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(11/16/17 12:04am)
The men’s soccer team (12-7) saw its season come to a close last Saturday, Nov. 11, in the first round of the NCAA tournament as they fell 1-0 to Stevens University (12-6-2). It was the team’s 11th 1–0 decision of the season, and the loss means that they finish 9–2 in one point games.
Despite edging Stevens 9-6 in shots, 4-2 in shots on goal and 4-2 in corner kicks, Middlebury was charged with a handball in the penalty box in the 89th minute, resulting in a Stevens penalty kick which Kevin Brito ‘20 of Stevens was able to net for the game winner.
The Panthers controlled the first half and outshot Stevens 7–1. Forward Brandon Reid ’21, arguably the team’s most consistently delivering player throughout the season, had three chances in the first half. The first came in the 12th minute when he found space in the box but sent a shot just wide. In the 35th minute, Reid again almost managed to find the back of the net for his teammates when he connected with a well-placed corner kick from the foot of Ben Potter ’20, but the chance was denied by Stevens goalie Aaron Henry. Reid saw another set-piece opportunity in the 39th minute, but again was denied.
In the second half, Drew Goulart ‘20 had the first of the Panthers’ opportunities when he found himself alone against the Stevens goal-keeper in the 51st. Again though, Aaron Henry saved the shot, and maybe even the game, for Stevens. 10 minutes later, Daniel O’Grady ’19 also had a chance and ripped a shot from 15 yards out, but he was just high as the ball skipped off of the top-crossbar.
With just two minutes left in regulation, Stevens got a steal in the Middlebury attacking third and sent a long ball to the front where several Stevens and Middlebury players were gathered.
After a couple touches as Stevens tried to feel out a good opportunity, Andrew Masur decided to unleash an attempt from just inside the 15-yard box. A Middlebury defender found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as the shot bounced off his hand, which gave Brito the opportunity of the day. Taking the penalty kick, he knocked the ball into the back of the net easily and won the day for Stevens.
Middlebury did manage to get one last opportunity off of a 90th minute Goulart corner kick, but the attempt was punched away, sending Stevens on in the tournament and Middlebury home. Stevens’ goalkeeper tallied 4 saves while Yeager managed 1 save out of 2 shots on goal.
The Panthers will graduate five senior players this year, including Yeager, Jed Sass ’18, Brad Willis ’18, Enzo Wiener ’18 and Trevor Schmitt ’18. The five players will leave Middlebury with a four-year record of 44-9-16.
“I’m gutted not to send coach Saward out with a Nescac title,” said Enzo Wiener, a captain. Wiener reflected on the whirlwind that the last two weeks has been for this team:
“We battled the defending national champions last week in a game that truly could’ve gone either way. After the grit we showed, I couldn’t be more excited to see what this team does next year and the years after, for they have the talent to be a top team in the country, and I am confident that coach Elias will lead this incredible group to new heights.”
As Wiener mentioned, also departing will be the team’s long-time coach, David Saward. Saward has been in the role for 33 years and notched 359 career wins. However, Saward was less concerned with the immediate loss and more reflective and grateful for his time serving our school.
“I am very proud of the team . . . [and] loved every moment here of my job. The people I have had the privilege to coach have been magnificent and that includes 21 years of coaching the women’s Squash team and 33 years of soccer players,” he said.
“I have been so lucky to work with so many exceptional coach/educator professionals in our department from whom I have learned so much about the craft of being an effective coach.
“Finally I have been so fortunate to have worked under three truly outstanding Athletic Directors in Tom Lawson, Russ Reilly and most recently Erin Quinn. Without their tremendous leadership the collegial atmosphere around our department would not exist.
“In leaving the program with Alex Elias I know I leave it in very capable hands. Alex was a fabulous player here who has turned into a thoughtful professional who will take the program forward to greater heights.”
(11/08/17 5:37pm)
Despite falling to Hamilton in the first round of the Nescac tournament, the women’s soccer team received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament when the bracket was announced on Monday, Nov. 6.
