier, on Saturday, Nov. 23, the Panthers emphatically announced themselves as serious NCAA contenders with a 5-1 win over Misericordia, including a hat trick from Kirk.
In the beginning, Middlebury looked uncomfortable playing on the largely unknown turf field, with the Panthers having a hard time finding feet and controlling passes on the fast surface. It didn’t take long for Middlebury to grow into the game, generally dictating play and limiting Misericordia’s chances on goal.
Kirk netted her first goal of the game in the 38th minute after an impressive Hannah Robinson ’16 one-touch pass toward the striker to knock it past the keeper.
Middlebury doubled their lead in the final minutes of the first half giving Molly Parizeau ’15 her first goal of her Middlebury career. Kirk was yet again instrumental, earning a corner after chasing down a long ball and her shot with deflected behind. Ali Omsberg ’15 quick pass found Parizeau at the near post for a header and 2-0 lead before halftime.
Middlebury came out even stronger in the second half, with two goals in the first five minutes of play.
Robinson played a weighted ball down the left hand side to carve open space to find Jamie Soroka ’16, who cut the ball back to find Kirk open in the middle of the box. In a tight space, Kirk volleyed the ball into the corner of the net.
Just four minutes later, Kirk earned her hat trick after a masterful series of passes from the Panthers. Quick, one-touch passing didn’t allow Misericordia to close down Middlebury fast enough. Robinson found Julie Favorito ’14 at the top of the box, the tri-captain one-touched a through ball that Kirk converted despite tumbling to the ground and her hair falling out of its ponytail.
The Panthers continued their dominance on corners, as their final goal of the game coming from a header by Sarah Noble ’14 after a corner from Carter Talgo ’15 in the 58th minute.
Middlebury then began to slow the game down, with patient build-up and relaxed play. The Panthers were briefly punished for this, after a consolation goal from the Cougars in the 71st minute. Middlebury were caught sleeping on the corner, as a shot from Megan Lannigan was deflected into the goal.
The dominant performance wiped away the painful memories of last year’s NCAA Regional final’s 1-0 loss to the Cougars.
“I thinking going into the game we were just happy how far we had already come, but the fact we had that history with them made us want to win that much more, and I think that showed in how we played,” Noble said.
On Sunday, Johns Hopkins and Middlebury braved brutal conditions of harsh winds and a temperature (without wind-chill) of 20 degrees. The Blue Jays benefited in the first half with the wind at their backs, posting a 9-0 shot advantage.
Hopkins’ first real chance of the afternoon came just two minutes into the game after being awarded a free-kick, but saw their effort go just over the crossbar. Neither team threatened again until the 20th minute when Hannah Kronick and Kelly Baker worked a give-and-go, but Kronick was unable to handle the return pass.
Middlebury’s best chance of the half came in the 23rd minute when Soroka rocketed down the left hand side, but tried to play a pass to Kirk in the middle instead of shooting. Chances were few and far between for Middlebury, as the Blue Jays kept pushing the Panthers back.
Johns Hopkins finished the half with the last real chance, as Foody produced a top notch save, catching Baker’s fizzing shot in mid-air.
The Panthers came out in the second half looking to make amends for their poor first half performance.
In the 61st minute, Middlebury were denied a penalty kick after Robinson’s shot hit the hand of a Blue Jay defender, the ball instead deflected behind for a corner. Parizeau saw her shot denied, her rebound falling to Robinson who’s follow up attempt rattled the cage.
On the other end, Kronick continued to pile on the pressure, first seeing her effort from 20 yards out stopped by Foody and just three minutes later launching a shot over the goal.
With overtime looming, Middlebury began to crank into gear, pushing forward. On their last offensive threat, Favorito touched a challenged ball ahead to Kirk for the senior forward to net her 16th goal of the season and the 47th of her career.
Middlebury’s final push is reflective of a season that has seen the majority of the Panthers goals scored in the final five minutes.
“One of my professor’s came up to me after the game and said that something in the last five minutes seemed to literally just switch with us, but I think that’s just how our season’s being going, we’ve won so many games in the last couple minutes,” Lindsay Kingston ’14. “We talk about how it has to be a 90 minute game and play through it all and I think that’s really helped us beat many teams.”
Favorito thinks this weekend’s performance showed that Middlebury’s spot in the Final Four is no fluke.
