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(10/28/21 9:52am)
Raffi Barsamian ’21.5, from Sherborn, Mass., is in his final semester on the men’s varsity soccer team. In this installment of “Seven Questions,” Barsamian reveals his pregame ritual, what he would tell his younger self and the strategies he uses for balancing school and sports.
(09/30/21 10:00am)
Jack Pistorius ’21.5, from Park Ridge, Illinois, is a senior on the men’s football team. In this installment of “seven questions,” Pistorius recalls how he ended up at Middlebury, his favorite memory to date with the football team and what he would tell his freshman self.
JL: Why did you choose to play at Middlebury?
JP: Middlebury was the first school to contact me in the recruiting process, and the coaches maintained a great relationship with me. I also had a friend who was two years older than me who was already a Middlebury football player and [he] really convinced me to come. Once I came on a visit and saw the view from the stadium, I was sold.
JL: What is one of your favorite memories from your time on the Middlebury football team?
JP: Beating Tufts to cap off the 2019 season with a perfect 9–0 record. It was the first game my dad was able to see me play in college, so that made it extra special for me.
JL: What are you most proud of during your Middlebury football career?
JP: Being a mentor and role model for the younger guys on the team to help them have the best experience possible.
JL: If you could describe your experience in three words, what would they be?
JP: Fun. Competitive. Family.
JL: How (if at all) do you think Covid-19 impacted the team's season thus far?
JP: Covid-19 has made the 2021 season unique in many ways. Because many guys, including myself, took some time off to be able to return for our final season, the team is much larger than it has ever been. As a result, we have had to split the team into a travel squad of 75, so the ~30 other players cannot travel with the team to games. Additionally, the NESCAC rules regarding Covid-19 state that if an athlete tests positive the week of a game, they cannot play that week, so there has been a heightened sense of anxiety because of the consequences of testing positive. However, the most notable difference is far and away the absence of the chocolate milk machine in our locker room.
JL: If you could tell your freshman-year self anything, what would it be?
JP: As my college career is winding down, the one thing I would tell my freshman self is to enjoy all the little things that make up the Middlebury experience. In football, we have a saying: “Have to, Want to, Get to,” which pertains to things that might not be that exciting or fun, [but] the sooner you can adopt the mindset that you “get to” do something, the better off you will be. Whether it’s getting dinner at Ross or walking down to the library on a nice fall evening, if you live with the notion that you get to do everything, you will get so much out of every day.
JL: What is one word that describes your playing style?
JP: Spider.
Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
(09/16/21 9:57am)
Looking for your Middlebury sports fix? Here’s what’s on deck for this weekend:
Saturday, 9/18
TIME TBA - Men’s Golf Fall Invitational at Williams
TIME TBA - Middlebury Men’s Tennis Invitational –– Proctor Tennis Courts
10 a.m. - Men’s Cross Country Aldrich Invitational –– Cross Country Course
11 a.m. - Women’s Cross Country Aldrich Invitational –– Cross Country Course
11 a.m. - Women’s Soccer vs. Bowdoin –– Dragone Field
12 p.m. - Men’s Soccer vs. Bowdoin –– South Street Field
12 p.m. - Field Hockey vs. Bowdoin –– Kohn Field
1 p.m. - Women’s Golf George Phinney Classic –– Ralph Myhre Golf Course
2 p.m. - Women’s Volleyball vs. Bates –– Pepin Gymnasium
2 p.m. - Football at Williams
Sunday, 9/19
TIME TBA - Men’s Golf Fall Invitational @ Williams
TIME TBA - Middlebury Men’s Tennis Invitational –– Proctor Tennis Courts
9 a.m. - Women’s Golf George Phinney Classic –– Ralph Myhre Golf Course
1 p.m. - Field Hockey vs. Babson College –– Kohn Field
What to Watch:
On Saturday, women’s (2–1–0) and men’s (3–0–0) soccer will face the Bowdoin Bears in conference matchups. Women’s soccer has proven dominant against Bowdoin in recent years, beating them in the NESCAC quarterfinals in 2016 and 2018. Forward Fanny Lodge ’24 is one to watch this weekend — the sophomore has two goals in three matches this season. On the men’s side, the Panthers finished their last season of play in 2019 as NESCAC finalists, while the Bears went 6–4–5. Though much of the 2019 squad has graduated from the Panthers, this matchup will surely excite.
