For Release: November 6, 2006
WOMEN’S SOCCER WINS NESCAC TITLE – HEADED TO NCAA’S
The Middlebury College women’s soccer team won the NESCAC Championship with a 1-0 overtime win at Amherst on Sunday. The Panthers earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will play Scranton at W. Connecticut this Saturday in an NCAA Regional contest.
In the semifinals, Middlebury avenged its regular season loss to Colby with a 2-0 win over the White Mules at Amherst. Middlebury played solid all day, out-shooting Colby, 19-7, to advance to the title game The first third of the game went scoreless as the teams battled back and forth, with both teams looking as if they could strike at any moment. In the 37th minute, Middlebury rookie Margaret Owen (Bozeman, Mont.) broke the tie with a full volley from a Nora Tomlinson Weintraub (Burlingame, Calif.) corner kick. The well-hit volley soared over the Colby keeper’s hand for the first goal of the game.
Coming out of halftime, the run of play was dominated by the Panthers, who tacked on their second goal in the 54th minute when senior Kim Walker (Ridgewood, N.J.) knocked home a loose ball in front of the goal. The build-up to the second Middlebury goal was very pretty, as sophomore Ashley Pfaff (Charlotte, Vt.) slid a bouncing ball in front to Walker who timed a quick run to the goal line, where she met the ball for the insurance tally. Middlebury sophomore keeper Adele Plunkett (Austin, Texas) made one save to post her eighth shutout of the season.
The Panthers won their second NESCAC Championship as they picked up a 1-0 overtime win at Amherst on Sunday. The first major threat came with 28 minutes remaining in the half, when a corner kick by senior Erin Oliver (Essex Junction, Vt.) ended up on the feet of senior Abby Kurtz-Phelan (Denver, Colo.), whose shot from 20 yards out rattled the crossbar, forcing Amherst keeper Piper Crowell to punch the ball out of bounds. Middlebury would have two more consecutive corner kicks, but the Lord Jeff defense would eventually clear the ball out of Amherst territory and escape unharmed.
The second half started just as the first half had gone, with the teams battling back-and-forth without being able to capitalize on any opportunities. The Panthers had a great chance with 11 minutes remaining in the second half when Tomlinson Weintraub ripped a hard shot on target, but Crowell knocked the ball back out to the middle, allowing the defense to once again escape a very good Middlebury attack. The Middlebury offense was relentless for the remainder of the half, however, setting up several scoring opportunities deep in Amherst territory. With six minutes remaining in the half, Crowell turned away a Panther corner kick, but Weintraub settled the loose ball and ripped another hard shot from eight yards out that sailed just wide of the goal. Just one minute later, senior Caitrin Abshere (Madison, Wis.) had her shot sail just high, followed shortly by another Tomlinson Weintraub hard shot, but Crowell picked up another save. Middlebury’s final attack in the second half came with three minutes remaining when Abshere’s shot sailed high, ending a long stretch of Middlebury domination.
With 25 seconds remaining in regulation, Amherst had one final scoring opportunity when Kathy Nolan’s corner kick hit the head of sophomore Mary Marvell, but the ball sailed over the goal, sending the teams into overtime after 90 hard-fought minutes of scoreless soccer.
The first two-and-a-half minutes of overtime were packed with scoring opportunities for both teams, with Tomlinson Weintraub coming the closest to scoring when she ripped yet another hard, low shot past Crowell, but the ball sailed just wide of the goal. With less than three minutes remaining in the first sudden death period, Weintraub crossed the ball from the corner to Oliver, whose shot went low and to the corner, freezing Crowell on her line. The ball hit the back of the net as the Panthers claimed the 2006 NESCAC Championship. Both goalkeepers were challenged throughout the game, with Crowell and Plunkett each recording four saves. The shutout was the ninth of the season for Plunkett.
• Women’s soccer record: 13-2-1
• Up next: 11/11 vs. Scranton @ W. Conn. – 7:30 (NCAA Regional); if win, 11/12 vs. TBA - 6:00
MEN’S SOCCER LOSES NESCAC TITLE ON PK’S – HEADED TO NCAA’S
The Panther men's soccer team battled to a 0-0 tie at Williams in the NESCAC Championship game. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Ephs won the title with a 3-2 edge in penalty kicks. Middlebury did receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will play St. Lawrence at NYU on Saturday in an NCAA Regional contest.