No. 17 Middlebury will travel to MIT to play Western Connecticut State in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 1:30 P. M. No. 13 MIT, the host of the regional, will play Castleton in the other first round matchup at 11 A. M., and the winners of first round games will face-off on Sunday at noon for a chance to advance to the final sixteen teams of DIII women’s soccer.
The Panthers fell to Hamilton 1–0, but before that game, they last lost on Sept. 23. In that stretch of time, Middlebury went 8–0–1 to finish third in the Nescac regular season standings. Their regular season performance earned them an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
In addition to Middlebury, Nescac champion Williams, Connecticut College, Hamilton and Tufts also made the tournament.
Western Connecticut State, the Panthers’ first round opponent, earned a berth by winning the Little East Conference Championship.
MIT won the Newmac championship and enters the tournament ranked 13th in the country.
Castleton, whom Middlebury beat 3–0 earlier in the season, earned its spot by winning the North Atlantic Conference.
(11/08/17 5:35pm)
In Nescac Championship action last Sunday, Nov. 5, at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, the fifth-seeded Middlebury men’s soccer team (12-6) was just missed pulling off an upset of the conference’s best team and the tournament’s top-seeded Jumbos (15-1-2). It was a grueling effort that ended in a 1–0 score.
The game winning goal came with only 2:56 left on the clock and earned the Jumbos their first ever Nescac Championship title, although Tufts is currently the reigning national champion.
The Jumbos only gave up one goal during the entire season and will look to extend their streak in the NCAA tournament.
“This team [Middlebury] has been magnificent,” commented a proud head coach David Saward. “When I think where this group was after the Tufts result on Oct. 7 [a 4–0 road loss] to how they performed today, it was ‘night and day.’”
To qualify for the Nescac Championship game against Tufts, Middlebury had to get passed Bowdoin a day earlier on Saturday, Nov. 4. Another scoreless regulation period sent the game into eventual double overtime, when Drew Goulart ’20 managed to net his fifth goal of the season on a 28-yard rip from the left side of the field into the top right corner.
In Sunday’s championship game, Middlebury controlled the ball well in the first 25 minutes of the first half and managed three shots on goal. In the 27th minute, Peter Davis ’19 sent a high ball into the box to give 6’4” Brandon Reid ’21 a chance to put a header into the net, but the Tufts goalkeeper managed to punch the ball away, squashing the Panthers’ opportunity.
Middlebury again had a great look in the dwindling seconds of the first half as Daniel O’Grady ’19 sent a hard shot skipping towards the net, but Tufts Goalie Connor Mieth was again able to stuff the opportunity.
In the 58th minute, Kevin Halladay and Tufts were robbed of a goal by Middlebury keeper Jeremy Yeager ’18 as he made a full-extension diving save to his left to punch away a 20 yard bending shot on target for the upper right corner.
“There were many heroes out there today including Yeager in goal who made two excellent saves,” said Saward. “Alongside his performance, [Kyle] Moffat ’19 and [Aidan] Robinson ’20 were magnificent in the middle of the defense as were Davis and Davis Oudet ’20.”
Unfortunately, Yeager’s 427 minutes of consecutive shutout play would come to an end in the dwindling moments of regulation in a game that looked destined for extra time, as Tufts’ Brett Rojas found the back of the net in the 88th minute.
The scoring play developed as Zach Lane found space on the right side of the field, dribbled towards the goal line, and let a low cross fly towards the six-yard box where it connected with the head of a charging Rojas. The header skipped into the bottom left corner and would seal the game for Tufts as Middlebury could not muster another chance before the final whistle.
In somewhat of a surprise, on Monday afternoon the Panthers were awarded an at-large bid to NCAAs. They will take on Stevens this Saturday, Nov. 11, in Cortland, New York.