“I think beating a big name team like John Hopkins that we have heard about for years really boosted our confidence in terms of playing teams like Trinity-Texas who we've never played before but have heard a lot about,” Favorito said. “We proved to ourselves that we are up there with the nationally ranked teams. Not sure what to expect but I'm so excited to get on a plane with this team, it has been a dream of the seniors for a long time.”
Middlebury face second ranked Trinity-Texas on Friday, Dec. 6 in the National Semifinal. Despite the significance of the game, Peter Kim insists that nothing will change in the team’s preparation.
“We’re going to continue what we’ve been doing all year: take each game one at a time,” Kim said. “We’ve never expected anyone to be a weak opponent so there’s not going to be any surprises when we play against a good team. I don’t think we even want to play against a weak team at this point.”
(11/20/13 6:55pm)
The Middlebury women’s soccer team continued its dream season with a NCAA regional championship win, defeating Bridgewater State 5-0 on Saturday, Nov. 16, and Endicott 2-1 on Sunday, Nov. 17.
On Saturday, Middlebury established their dominance early, putting Bridgewater on the back foot from the outset. Strong Panther pressure forced the Bears out of possession and to make mistakes. Bridgewater wasn’t able to replicate the same kind of strong defense, mistiming tackles and allowing Middlebury free pockets of space.
In the first 30 minutes, it looked like Middlebury would be left to rue missed opportunities as the Panthers, despite numerous opportunities, struggled to find the back of the net. In particular, Scarlett Kirk ’14 benefited from long balls past the defense, beating the back line with her power and speed.
In the 22nd minute, Ali Omsberg ’15 played a ball to open up space for Kirk, but Bridgewater keeper Kerry Condon slid to challenge the Panthers striker before she could get a shot off. Just minutes later, Julie Favorito ’14, recently crowned NESCAC Player of the Year, found herself with the ball in front of the net after a lofted pass into the box, but she could manage only a tame shot to the goalkeeper.
Middlebury found its breakthrough 34 minutes into the game, starting with a free kick from Molly Parizeau ’15 into the box. Kirk was able to head the ball from the endline behind her to find Adrianna Gildner ’15, who tucked the ball into the corner with a cool volley.
The Panthers finished the half strongly, doubling their lead in the 42nd minute. After great play down the left hand side by Katlyn Casey ’15, Gildner tempted the keeper out of position before playing a pass into the middle of the box to find Grace Woroch ’17. Woroch acted fast to pull off a shot that was almost cleared by a Bears defender, but benefited from a bounce off the post into the goal.
Despite a 2-0 lead, Middlebury came out in the second half hungry for more goals. They didn’t have to wait long, as their lead grew just five minutes into the second half. Moria Sloan ’15 played a great feed from the left hand side to find Jamie Soroka ’16 unmarked, with her shot slipping past the weak hands of Condon to find the far post.
Middlebury continued to cut Bridgewater open with ease, increasingly growing more confident in the game. Woroch got her brace in the 66th minute, placing the ball between the keeper’s legs from Kirk’s endline cross. Amanda Hotvedt ’17 rounded off the scoring for Middlebury by converting a penalty kick in the 70th minute to bring the Panthers lead to five goals.
With four different goal scorers in the game, a stark contrast to last season, head coach Peter Kim is happy with how his team is progressing.
“It’s much more indicative of our style that there are more goal scorers this year,” Kim said. “It also shows how good our team chemistry is that we have more players contributing in big ways.”
Middlebury finished with a 20-2 shots advantage in the game, with Elizabeth Foody ’14 making one save in 68 minutes, while Kate Reinmuth ’17 made no saves in 2 minutes of play.
Riding high, Middlebury entered the Regional Championship game against Endicott full of confidence. The Panthers controlled the tempo early with Endicott not able to get a touch on the ball.
The score didn’t remain goalless for long, as 14 minutes into the game the Panthers earned a corner kick after Soroka played a ball down the left hand side and Kirk pressured the defender into kicking the ball out. Sloan stepped up to place an inch perfect corner into the box that Kirk nodded into the back of the net.
The Panthers seemed to come alive after their goal, with numerous chances going wanted. In the 20th minute, Kirk seemed trapped on the endline with pressure from a defender, but with fancy footwork, she managed to swivel to loft a pass that Carter Talgo ’15 who couldn’t quite connect with it. Favorito came close just minutes later after ripping a shot from outside the box after a short free kick from Sloan. Robinson had the last real chance in the game after turning and drilling a powerful from the top of the 18 that just grazed the fingertips of the Endicott keeper.