In the semifinals, Middlebury avenged an earlier season loss on Dragone Field as they handed Amherst a 1-0 loss at Williams. In another physical Middlebury/Amherst match-up, the Panthers were able to come through with a late goal to earn the win. After 80:36 of scoreless soccer, sophomore Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) found the back of the net for his 13th goal of the season to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. At the top of the box, Ftorek took the ball from mid-air, created some distance from his defender, and sent a blistering shot just inside the near post.
Middlebury was able to hold onto the lead for the final 10 minutes of play, coming away with the win. The Jeffs held a 19-8 edge in shots and a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks on the afternoon.
With the goal, Ftorek now has 13 goals and eight assists for 34 points on the season, tying Kyle Dezotell for the most points in a season. Unfortunately, Ftorek missed Sunday's championship game after he earned a red card in the semifinal match. Senior Zack Toth (Carlisle, Mass.) ended the day with nine saves in goal to earn the win, while Jeffrey Grover made five stops for Amherst.
In the title game, the closest either team got to scoring in the first half was a shot on a wide-open net that Williams’ Pat Huffer missed high. Toth once again was a huge presence in the goal for Middlebury, making six saves on the afternoon.
As the minutes ticked away, overtime became a near-certainty. However, a scrum in front of the Middlebury goal with under a minute to play in regulation resulted in a Williams shot that struck the crossbar, coming just inches from going into the goal. Both teams maintained a fairly conservative style in OT in anticipation of the ensuing penalty kicks. After the 20 minutes of scoreless play, the two goalkeepers, Jeff Castiglione of Williams and Zach Toth of Middlebury, walked to the east goal to await their shots.
Williams led 3-2 in penalty kicks, with the Panthers missing their fifth and final shot that could have tied the extra session at three prior to the Eph’s final shot.
• Men’s soccer record: 11-5-1
• Up next: 11/11 vs. St. Law. @ NJIT ( Newark ) – 7:30 (NCAA Regional); if win, 11/12 vs. TBA – 6:00
FIELD HOCKEY DROPS NESCAC TITLE GAME – RETURNS TO NCAA’S
The Middlebury College field hockey team came up just short in the NESCAC Championship, falling 1-0 at Bowdoin in the championship game. The Panthers did receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will play this Saturday at Bowdoin against the winner of the mid-week game between William Smith and Eastern.
Middlebury got on the board first against Colby in the semifinals, with a goal just three minutes into the game when junior Marnie Rowe (Harwich, Mass.) was able to find sophomore Sophie Thompson (Greenwich, Conn.) in front of the cage. Rowe added a score for herself at 19:46 off of a rebound from the Jumbos' goalie. Middlebury finished out the half with a goal at 14:21. Rowe tallied her second assist of the game when she connected with junior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.), who slapped the ball into the goal.
Junior Lacey Farrell (Greenwich, Conn.) strengthened Middlebury's lead with a goal at 5:28 left in the second half. Tufts broke up the shutout with 2:22 remaining in the game when Michelle Kelly found the back of the cage. Senior goalie Megan McGillen (Harwich, Mass.) had seven saves for Middlebury, while Angela Rappoli made six saves for Tufts.
Bowdoin controlled the pace in the early going of the title game, taking the first eight shots of the game. McGillen single-handedly kept her team in the contest, brushing aside six saves in the first 10 minutes to keep the Polar Bears off the scoreboard. Bowdoin continued to pressure the goal throughout the period, racking up 17 total shots and 11 corners before intermission. But McGillen made 13 saves overall in the stanza as the game headed into the second half tied at zero.
Bowdoin continued to control the tempo early in the second period, and finally broke through with 21:54 remaining, as a hard shot from outside the circle by Val Young was deflected in front by Lindsay McNamara to the left of McGillen and into the cage for a 1-0 Polar Bear lead.
Middlebury earned their first corner of the game with nine minutes to go, but Bowdoin's Val Young exploded off the line to disrupt the play and keep the Panthers off the board. The Panthers could only muster a single shot in the second period and two total for the game as the Polar Bear defense stifled all chances.
• Field hockey record: 14-3
• Up next: 11/11 vs. W. Smith/Eastern @ Bow. – 2:00 (NCAA Regional); if win, 11/12 vs. TBA - 1:00
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL ENDS SEASON
The Middlebury College women’s volleyball team saw its season come to an end last week as they dropped a mid-week contest before falling to Williams in the NESCAC Quarterfinals.
The Panthers played their final match prior to the NESCAC Tournament, falling at St. Michael's by a score of 3-2. Middlebury trailed St. Michael's 2-1 before winning the fourth set and forcing a fifth set tie-breaker. Neither team could put the other away, with the match extending all the way to a 22-20 final.