(11/01/17 5:42pm)
In the first round of Nescac playoffs, the fifth-seeded men’s soccer team (11–5) took down fourth-seeded Connecticut College (9–3–4) in a 1–0 overtime victory on Saturday, Oct. 28. The win served as the Panthers’ ninth shutout this season, eight of which Middlebury won by a 1–0 score.
“Eight 1–0 victories must be some sort of record,” said an excited Dave Saward following his team’s win. The opening half showed anything but a decisive advantage for either team. The Camels managed to hold a 4–3 advantage in shots, but the Panthers arguably walked away with the best opportunity of the half when Drew Goulart ’20 was awarded a free kick from the goal line just outside the penalty box. The kick dropped just in front of the net, where a Camel defender was able to clear it.
Just three minutes into the second half, the Panthers were awarded another set piece from the top-left corner of the penalty area, but Jed Sass ’18’s shot carried just high of the net.
In addition to a few good chances missed by Middlebury, Connecticut College scared the Panthers when Liam Noonan fired a shot from the top of the penalty area in the 77th minute. His initial shot was blocked, but he snagged the rebound and had another attempt to put the Camels on top. This time, he blasted one through most of the defense only to have the chance smothered by the diving Panther goalkeeper, Jeremy Yeager ’18. The save kept the game scoreless and would force the eventual overtime.
“[Kyle] Moffat ’19 and Aidan Robinson ’20 were steady and consistent at the back,” said Saward on his defense’s lock-down play.
Less than five minutes into the golden-goal overtime, the Panthers were able to string together the game-winning play. Goulart sent a pass to Reid, putting him on a partial breakaway, where he was able to evade a defender and chip a close range shot over the Camel goalkeeper, A.J. Marcucci. The shot landed in the upper third of the net and sent the Panthers into a frenzy as Reid notched his third game-winning goal of the season.
“There were not a lot of clear chances but when our chance came Reid did well to find the back of the net,” said Saward.
Yeager recorded his ninth shutout of the season between the pipes with four saves.
With the win, Middlebury will advance to the Nescac Semifinals where they face third-seeded Bowdoin in Medford, Massachusetts, on Saturday, Nov. 4.
“With regard to Bowdoin we have to be patient when we attack as they defend very well,” said Saward, looking ahead to Saturday’s showdown. “We cannot provide them with counter attack opportunities.
“We have to win the game by dominating the middle of the field. They have a very solid goalkeeper so we need to extend him.”
The top-seeded Tufts Jumbos will play seventh-seeded Hamilton, and the winners from each of those two games will face each other on Sunday, Nov. 5 for the Nescac Championship.
(10/18/17 11:15pm)
The Nescac fourth-ranked men’s soccer team (9–4, 4–4) earned their third consecutive 1–0 win against Trinity (3–9–1, 1–7–1) last Saturday, Oct. 14. The win came on what would be coach David Saward’s last guaranteed home weekend game; over 40 Middlebury soccer alumni, accompanied by hordes of students and parents, gathered on the sidelines to celebrate the win and Saward’s impressive career.
The opening half proved an offensive challenge for both teams. Fans were happy to see junior Daniel O’Grady take the field after missing two weeks of action with a partially torn meniscus. Despite having no shots on goal, Middlebury had a good chance on a cross from Drew Goulart ’20 which found the foot of Kye Moffat ’19 in the Bantam penalty area. Moffat’s close range shot drove just high of the crossbar, leaving the game scoreless going into the second half.
In the 60th minute, the Panthers were awarded free kick just outside the Trinity penalty area, which Ben Potter ’20 rocketed towards the goal, but Trinity goalkeeper Mateo Zabala was able to punch the shot over the crossbar. The resulting corner-kick would put the ball back in the Bantam penalty area, eventually finding Brandon Reid ’21, who was able to settle it in the top-left corner of the box. Facing away from the goal, he pivoted quickly on the ball and let a shot lace between two defenders, finding the upper-right corner on the net and leaving Midd on top 1–0 with 28 minutes remaining.