Elsewhere, top-ranked Middlebury field hockey (3–0) is also slated to do well in their duel against the Bears. Middlebury is undefeated against Bowdoin in the regular season since 2016, and has shut them out of the NESCAC tournament on multiple occasions within the past half decade.
High levels of play are sure to be seen across the golf, tennis and cross country invitationals this weekend. Two-time cross country All-American Cassie Kearney ’22 is one to keep an eye on as she races this weekend, as well as Zander Kessler ’22.5 on the men’s team.
Can’t make an away game in person this weekend? Visit https://www.nsnsports.net/colleges/middlebury/ to watch live online.
(12/03/20 11:00am)
Being a college first year can always be uncomfortable and difficult, and adding Covid-19 precautions to the equation makes connecting with peers all the more complicated. Bella Di Benedetto ’24 of the women’s soccer team said she is grateful for the community and built-in support system the team provides, regardless of whether soccer is actually played.
“So far I have really enjoyed Middlebury, and my transition has been easy because of the girls on the team,” Di Benedetto said. “It was definitely a different experience getting to know the team compared to previous years, but the team is so welcoming that they tried to ingrain [the freshmen] into the team from the time we got to campus.”
As the college transitioned from Phase One to Phase Two, softening guidelines enabled the women’s soccer team to increase the frequency of practices and meetings to focus on actual play — all while socially-distant and masked, of course.
“We’ve been focusing a lot on technical work, and as the semester has progressed and restrictions have loosened a bit, we have been able to do more game realistic playing, which has been great,” Di Benedetto said.
For Di Benedetto, keeping up with her training in at least some capacity has helped create a sense of normalcy for her first year.
Di Benedetto has also taken advantage of this limbo period to branch out from the soccer crew. “I spent a lot of time with the team but also thought it would be important to make other friends outside of the team,” she explained.
While Di Benedetto has ultimately made the decision to defer this spring, she looks back on her first college semester in a positive light. “Even with Covid-19 and a lot of restrictions, I think it was a great first semester,” Di Benedetto remarked. “Coming into a new environment was great, and I was really happy to meet new people, too.”
Di Benedetto remains optimistic and enthusiastic about what her future years at Middlebury will bring — hopefully minus Covid-19, of course. “I’m really looking forward to coming back next fall and hopefully having a bit more normality on campus. I’ve heard that campus life is very different without Covid-19 so I’m looking forward to having a more ‘normal’ academic, athletic and social life when I come back.”
Di Benedetto is a Phillips Andover alum from Wakefield, Massachusetts. When she’s not playing soccer, she loves to ski, travel and spend time with friends and family. Di Benedetto has not yet decided a major, but she is interested in economics and global studies and wants to continue learning Spanish.
(09/24/20 9:58am)
In addition to its obvious impacts this fall, the cancellation of this fall’s sports has implications for the future as well: losing a season of competition means that Middlebury student-athletes and teams are missing out on time to improve and develop.
“Not having a season is really tough because it takes away the goal of training so hard, which is to win a national championship,” said women’s tennis player Ruhi Kamdar ’22. “As such, I think that motivation [and] training time will naturally decrease or not be as strict.” Like many other fall athletes, Kamdar is taking this semester off.
Those who deferred the semester face the challenge of staying connected to their teams and sports while off campus, especially given that many are using this unique time to explore and pursue other interests. Quarterback Will Jernigan ’21, admits to feeling “a little out of the loop” on the football front, since he is not on campus to be part of the daily ongoings and regular practices.
Although official play is on pause, Middlebury athletics has found ways to maintain team spirit and continue training in the interim, hoping to pick up right where they left off next year. Teams are holding physically distanced training sessions, group workouts over Zoom and online team meetings, among other activities, to stay in touch and motivated.
Kamdar expressed her optimism for future seasons and competitions. “I think that the team camaraderie will still stay intact and strong because all of us are very close,” Kamdar said. “Although we grow even closer during the season, I am sure we will find other things to strengthen our relationships.”
