Tyler Macnee

MEN’S SOCCER PLAYS TWICE

September 26, 2011

            In a rematch of last year's NESCAC Championship and NCAA Regional Final, the Bowdoin and Middlebury men's soccer teams played to a 2-2 draw on Saturday afternoon. The Polar Bears move to 3-1-1 (0-1-1 NESCAC) this fall while the Panthers stand at 1-2-2 (0-2-2 NESCAC).

            The squads traded goals within the first 5:48, setting the tone for a wild game. Just two minutes in, Macgill Eldredge made a long toss from the wing that bounced through the box to Nick Powell, who laid out for a diving header and a 1-0 Polar Bear lead. Just over three minutes later, junior Josh Lyvers (Harvard, Mass.) accepted a short pass from senior Robbie Redmond (Morristown, N.J.) at the top of the box and blasted a quick turnaround shot to the far post that deadlocked the game at one apiece.

            Senior Tyler Macnee (Williston, Vt.) gave the Panthers the lead early in the second stanza by finishing off a scrum in front of the box following a Middlebury corner at 50:38. The Panthers were within a minute of victory until a late Bowdoin push resulted in Eldredge taking control of the ball on the wing. Eldredge fed a perfectly-placed cross into the box which found the head of 6-foot-4 Sam White for the game-tying score.

            Middlebury out-shot Bowdoin 3-1 in the extra session but neither team could find the game-winner. Will Wise stopped six shots in net for Bowdoin. Senior goalkeeper Tim Cahill (S. Glastonbury, Conn.) made three saves in goal for Middlebury.

            Middlebury scored a season-high five goals on its way to a shutout victory over Colby-Sawyer on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers move to 2-2-2 on the season, while the Chargers fall to 2-5-1.

            Middlebury struck 8:46 into the game when Lyvers played a nice chip to senior Otis Pitney (Washington, D.C.) at the 18. Pitney took a quick step and then fired a shot into the top left corner of the net for the 1-0 lead. Junior Ethan Galiette (Avon, Conn.) had his shot saved by Will Berry later in the half, with the rebound squirting to junior Brett Brazier (Okemos, Mich.), who found the open net for his second of the year at 36:24.

            Leading 2-0 in the second half, Pitney netted his third goal of the season at the 59:01 mark. Macnee made a short, quick through pass to Pitney, who buried the shot inside the box. Macnee earned a goal of his own just 2:12 later, taking a nice feed from senior Martin Drolet (Lachine, Que.) before fighting off a defender to earn the breakaway goal. Galiette wrapped up the scoring at 76:39, quickly redirecting a shot sent toward the goal by junior Alvand Hajizadeh (Williamstown, Mass).

            Middlebury held a 29-1 shots advantage in the game, with Cahill forced to make no saves to earn his second shutout of the season.
• Men’s soccer record: 2-2-2
• Up next: 10/1 vs. Wesleyan – 11:00, 10/2 vs. Conn. – 2:00