Excellent defense from the backline and two saves from goalie Jeremy Yeager ’18 would be enough to notch their seventh shutout performance in 13 games.
“Over the last three games our defense has really stepped up for us,” said Yeager.
“We are staying organized and compact in the back, and we have done really well at limiting the opposition to very few threatening opportunities. Our midfielders have also done a great job of winning 50/50 balls and pressing to win the ball back.”
Middlebury snagged a 1–0 non-conference win last Wednesday, Oct. 11, over Castleton with a goal from Drew Goulart and 3 saves from Yeager. The Panthers will face Bates (5–4–2, 1–4–2) this Saturday, Oct. 21, for their final regular-season away game.
(10/11/17 9:39pm)
Men’s soccer (7–4–0, 3–4–0) went one for two in their double-header weekend last week, Oct. 7 and 8, as they bounded-back from being shut-out by 12th-ranked Tufts (8–1–1, 5–1–1) on Saturday when they squeaked by Wesleyan (5–4–1, 1–4–1) by a narrow 1–0 margin on Sunday.
Much like their double header the previous weekend, a tough Saturday loss was somewhat avenged by a dominant Sunday performance.
In Saturday’s trip to Medford, the Panthers faced a certain challenge: The defending national champion Jumbos have only lost one match on their home turf headed into what was their annual homecoming game.
A 10th-minute goal got things moving for Tufts when a cross found the foot of a wide open Brett Rojas, who was able to calmly place the ball in the bottom left corner of the net.
Tufts grabbed another goal in the 40th-minute off a corner kick which was headed down to the feet of rookie Biagio Paoletta, who sent a rocket into the net for his first collegiate goal.
The Jumbos evidently were not satisfied going into the half with a 2–0 lead, as with just 30 seconds before the halftime whistle blew, Jarod Glover played a ball off his chest to teammate Dexter Eichhorst, who was able to one-touch the ball past Middlebury goalie Jeremy Yeager ’18. Another low shot from the top of the box just as the second half got underway cemented Tufts’ 4–0 victory.
Middlebury’s best opportunity came in the 21st minute as an on-target shot from Drew Goulart ’20 was deflected upwards and off the crossbar by the Tufts keeper, Bruce Johnson.
“Tufts was excellent,” coach David Saward said. “They were as good a Division III team that I have seen in a number of years. They thoroughly deserved the result.
“The big challenge for us was to ‘let go’ of the Tufts game and immediately refocus on the Wesleyan match. With a young team, we are only starting two seniors, the biggest challenge is to build confidence and consistency.”
To Saward’s delight, the team was able to let go of the Tufts game by the time kickoff rolled around on Sunday to play a well-grounded match at Wesleyan on Sunday. They edged the Cardinals 1–0 with a dominating 17–7 advantage in shots and 9–1 in shots on goal.
Middlebury nearly grabbed an early lead when a shot off the foot of Fazl Shaikh ’20 bounced off the crossbar from 23 yards out in the 10th minute. Wesleyan’s best chance came in the 36th, when James Schubauer took a rip from 10 yards away that would fly just barely too high.
After a scoreless opening half, Middlebury continued peppering shots and their efforts were finally rewarded in the 70th minute.
Brandon Reid ’21 notched the only goal of the day when he collected a through ball, outmaneuvered the Wesleyan goalie, and punched in the eventual game winner from about eight yards out. The rookie’s first career goal put the Panthers on top for good as Yeager notched his fifth clean sheet of the season in goal.
“Ultimately the team must defend better,” Saward said after Sunday’s victory over Wesleyan. “We have won every match in which we have kept a clean sheet and, against Wesleyan, they were excellent. Peter Davis ’19 had clearly his best match of the year and Kye Moffat ’19 is beginning to settle in as our rock in the middle of the back.
“Raffi Barsamian ’21 and Jeremy Barovick ’19 got through the necessary work in midfield to help stabilize our defending,” Saward said, continuing to commend the strong performances of his players. “We now have 4 matches to go and it is up to us to find the consistency, collective confidence and belief that ultimately helps teams win matches.”