Head football coach Bob Ritter shares a similarly positive outlook. “We are trying to focus on the positives and not compare this fall to past years,” Ritter said. “We are excited that we still have the opportunity to get together as a team. We are using this time to really focus on the teaching of skills in detail that we might not have the time to do during a season and still be involved with our players to help them reach their potential in the classroom and the community.”
Middlebury sports are definitely making the most of the situation, and it seems their Panther pride is pulling through.
(09/10/20 9:58am)
A fall semester without sports is a consequence of Covid-19 felt by many. Even as sports have slowly returned on the professional level, many collegiate and recreational programs are still on pause, including the NESCAC. Since sports are an integral part of the Middlebury experience for student-athletes, some have made the decision to not return to campus this fall.
The decision to take the semester off was not an easy one for most. For women’s soccer captain Izzy Hartnett ’21, reaching a decision meant contemplating what she wanted out of her final year at Middlebury.
“When I spent time contemplating what has formed my Middlebury experience, my mind went immediately to the women’s soccer team,” Hartnett said. “Some of my favorite and happiest moments at Middlebury have been in our locker room, on Dragone and Proc dinners with the team.”
Hartnett says that although soccer is a large part of her life, playing as a member of the Middlebury women’s soccer team has been particularly invaluable. “As the July 6 deadline started to approach, I was not ready to give up the MWS I have known and loved for the past three years,” she said.
The decision-making process was more complex for football captain and QB1 Will Jernigan ’21, who is also taking the semester off from Middlebury. In thinking about the coming semester from an academic standpoint, Jernigan realized his desire to live a normal last year at Middlebury. Thus, a leave of absence seemed logical. Approaching it as an athlete only reaffirmed this sentiment.
“It was almost an easier decision for me now that the season has been canceled,” Jernigan said. “[Football] has been a passion of mine since growing up, and it would be my final opportunity to suit up, play and practice and study with the team … Now I’ll have another chance at it.”
Though the cancellation of sports competition is an unfortunate reality, many of these student-athletes have found silver linings in deferring. Jernigan is excited about the professional opportunities provided by this free time, which he cites as another reason to unenroll this fall.
“It [will] give me a little more work experience on my resume this fall,” Jernigan said. “Not only that, but I’ll have another summer before returning to school, so it gives me another summer internship cycle that I’m excited to take advantage of.”
While home this fall, Jernigan plans to continue his summer internship working for a technology startup in the propane industry, as well as beginning additional work with a capital investment firm.
Other athletes feel similarly. “I feel so grateful that I am able to take time off from school and from soccer to pursue an internship at the ACLU of Vermont as an Advocacy Intern while I cheer my team on from afar,” Hartnett said. Similarly, men’s soccer goalkeeper Marco Kaper ’21 reports that he is spending his semester off “coaching youth soccer [and] taking a nutrition course, along with continuing [his] internship from the summer.”
In some way or another, Middlebury’s student-athletes on leave are diving into a new normal: a semester without sports.
(10/03/19 10:43am)
Women’s soccer came back strong this weekend after a disappointing tie against Hamilton on Sept. 21. The Panthers shut out Connecticut College on Saturday, Sept. 28 and New England College on Sunday, Sept. 29.
Gretchen McGrath ’21 was the star of the show offensively against the Conn. College Camels, scoring both of Middlebury’s two goals. Notwithstanding one late scoring attempt from the Camels, Middlebury dominated the field.
The Panthers displayed more momentum the following game by attacking the goal often. Shots from Magnolia Moskun ’21.5, McGrath and Riley Kinum ’22 all found the net, securing the 3-0 win for Middlebury.
With two more wins under their belts, the Panthers remain unbeaten.
(05/09/19 9:55am)
Even after a triumphant, whirlwind of a 2018 season, Middlebury Women’s Soccer has no plans of stopping now. In fact, they are more motivated than ever to protect their legacy, and will start with their training trip to France.
This past soccer season proved that the Panthers can definitely hold their own against top D3 teams, going all the way to the NCAA Championship. It is clear that the program has promise for years to come, and the opportunity to train in France among soccer’s elite will take the team to the next level.