Middlebury came out in the second half and continued to dominate the game, albeit at a slower pace. The Panthers continued knocking on the door, but couldn’t quite cash in on a second goal.
Kirk almost got on the board again in the 65th minute when Sarah Noble ’14 sent a bouncing ball towards the goal. Kirk and Endicott keeper Katie Donnelly both challenged for the ball, but missed it as Gull defender Clare Mansfield clear the ball away on the goal line.
With 19 minutes left in the game, Parizeau played a ball across the field to find Soroka at the far post who executed an impressive jumping volley, but was denied by offside.
The Panthers finally found their second goal after impressive solo work from Gildner in the 79th minute. The first-year forward battled with a defender on the right hand side and with a quick burst of pace and step-over found herself with just enough time to let loose a curer that nestled into the top left hand corner.
Gildner almost got a second in similar fashion just minutes later after speeding through the Endicott backline, but after losing her balance she could only manage a tame shot at the onrushing goalie.
An Endicott consolation goal in the final four minutes of the game made for a nervous last few minutes for the Panthers. After LeeAnn Card sent a pass along the end line, Foody was only partially able to stop it before Selby McLenithan bounced on the loose ball to smash it into the net. Endicott almost looked like challenging again with just two minutes left, but a shot from Madison Missinne sailed over the crossbar.
Despite the win, tri-captain Favorito is sure not to let the team get ahead of itself.
“There was definitely an overall consensus that we should have dominated the Endicott game more than we did,” Favorito said. “But in the end the win was all we needed to get to the sweet sixteen so the team is very excited to have made it this far.”
Middlebury has won the right to host the NCAA sectional game against Misericordia on Saturday, Nov. 23. After falling to Misericordia in the NCAA Regional Championship game last year, Kim is looking for a different result.
“I expect a really strong team, at least as strong as last year,” Kim said. “I felt we outplayed them and especially outshot them, but sometimes soccer is a tragic game, and sometimes it beats you. We feel strong going into this game and we know it’s going to be a good one.”
(11/14/13 3:44am)
As rain sprinkled onto Dragone field on Sunday, Nov. 10, members of the Middlebury women’s soccer team jumped up and down in their puffy blue jackets, counting down the final seconds of the NESCAC Final against Williams. The moment seemed light-years away from the teams season-opening loss to Amherst back in early September, as a 1-0 win over the Ephs brought home the program’s first NESCAC championship since 2006. Middlebury finished NESCAC play unbeaten in its past 16 conference games, including a 2-1 semi-final win over Tufts on Saturday, Nov. 9.
On Saturday, Tufts started off the stronger of the two teams, as its best chance of the game came just three minutes into the contest. As two Panthers were left on the deck injured, Robin Estus hit a first time volley that started to dip under the crossbar, requiring a strong hand from goalie Elizabeth Foody ’14 to tip the ball over.
Injury and collision were themes throughout the whole game, with the start especially marked by incredible physicality. Tufts pressured Middlebury with their height, strength, and speed. The physical battle resulted in both teams having difficultly stringing passes together and settling into the game. For most of the half, the game seemed to be deadlocked, with neither team threatening the net.
After a sustained attacking build-up, however, the Panthers’ Ali Omsberg ’14 was fouled just outside of the 18-yard box at the 34-minute mark. Capitalizing on her excellent form of late, Julia Favorito ’14 stepped up to the right-hand side of the box to curl in an inch-perfect free kick to the far post that fell onto the head of Sarah Noble ’14 running in. The ball rocketed into the back of the net, giving Favorito a NESCAC-leading seventh assist of the season.
“Throughout this season, we have focused on one-touch finishing in the box, so it was awesome to capitalize on such a great opportunity,” Noble said. “Every goal we score is truly a team effort, because it takes all 11 players on the field to get the ball into the box in the first place.”
Middlebury wasn’t on top for long, however, as the Jumbos served up some late action drama. With just one minute left in the first half, Tufts capitalized on a scramble in the Middlebury box to find an equaliser. After a through ball from Allie Weiller, Caitlin Brandman found herself with enough space by the penalty spot to drill a shot straight down the middle past Foody.