Saward’s team will have a chance to execute that plan as they return to their home pitch on Saturday, Oct. 14, when they welcome a struggling Trinity team (2–8–1, 0–6–1) to FieldTurf Field.
(10/04/17 11:28pm)
In their doubleheader weekend at home, the men’s soccer team (5–3–0, 2–3–0) suffered a 2–0 loss at the hands of the Colby Mules last Saturday, Sept. 30, and managed a 1–0 win over Plymouth State last Sunday, Oct. 1.
The shutout against Colby was not taken lightly by Middlebury, and on Sunday they outshot Plymouth 23–2 and put 10 of those on target, despite their only goal coming on a Plymouth own-goal in the 84th minute.
Middlebury felt immediate pressure in Saturday’s contest against Colby. Just 2:37 into the game, Colby’s Avery Heilbron got a foot on a loose ball in front of the Middlebury goal. Although the sure-handed Jeremy Yeager ’18 was able to deflect the shot, Colby’s Lucas Pereira beat out the Middlebury defense, collected the rebound and found the back of the net just moments later.
About five minutes later and still a goal down, Middlebury had a great chance to tie things up when Jeremy Barovick ’19 rifled a shot through the hands of Mule goalkeeper Avery Gibson. Despite getting through the keeper’s hands, Barovick’s shot just missed the crossbar.
On the other end, at the 22:36 mark, Yeager displayed a piece of masterful goalkeeping when he was confronted with three rapid-fire shots at the feet of the Mules. Yeager managed to save two of the shots, and the Panthers blocked the third.
At the 54:11 mark, Colby’s Pereira was fouled about 20 yards out, resulting in a free kick which Cam Clouse was able to slot in the upper left corner, leaving the score 2–0 for the Mules. Despite valiant scoring efforts from sophomores Fazl Shaikh ’20 and Drew Goulart ’20 in the late stages of the match, the Mules defense would reigned supreme on that particular day.
“Our standard is to never drop games, especially when we are playing on our home field,” Goulart said. “If we are unable to impose our style and and take control of a game then we look at that as a failure.
“We were unable to control the flow of the game and as a result failed to create any real chances,” Goulart said, lamenting the missed opportunity against Colby. “Fortunately for us we were able to collect ourselves after the game and get our redemption the next day against Plymouth.”
The following day, in a non-conference match against Plymouth State, Middlebury looked to have collected themselves. Despite only winning 1–0 off of an own goal by Plymouth, Middlebury possessed the ball well and created plenty of quality opportunities.
In the opening half, Middlebury managed 14 shots to Plymouth’s 0. One of the Panthers’ shots was an absolute rocket off the foot of Shaikh from 15 yards out. Plymouth goalie Linus Lindeberg made one of his nine saves in what was an admirable effort, in this particular instance making a spectacular diving save to deny the sophomore.
Middlebury hit everything but the back of the net until the 84th minute, when Goulart’s flurry of footwork got him to the goal line on the left side. Goulart created enough space so he could manage to let a cross curl towards the middle of the field, just in front of the Plymouth goal, where a parade of players waited. The ball made fortunate contact with a Plymouth defender and landed in the net, putting Middlebury on top for good, 1–0.
“Although we only scored one goal, I think the game reinstalled in us a confidence that we needed in order to move forward with a level head and get ready for a big weekend,” Goulart said. “As our legendary coach always says, ‘soccer is a game of moments’ — we created the scoring opportunities we needed but now we must capitalize on those moments.”
The Panthers take the pitch again this Saturday, Oct. 7, when they hit the road to take on a Tufts team that was ranked No. 3 in the national polls prior to suffering a 1–0 road loss last Saturday against Amherst.
(09/27/17 11:41pm)
The men’s soccer team (5–2–0, 2–2–0) extended their win streak to four games on Wednesday, Sep. 20, with a win over Keene State (3–1–2, 1–0) before seeing their streak snapped with a a 3–1 loss on the road to Bowdoin (5–2–0, 3–1–0) on Saturday, Sept. 23.