France is set to host this year’s Women’s World Cup tournament — the ultimate hub of renowned soccer programs and players. “France is a hotbed of women’s soccer player development, and boasts one of the best national teams in the world,” said Coach Peter Kim, who played a large role in spearheading the trip.
“I took a professional development trip to Europe last year, and spent time in Lyon, Grenoble and Paris. There, I was hosted by some of the top professionals in the country, and they invited our team to play against them if we were able to travel to France,” he explained. “Our team takes a foreign trip every three years, and fortunately 2019 corresponded with the Women’s World Cup in France. Everything came together, including securing tickets to the opening match of the tournament – France hosting South Korea.”
The team will have the opportunity to play at least three matches while in France, with a fourth still to be announced. The first will be against Olympique Lyonnais, a team known for producing many of the top players in France. Coach Kim describes the league as “the premier women’s soccer club in the world, that has taken unparalleled steps toward creating equality between the women’s and men’s games.” Next, the Panthers will face FC38 Grenoble — a club in the French National Division – followed by a third against the French National Youth Academy’s U18 national team. This is also home to the training center for the women’s national pool and summer Olympic athletes.
Naturally, there is much excitement among players leading up to the trip. Sophomore goalie Sachi Howson described how this unique opportunity will benefit her and her teammates. “I have not really had much exposure to styles of play outside of the U.S. but I think it would be really valuable and beneficial to me as an individual player and us as a team to pull from all sorts of styles of play in order to advance our game.”
Excitement goes beyond the technical, soccer aspect of the trip, though. “I have never been to France (or continental Europe) so I am most excited about having the opportunity to experience the country’s culture,” said Howson. “I think that this trip will be a great bonding experience for all of us.”
“We plan to take part in a community engagement activity as well, enhancing connections with the local areas we visit and giving back in some capacity,” added Kim, hoping to “connect with different cultures.”
To fund their trip, the team is asking for donations over MiddGoal, a philanthropy network that supports Middlebury athletes. If you would like to help make this a reality for our women’s soccer team, any contribution is greatly appreciated.
(03/07/19 10:54am)
The men’s hockey team finished up their season on Saturday, February 23 with a 1-4 loss to Wesleyan in the 2019 NESCAC Championship quarterfinals. Despite a tough loss, this was the first time the Panthers have made the tournament in two years, pointing to potential for next year.
“I am happy with how the season went,” said Kamil Tkaczuk, a senior captain. “We have come a long way in the last year and keep making strides in the right direction.”
The addition of scrappy, talented freshmen played a key role in this transition. Despite the loss of talented seniors, the return of underclassman leaves the team feeling hopeful for future years and the prospect of building upon such potential. The team is on an upward trend and have all the right tools to only go up from here.
(02/21/19 10:55am)
Men’s hockey finished up its regular season with a tough 4-1 loss at Amherst this past Saturday, Feb. 16. Just the day before, the Panthers went into overtime away at Hamilton to end up with a tie at three-all.
Though this weekend marks a discouraging end to the regular season, what’s in the past is in the past as the Panthers gear up for a postseason surge. The NESCAC quarterfinals, which will be held next Saturday, Feb. 23, brings a new beginning and a fresh chance for the Panthers to show their stuff. Middlebury will begin its run for a conference title on the road against Wesleyan.
“The playoffs [are] a new season. The regular-season history has no real implications now that we are in the playoffs. We have been playing really good hockey and are peaking at the right time, ” said captain Jimmy McKee ’19.
However in preparing for the big game, the Panthers are looking to not repeat the same mistakes made earlier this season, as the past two times Middlebury faced Wesleyan both ended in losses.
“The first two games against Wesleyan did not go the way we wanted. A couple tough bounces did not go the way we wanted,” acknowledged McKee. “Like I said, we are playing good hockey, and I hope that they underestimate our ability. We will be ready to come out and play on Saturday afternoon.”
Wesleyan also holds a 15-7-2 record while Middlebury stands at 8-12-4, thus getting a home advantage. Although it’s possible this could impact Middlebury’s play, the team has been more or less equally consistent both home and away, with a difference of only one more win at home.