The Panthers refused to be rattled, though, coming out the stronger of the two sides early in the second half. Scarlett Kirk ’14 was hauled down on the right hand side, resulting in another Favorito free kick. After chaos in the box with shots ricocheting off of bodies, the Panthers earned a corner. A curler of a corner kick sent in by Moria Sloan ’14 just eluded Molly Parizeau ’15, as the ball was knocked away by Jumbos keeper Kristin Wright.
Not to be denied, Middlebury found the game winner 55 minutes into the game. Kirk took the game through the opposing defense, beating two Jumbos, before ripping a shot from 17 yards out. The ball rattled the post before bouncing into Jamie Soroka’s ’16 path. Despite falling to the ground, the sophomore managed to slot the ball home for her fourth goal of the year.
Although the home side controlled the tempo of the game, the second goal created a lull for the rest of the second half with neither team enjoying much on goal action. Overall, the Panthers held a 14-8 shot advantage in the game, with Foody finishing with three saves for the win.
Just 24 hours after their semi-final win, the Panthers took to Dragone field yet again to face off against Williams for the NESCAC crown. Despite beating the Ephs earlier in the season, Williams entered the championship on a hot streak with nine wins in its last 10 games.
Middlebury opened the game aggressively in attack and did not allow Williams to build much forward play. The weather also contributed to fast-tempo play, with the ball travelling quickly around the rain-soaked pitch.
The first chance of the game fell to Williams 12 minutes in. Kristi Kirshe unleashed an impressive volley from just outside the box that was just denied the opportunity to sneak under the crossbar by an acrobatic save from Foody. On the resulting corner, Middlebury was let off the hook as confusion in the box drew Foody out of position, but Sloan coolly cleared the ball off the line.
Williams began to build in pressure and seemed to be growing in confidence. Kirshe was denied another scoring opportunity after being played through by Audrey Thomas, as Foody came out to challenge the play and pouncing on the ball before Kirshe could get her shot away.
The Panthers began resorting to long ball tactics and had problems playing to feet, as opposed to the usually clean and crisp playing style head coach Peter Kim has been drilling into his team since the first day of preseason.
However, Middlebury found a breakthrough against the run of play after a quiet spell in the game. With six minutes left in the game, Noble unleashed a scorcher of a shot that left Eph keeper Hannah Van Wetter tangled in the corner of her net. Van Wetter’s clearance found Carter Talgo ’15 unmarked, who pounced on the rebound with a first time shot into the left hand side of the goal.
“It’s a great feeling to have an impact in such an important a game,” Talgo said. “Williams is a challenging team and it’s always a close match when we play them. They had us on our heels for a little, but being able to hold a 1-0 lead for almost 75 minutes says something about the dedication and hard work of our teams and I think that’s definitely something to be proud of.”
The second half was very much a tale of the defenses, as both working hard to limit shots on goal. With the teams evenly matched, the second half produced few highlight reel moments.
Middlebury’s only real opportunity came 10 minutes into the second half. After a chasing a pass, Kirk was prevented an opportunity to shot by a last-ditch tackled by Lilly Wellenbach.
In the final 10 minutes, Williams began to pile on the pressure searching for an equalizer. With six minutes left, Carla Nicasio swung in a cross from a left hand side that found the head of Thomas. Foody could only watch helplessly as the ball went just over the crossbar. Just two minutes later, Thomas saw her shot from 15 yards clip the cross as it went just high. The Panthers first half effort was good enough for the Panthers first NESCAC crown in seven years, and the third in the program’s history. Reflecting on the win, Kim exuded a sense of satisfaction and relief.
“I think my players would agree it’s about time,” Kim said. “It felt amazing, I was so happy for them because they’ve worked so hard, and really came together as a unit to chase their goals. This is a really special team; something unlike I’ve seen in a while. I give them all credit in the world for pursuing goals they set out at start of season and capturing it.”
Middlebury now prepares to face Bridgewater in the NCAA Regional on Saturday, Nov. 16. The Bears recently captured the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) title and enter the game with an overall record of 9-8-2. Despite knowing little about Bridgewater, Kim will make sure his team doesn’t take them for granted.
“They’re an NCAA tournament team so we know they’re going to be good,” Kim said. “In NCAA season, anybody can beat anyone one, so we’re treating it like a NESCAC championship game.”