The Bowdoin was a rematch of last season’s Nescac semifinals, where the former two-time reigning Nescac champion Polar Bears also defeated Middlebury.
Just fifteen minutes into Saturday’s game, Bowdoin’s Matty McColl was fouled outside the penalty box. The ensuing 25-yard free kick, taken by Ethan Ellsworth, bent around a wall of Middlebury players, and curved back towards the near post, just past the outstretched hands of Middlebury goalie Jeremy Yeager ’18. After four complete games and 367 consecutive minutes of shutout goalkeeping, Yeager’s streak finally came to an end as Bowdoin climbed ahead, 1–0.
Four minutes later, however, Panther midfielder Daniel O’Grady ’19, tied things up by winning a battle for a header off a pass from Drew Goulart ’20. O’Grady’s goal would mark his second of the season and a moment of hope for Middlebury.
Nearing the break, however, Bowdoin’s Moctar Niang headed in a pass off a cross from Matty McColl to put the home team up 2–1 with 8 minutes remaining in the first half.
“[After] a good headed goal from O’Grady, it seemed that we could now take the game forward,” said coach David Saward. “However, the second goal from Bowdoin was a back breaker. We defended poorly out wide and they delivered an excellent cross that was emphatically headed past Yeager. It was the type of goal that lifts a team and unfortunately it deflated us.”
And lift the other team it did. Just 1:50 into the second half, Niang snagged a double-tap opportunity, sending his second header of the game into the net off a feed from Max McPherron, lifting Bowdoin to a 3–1 lead.
The scoreboard would remain unchanged through the game despite an attempt in the 68th minute from Middlebury’s Drew Goulart ’20, whose point-blank shot was smothered by Bowdoin goal keeper Stevie Van Siclen. Both Yeager and Van Siclen would end the game with 4 saves.
“As hard as the team tried we could never fully regained a ‘foothold’ in the contest. Bowdoin deserved the result,” Saward said. “We have to get back to defending responsibly, particularly in one-on-one situations. Also, the team needs to look positively at the challenge ahead and embrace that challenge which I believe they are very capable of doing.”
The Panthers will be back on the field this Saturday, Sept 30, to face Colby (3–2–1, 1–2–1).
(09/21/17 12:57am)
The men’s soccer team (4–1–0, 2–1–0) added two wins to their name in what was a doubleheader weekend last week with two big 1–0 victories over Nescac foes: No. 10 Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 16, and over Hamilton on Sunday, Sept. 17. As the Panthers extended their win streak to three games, coach David Saward surpassed the 350-win mark, moving his career record to 351–120–59. Jed Sass ’18 scored the lone goal in both games and goalkeeper Jeremy Yeager ’18 notched his first two shutouts of the season.
During their conference road match with Amherst (1–1–0, 1–1–0) on Saturday, the first 51 minutes were a defensive battle. Each team only managed two shots on goal. Eventually, however, Amherst slipped and issued a foul which resulted in a direct kick opportunity from the top of the penalty area for Sass. The senior captain ripped a left-bending shot into the corner past the hands of Amherst goalkeeper Lee Owen to notch what would prove to be the game winner.
In the 76th minute, Drew Goulart ’20 had an opportunity to cushion the lead with a close range shot, but was denied by Amherst goalie, Michael Stone, who had just been substituted in for Owen.
In an 89th minute attempt to match Middlebury’s goal, an Amherst throw in ended up in the Middlebury net, but was ruled invalid as the ball failed to touch another player before crossing the goal line.
Middlebury returned home on Sunday to meet Hamilton (3–2–1, 1–2–0). The previous time the teams had met was when the Continentals defeated the Panthers 2–1 in last season’s Nescac semifinals. But Sunday’s game went differently.
Another unassisted goal by Sass and four saves from Yeager led the team to redemption.