Growth throughout the course of the season is also in the Panther’s favor. The squad “[has] made significant improvements because of their efforts with training and building team chemistry last spring, in the fall, and throughout the season,” recognized coach Neil Sinclair. “We are looking forward to playing Wesleyan in the playoffs.”
Wesleyan may have the record, but Middlebury has the drive to stay alive in this competition.
(02/14/19 10:56am)
Men’s hockey seems to have hit a rough patch in its overall impressive season. Out of the past five games, the Panthers have come up with two ties, three loses and zero wins.
Despite the feeling of familiarity these outcomes may hold for returning players, an unfortunate streak of this magnitude is something not anticipated this season for Middlebury. Throughout most of this year, the Panthers held their own with a decently balanced record — a win here, a loss there.
First-year additions to this 2018-2019 squad seemed to have made a key difference in team dynamic and synergy, both on and off the rink, as they are responsible for approximately 32 percent of the team’s total goals, 21 percent of assists, and just under half of total minutes in goal.
Injuries unfortunately slowed the first-years’ fire about halfway through the season, however — losses hugely apparent in recent matchups.
“The biggest challenge in the upcoming weeks is overcoming injuries to key players. We have lost some of [our] top defensemen to injury and expect others to step up to the plate,” said senior captain Kamil Tkaczuk. “We need to adopt a next-man-up attitude and continue working towards the same goal.”
While it may feel like the Panthers are crumbling toward the end, Middlebury’s work this season has improved colossally from the last. In the worst-case scenario the team concludes the regular with eight wins — fully doubling its record from the previous year.
It is clear the men’s hockey program is on the up and up, showing definite promise for both the postseason and years to come.
Proud junior Owen Powers emphasized this. “We have already eclipsed what we were able to do last season. The team now has a winning culture where everyone knows they have to hold themselves and their teammates accountable to the standards we identified in the fall. I expect us to finish the year strong and compete for a championship,” he said.
(01/24/19 10:56am)
The Panthers finish the week with split results; Friday’s game against Colby brought a tough 4-3 loss, while hard work on Saturday culminated in an important 6-3 win over Bowdoin.
Middlebury’s future held much uncertainty as the Panthers began the weekend’s matchups. Both Colby and Bowdoin are significant in that they share the NESCAC conference with the Panthers as well as similar records heading into the games.
“The league has been very tight all year long, so every point in the standings matters. Making sure that we play a consistent and steady game will certainly be key in beating some of our biggest league rivals,” senior captain Jimmy McKee said.
Despite the final outcome, the team certainly held its own against Colby. Play was evenly back and forth throughout, until Colby’s final goal in the third period was enough to break the tie and edge out Middlebury for an unfortunate defeat. Saturday, however, the Panthers came back out onto the ice hungry. Although they put up a good fight, the Polar Bears ultimately struggled to match the Panthers and crumbled in the third period, letting up three goals.
After a midweek game against Norwich, the Panthers will travel this weekend to Connecticut College and then Tufts to try their luck against two more NESCAC teams on the road.
(01/17/19 10:56am)
The men’s hockey team is staying competitive as they head into the brunt of their season matchups. A recent win against Plattsburgh leaves the team holding a 6-6-1 record at week seven. This fairly even distribution of wins and losses holds true regardless of game site, as the team’s home records stands at 3-2-1.
Although the team has yet to secure a lasting winning record, the team’s performance has improved tremendously in comparison to the past few years. Last year’s squad acquired only four wins overall, yet finished with 17 losses and three ties. The preceding 2016-2017 scores look similar, generating a 3-19-2 record.
Captain Owen Powers ’20 verbalized this. “We have already eclipsed what we were able to do last season. The team now has a winning culture where everyone knows they have to hold themselves and their teammates accountable to the standards we identified in the fall,” he said.
He added, “We have made strong strides from last season and will continue to improve. Now that the team is confident in our abilities we are now learning to win and expect more out of ourselves every weekend.”
The Panthers will face both Colby and Bowdoin this upcoming weekend at home on Friday, Jan. 18 and Saturday, Jan. 19, respectively.
(12/06/18 10:56am)
Men’s hockey had a winning weekend on home turf, crushing both its conference opponents.