(11/06/13 10:18pm)
A year after suffering a first-round upset against Wesleyan in the NESCAC tournament, the Middlebury women’s soccer team learned from previous mistakes to record a comfortable 3-1 victory over Colby on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Panthers will host the semi-finals and finals of the NESCAC tournament for the first time since 2004 this coming Saturday, Nov. 9 and Sunday, Nov. 10.
The quarterfinal loss to Wesleyan was not far from the minds of many players as they prepared for the game against Colby.
“Wesleyan was definitely on all of our minds going into Saturday and we were sure to not overlook Colby,” Lindsay Kingston ’14 said. “We continue to maintain the same mentality we have had all season, which is one game at a time. We are not overlooking anyone this year.”
The Panthers suffered a nervous start to the game, as possession was disjointed and the majority of play occurred inside their half. However, Middlebury soon settled into the game with the first chance falling to Scarlett Kirk ’14 six minutes in. After going clear of the defense off a ball from Hannah Robinson ’16, the powerful forward took one too many dribbles allowing oncoming Colby keper Emily Brook to get a touch on the ball.
Middlebury proved to be the stronger of the two sides, with the Mules continually outmuscled on the ball by the Panthers and Kirk especially terrorizing the defense. Typical of the impressive combination play all season from Kirk and Julie Favorito ’14, after a great cross by the latter to open space on the left-hand wing, Kirk pushed the ball forward with a number of deft touches, before sending in a pass across goal. Robinson was just unable to get on the end of it after being thwarted by a Colby defender tracking back.
After several close chances, Kirk finally broke the deadlock 23 minutes into the contest. Jamie Soroka ’16 headed a ball through the box to Kirk who acted quickly with a cool left-footed spin volley that lifted the ball over the keeper into the right-hand corner.
Middlebury maintained a high tempo throughout the first half, as Colby saw very little of the ball. The Panthers were denied more chances to get ahead after a rocket of a free kirk from Favorito on the top of the 18 as well as a powerful shot from Kate Raszka ’17 that just went over the crossbar.
The start of the second half brought the continued dominance of the Panthers. Kirk was denied a second goal after she saw her strong connection with a corner from Ali Omsberg ’15 rattle the crossbar just five minutes in.
However, the game soon lost some of its edge, with slightly stagnant play in the midfield and few shots on goal. Colby was able to find an equaliser in the 67th minute against the run of play after the Mules caught the Panthers sleeping. After getting on the wrong side of the Middlebury defense, Abby Hatch fired a shot on goal that elicited a good point blank save from Elizabeth Foody ’14. However, the ball remained uncleared in the box, and Amanda Findlay was able to slot in the rebound.
While the goal gave Colby renewed confidence, Middlebury was back on top just five minutes later. Favorito played a ball to Kirk, who was able to get behind Colby’s defense. After drawing the Mules keeper out, Kirk drove a powerful shot that skipped across the ground into the bottom left hand corner.
“I think probably my highlight of the game was Scarlett’s second goal,” Head coach Peter Kim said. “Colby had just broke the game open after scoring and were mounting a strong resistance to us, but the team rallied quietly quickly to get the game back.”
After regaining the lead, Middlebury focused on keeping possession and kept knocking on Colby’s goal. The Panthers were rewarded for their persistent efforts after a late goal from Carter Talgo ’15 with four minutes left in the game. Kirk led off with an impressive solo run, sending a defender the wrong way with effortless footwork, but her shot yet again found the woodwork. Talgo followed up with the rebound into the top left hand corner.
Kim was quick to downplay expectations for the upcoming weekend.
“The team is proud of its accomplishments, but know that the hardest is yet to come,” Kim said. “We continue to take the season game to game. We’re excited we’re here but it’s time to push up our sleeves and get the job done.”
Middlebury will enjoy a home turf advantage facing Tufts in the NESCAC semi-final on Saturday, Nov 9. A team Kim describes as “fast, physical and direct,” Tufts will pose a challenge to even the high-riding Panthers.
“To prepare for Tufts we will be working on our attack in the offensive half of the field,” Favorito said. “We feel that we still have some work to do on our runs into the box and our passes as well. This is something we have been working on all season and we will continue to work on because it is one of the most difficult parts of the game.”
[CORRECTION: The photograph above went uncredited in the print edition of this story; it should be credited to Anthea Viragh.]