While quality shots were infrequent in the first half, Hamilton’s Aidan Wood nearly netted a goal in the 14th minute. Wood’s initial eight yard shot was knocked away by Yeager to his left, where Hamilton’s Jefri Schmidt gobbled up the rebound and sent a subsequent point blank shot into the hands of Yeager.
Five minutes into the second half, Wood would have another chance as he sent a right-side bending ball from 15 yards away, but was again denied by the diving Panther goalie, who was just able to punch the shot away.
In the 54th minute, Middlebury midfielder Sass one-touched a torching shot into the post off a bouncing ball in the Hamilton penalty area. He found the rebound at the six-yard line and tapped it in, pushing the Panthers ahead 1–0, where the score would remain.
“Losing our opening Nescac game to Connecticut College put us in a position where both matches against Amherst and Hamilton were essentially must-wins if we were realistically going to put ourselves in a position compete for the Nescac title,” Sass said. “The challenge for us now is to bring out the same fight every time we cross those white lines. These wins were two massive steps in the right direction and leave us hungry for more.”
Middlebury will continue on their journey to a Nescac title when they are back in action in Brunswick, Maine, on Saturday to take on Bowdoin (4–1–0, 2–1–0).
(09/14/17 4:04am)
The Middlebury men’s soccer team (2–1–0) pleased a large crowd during their first game since students returned to campus with a 2-1 win in double overtime against the visiting Colby-Sawyer Chargers (0–4–0) last Sunday, Sept. 10. Despite edging the Chargers in shots on goal 13–2, it took a late goal at the end of regulation for the Panthers to send the game into what would become a double overtime marathon in which Daniel O’Grady ’19 kicked in the game-winner in the 109th minute.
Colby-Sawyer notched their only goal of the day with 20 minutes left in the first half, taking a 1–0 lead. Denali Sexton pressed hard and fast on a pass from the backline, fading towards the left side and letting a low shot fly to the opposite corner, just beyond the hands of Middlebury goalkeeper Jeremy Yeager ’18. Yeager concluded his third full game with one save, bringing his season total to five.
Despite the fact that the Chargers maintained a 1–0 lead for most of regulation, Middlebury controlled the game throughout. In the 20th minute, Kye Moffat ’19 missed just wide left on a header. Twelve minutes later in the 32nd minute, the crossbar would deny O’Grady the game-tying goal on a 19-yard rip.
After controlling the ball for most of the second half, a scramble in the goal box in the 78th minute resulted in a shot from Goulart that threaded several defenders’ legs but bounced off the right side post, forcing the team into a furious up-tempo style of play with only 12 minutes remaining on the clock and the Chargers leading by one.
Then, in the 81st minute, Peter Davis ’19 headed in his first career goal following a scramble in the box on a corner kick. In the 87th minute, Middlebury nearly took the lead as O’Grady sent a header from six yards into the hands of Charger goalie Sean Babinski. The next opportunity didn’t arise until the second 10-minute overtime half, when Ben Potter ’20 was denied by Babinski on a one-on-one following a through ball.
With just 1:47 remaining in overtime, O’Grady collected a 70-yard pass from Henry Wilhelm ’20 just outside the penalty box and moved quickly in and to the left. He punched a fast, low shot off his left foot, beating the hands of Babinski and leaving the Panthers on top.
“We feel like we have a lot of depth this year, especially in the midfield,” Yeager said. “A lot of guys who are confident with the ball at their feet. We are hoping that we can use that to unlock opposing defenses and threaten in front of goal. We had a pretty big senior class graduate last year, so there are a lot of spots up for grabs. It’s an opportunity for guys to step up and take advantage of the opportunity.”
The non-conference win leaves the Panthers with a 2–1 record after defeating Norwich 3–1 on Wednesday, Sept. 6 and suffering a 2–1 loss to Connecticut College on Saturday, September 9. Middlebury heads to Massachusetts to face rival Amherst College (1–0–0) this Saturday, Sept. 16.