The Panthers first hosted the Connecticut College Camels on Friday, Nov. 30 at Kenyon Arena, managing to score at least once in all three periods of play. Goals came from Mike Fahie ’21, John Scala ’22, Cole Joslin ’22 and Emack Bentley ’22, bringing Middlebury’s total to four. The Camels were held to just two — both of which were scored off power plays — with strong defense and a couple of clutch saves from first-year goalie Adam Wisco.
Saturday’s game against Tufts brought an even more favorable outcome, as the Panthers pulled off a solid 6-2 win. While both teams put one in the net in the first period, and the visitors snagged another early in second period, the Panthers got hot and scored five in a row to surely secure the win.
The depth and breadth of Middlebury’s squad was extremely evident this weekend, as a goal was scored by a Panther from each class. The underclassmen stepped up especially, responsible for eight of the team’s 10 goals this weekend.
Sophomore Matt Danner, who sealed the deal with Saturday’s final goal, speaks to this. “The underclassmen have been great this year,” he said. “They’re making a huge impact on and off the ice. They all bought into the team culture really quickly, which allowed us to focus on becoming a better unit on the ice. Having so many skilled first-years is really exciting; it really gives us a great opportunity to compete this year and for the next four years.”
Middlebury’s early success is both exciting and promising for the Panthers -— something the players try to remind themselves of even before stepping onto the ice. “I think one of our biggest strengths right now is the confidence we’re playing with — we’ve gone into every game this year expecting to win, and we’re playing like it,” Danner said.
He added, “We’re also working together really well right now. This is one of the closest teams I’ve played on in a long time, and I think that gives us an advantage over a lot of teams.”
It seems things might just be clicking once again for these hungry Panthers.
(11/29/18 10:58am)
With a tough 1-0 win over Misericordia University on Nov. 18 and a goal scored by Ellie Greenberg ’20, the women’s soccer team moves onto the semifinal game this Friday in the NCAA championship tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
Middlebury will face the Washington University Bears in St. Louis to compete for a spot in the final championship game, while Williams and Christopher Newport University and Williams will duke it out for the remaining spot.
The team was in the same position five years ago, during the 2013 season, but ended their journey at the Final Four. There has never been a NCAA finals appearance in Middlebury women’s soccer history.
The Panthers are hoping to change that. “This season has been so incredibly special. We said on the first day of preseason that there was an energy on this team that felt like this was going to be our year. And it has been,” said senior captain Amanda Dafonte.“We still have more to give. We are so proud of ourselves for getting to this point but this team is determined to win it all.”
Still, no matter the outcome of Friday’s game, having earned this exceptional experience will remain a highlight for the team — the rest is icing on the cake.
“This is such a unique, rare, and special opportunity for all of us. I think we are all just incredibly happy and honored to be going to the Final Four and to be considered one of the top four teams in the country,” Dafonte said.
Co-captain Abby Blyler ’19 agreed with Dafonte’s thoughts. “It’s really humbling to be in this position. There are a lot of teams whose seasons have ended, and we have the opportunity to keep playing and to do so at a high level, which I think we all are really grateful for.”
“It’s not over yet,” Blyler said, “and hopefully we’ll be able to bring home the national championship.”
(11/29/18 10:55am)
Last year, the Middlebury men’s hockey team seemed to stumble through their season, falling well short of a winning season with a 4-17-3 record. This year, however, it seems the Panthers are ready to retaliate and to come back proving they’re better than ever.
The 2017-2018 season “was difficult for the team and coaching staff alike,” according to junior captain Owen Powers. “While we were able to make serious strides towards the end of the season we were ultimately a young team that struggled to finish games, to score goals and be the first team to score in games.”
It seems last season’s difficulties stemmed from a disconnect in the team dynamic. “I think we had some of the right pieces but the culture and work ethic within the team was not fully there,” said senior captain Kamil Tkazcuk. “We had really good players last year but we did not compete the right way.”
Acknowledging these issues, the Panthers knew what to focus on in the offseason to prepare for the new year.
“We have really worked last spring and this fall to fix our team culture and work ethic both on and off the ice,” Tkazcuk said. “The biggest difference from this year’s squad and last year’s is that everyone is working together towards a similar goal. Last year we worked more individually, this year is all team-oriented, stemming from the change in team culture.”
In addition to improving upon weaknesses, the team was sure to take advantage of and build upon existing strengths, such as team chemistry. Powers explained that “the team chemistry is great. The dynamic in the locker room has been excellent and everyone gets along very well.”
Tkazcuk agreed, calling this year’s team “one of the closest, if not the closest, teams I have ever been a part of.”
Moreover, the young team which the Panthers struggled to work with last year in turn only serves as a positive this year. “I think some strengths from last year’s team is the core of the team. We lost some important seniors from last season but the core of the team remains intact,” Tkazcuk explained.
The Panthers already hold a 2-2 record this season, defeating Colby and Plattsburgh but falling to Bowdoin and Norwich, and seem hopeful for what the future holds.
“I think both games we won, we dominated. Both games that we lost, we beat ourselves with penalties and mental errors; the opposing teams did not beat us,” Tkazcuk said.
With this, Middlebury confidently knows what to expect heading into their upcoming matchups.
The Panthers even have their sights set on the NESCAC tournament, in which they made their most recent appearance just three years ago during the 2015-2016 season -- the last after a spectacular 21-year run.
Though facing a few hurdles and feeling the heat of this impressive legacy, this year’s squad feels fired up and ready to go, rather than daunted.
“We are finally in a position where we know we can beat anyone,” Powers said.
(11/15/18 11:00am)
This past weekend, Middlebury women’s soccer hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, beating out Maine Farmington and Ithaca College to keep its season alive.
The Panthers’ first-round matchup against the Maine Farmington Beavers on Saturday, Nov. 10 was a 4-1 easy win for the third-ranked Panthers. Abigail Byler ’19, Olivia Miller ’20, Eliza Van Voorhis ’21 and Eliza Robinson ’21 scored a point each for Middlebury, while their opponents could only manage to put up one. Middlebury boasted a 51-2 shot advantage over the Beavers and held each of the game’s 16 corner kicks.
Fresh off their first-round win, the Panthers headed into their second game of the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 11 to try to win the NCAA regional final title. This matchup against Ithaca certainly proved to be more of a challenge than that of the previous day, as regulation time ran out with the teams still standing at 0-0. A double overtime gave no advantage for either team, and for the second time in two weeks, Middlebury headed into a shootout to fight to keep its season alive.
Despite much back-and-forth action during the field play, Middlebury easily dominated the shootout and proved itself as the team deserving the regional title. Shootout goalie Eva Shaw ’19.5 of Middlebury heroically stopped all three of Ithaca’s attempts, while Sarah DiCenso ’19, Ellie Greenberg ’20 and Cate Shellenback ’22 all made theirs on the flipside for the Panthers.
This marks just the eighth NCAA regional final win ever for Middlebury women’s soccer, another definite indication of the Panthers’ incredible season this fall.
Now, Middlebury will move on to the tournament’s sectionals next weekend, in which it will host one of the four sectional sites. The Panthers will face Swarthmore College on Saturday, Nov. 17, and a win will propel them to the quarterfinals on Sunday.
(11/08/18 10:59am)
After an incredible season, the Panthers’ visible hard work and fighting spirit culminated in the ultimate reward: NESCAC champs. Middlebury women’s soccer held a 13-1-1 record heading into playoffs last week — a tremendous record unmatched in Middlebury women’s soccer history.
A win against the Bowdoin Bears in the first round of playoffs propelled the Panthers into the NESCAC championship tournament for the first time since 2013. Middlebury faced Amherst and Williams, respectively, both at Williams.
Though Middlebury was ultimately able to pull out a win in their first matchup of the weekend in the semifinals against Amherst, it was no easy feat. A goal from Amherst was matched by Middlebury’s Olivia Miller ’20 on a long shot to tie it up. A lack of further action set the teams into double overtime, then penalty kicks.
After Amherst scored twice, Magnolia Moskun ’21.5 and Amanda Dafonte ’19 each hit their shots to tie the shot count up at 2-2. A clutch save from Middlebury’s Eva Shaw ’20 gave the Panthers the edge and a goal from Sarah DiCenso ’19 in the seventh round put the Panthers in the lead. A final save from Shaw sealed the deal, as the Panthers clinched a spot in the NESCAC championship.
Middlebury, ranked fifth, faced second-seeded Williams in the finals — a team responsible for the Panthers’ only loss this season, just two weeks earlier. Middlebury’s Ellie Greenberg ’20 scored the only goal of the game, spearheading the Panthers to a championship shutout.
This NESCAC championship marks the fourth ever for Middlebury (previous championships coming from the 2000, 2006 and 2013 seasons), the last also coming from a win over Williams.
With this title, the Panthers receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they will try to keep the drive alive.
(11/01/18 9:58am)
The women’s soccer team started off its drive to the NESCAC championship with a win in the quarterfinals last Saturday, Oct. 27 against the Bowdoin Polar Bears.
Despite unpleasant weather and a two-hour rain delay, the second-ranked Panthers were able to shut out their seventh-ranked opponent with a goal in the first half from sophomore Eliza Robinson. Robinson’s game-winning goal marks the midfielder’s fourth goal of the season, half of which contributed to conference matchups. This impressive figure is matched by an equally outstanding tally of five assists from Robinson — a team high for the season.
“I was beyond happy to have scored this past weekend, but mainly just excited for our team [to be] advancing to the next round,” said a humble Robinson. “Last year we had an upsetting loss in the quarterfinals, so advancing this year was all I and the team wanted.”
Additional strong play on the defensive end from goalie Eva Shaw ’20 helped Middlebury keep the lead until the clock ran out. She made a career-high 10 saves.
The Panthers will head on to the conference championship this coming weekend, hoping to keep their season alive with a doubleheader win.
“Some challenges moving forward this week would definitely be that we have to beat a team twice,” Robinson said. “I hope our work rate is 110 percent all week since we know that in playoffs every game could be our last.”
(10/25/18 9:56am)
Middlebury women’s soccer fought valiantly in the final stretch of the season, and suffered the team’s first loss of the season with Tuesday’s final game against Williams. The Panthers managed to win both games on the weekend of Oct. 13 and 14. The victories boasted equally impressive scores, when Middlebury crushed Trinity 4-1 and then followed up that performance with a five-goal shutout against Wesleyan.
This past Saturday, Oct. 20, the Panthers played Bates at home for Homecoming Weekend. Like many of Middlebury’s previous opponents, Bates was unable to contain the blue and white. Middlebury won 3-1.
Sophomores Maggie Moskun and Eliza Van Voorhis and junior Sabrina Glaser each put one in the net for Middlebury. The goals helped the Panthers rally for the win despite an early goal from Bates.
The weekend brought much excitement, many alumni and even more fans. “We draw on energy from each other during the games but more important we draw on energy from the fans,” said senior captain Amanda Dafonte. “We have had so many amazing supporters coming out with signs and cheering loudly [regardless of weather]. It gives everyone such a great boost and makes that run that seems impossible possible.”
“We have had an amazing season and owe it to ourselves to finish the regular season the way we started it — with wins,” continued Dafonte. “Our motto this season has been ‘one game at a time.’ We never look back at what we’ve done and we never look past the game right ahead of us. Every single team in the NESCAC is competitive and every game is a challenge.”
Where Middlebury came up short, unfortunately, was their final game of the regular season against their Route 7 rival, Williams College. After a hard-fought battle, Williams emerged victorious, 0-1. The match was predictably close, since the Ephs were ranked third amongst Division III women’s soccer teams, and the Panthers fifth.
Although Middlebury outshot Williams 9-4, the Panthers had trouble connecting the ball to the back of the net. Goalie Eva Shaw made one save, while the Williams goalie, Olivia Barnhill, made five. The Panthers also had a chance to tie the game in the 78th minute, when Ellie Greenberg ’20 received a pass from Virginia Charman ’20 in the box. Greenberg’s shot was then denied by Barnhill.
Women’s soccer’s loss was the first of its season, and will finish the regular season with a record of 13-1-1. The team will begin the NESCAC tournament this Saturday as the second seed, playing seventh seed Bowdoin at 12:30 p.m.