Junior Lexie Fisher (San Francisco, Calif.) and sophomore Josie Keller (York, Pa.) led the team with 16 kills apiece, while first-year player Kate Lupo (Weston, Conn.) added 10. Sophomore Lindsay Patterson (Aspen, Colo.) had 34 digs in the loss, Fisher added 27 with four blocks, while sophomore Olivia Minkhorst (Atlanta, Ga.) had 23 digs and 46 assists.
Middlebury saw its season come to an end as they lost a 3-1 (28-30, 30-22, 30-20, 32-30) match to Williams in the NESCAC Quarterfinals at Williams. The Panthers end their season at 13-16. Middlebury came out strong, jumping out to a 1-0 lead by taking the first set. The Ephs battled back to win the next two, before breaking a 30-30 tie with two points to seal fourth set and the match.
Lupo led the offense with 14 kills, while Fisher and senior Amy Heath (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) each had a dozen. Heath and Minkhorst had 27 digs apiece, Patterson had 42 assists, while Lupo picked up four blocks.
• Women’s volleyball final record: 13-16
FOOTBALL TEAM BLANKS HAMILTON
Middlebury senior Kevin Ryan (Shelton, Conn.) set a new NESCAC record for sacks in a season as the Panthers picked up a 10-0 win over Hamilton on Steuben Field in New York. The nation's leader in sacks recorded three of Middlebury’s six sacks to give him 13.5 sacks this year.
The Panthers limited Hamilton to five first downs and 138 yards of total offense on the day. The Continentals were 2 of 15 on third down conversions and punted 10 times.
Middlebury, which has won 11 straight games against Hamilton, scored its touchdown with 19 seconds left in the first quarter. Senior Tiger Lyon (El Paso, Texas) threw a 20-yard strike to sophomore Evan Beilin (S. Hamilton, Mass.) down the middle of the field for a 6-0 Panthers’ lead. The pass capped a five-play, 37-yard drive. Lyon completed an 11-yard pass to sophomore Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.) on fourth down just before he hooked up with Beilin to extend the drive.
Senior Steve Hauschka (Needham, Mass.) kicked a 24-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining in the third quarter to supply the final margin. The field goal tied Middlebury's single-season mark with his ninth, while moving him into first place on the school's all-time list with the 19th of his career.
The record-setting field goal came at the end of a nine-play, 61-yard drive. The scoring drive featured a 15-yard penalty on the Continentals for roughing the passer and Lyon’s 18-yard completion to senior Jamie Staples (Pacific Grove, Calif.) on third down that put the Panthers at the Hamilton 12-yard line.
Lyon ended the day 15 of 26 for 132 yards and one interception, while senior Stefan Hrdina (W. Redding, Conn.) led all rushers with 14 carries for 64 yards on the afternoon. Staples caught five passes for 58 yards with a touchdown, while Matson had a game-high six catches for 40 yards.
Ryan led the team with eight tackles on the afternoon, junior Nathan Clancy (Elmhurst, Ill.) added seven, while junior Erik Woodring (Cos Cob, Conn.), junior Alex Buggy (Stamford, Conn.) and senior Scott Secor (Lake Odessa, Mich.) each had six.
• Football record: 5-2
• Up next: 11/11 vs. Tufts – 12:30
CROSS COUNTRY COMPETE AT ECAC’S
The Middlebury cross country teams took part in the ECAC Championships hosted by Williams last weekend. The Panthers, as well as several other teams, rested their top runners for the upcoming NCAA Regionals this weekend. The women’s team placed fourth overall in the 35-team race, while the men were ninth among 40 teams.
Leading the women in the race was sophomore Emily Jacobs (Greene, Maine), who finished in 11th place with a time of 23:35. Finishing in 16th place was first-year racer Emily Allison (Bozeman, Mont.) in 23:45, followed by junior Chrissy Fulton (Concord, N.H.) in 29th place (24:08). Senior Kylie Taylor (Randolph, N.J.) in 37th (24:22) and sophomore Mairead Harris (Williston, Vt.) in 38th (24:24) rounded out Middlebury’s scorers.
First-year racer Michael Waters (Bedford, Mass.) led the men’s team in 24th place with a time of 27:14. Finishing in 47th was rookie Michael Panzer (Rockville, Md.) in 27:43, followed by first-year racer Andrew Ruoss (Greenville, Del.) in 56th (27:56). Fellow rookie Victor Guevara (Short Hills, N.J.) came in 67th (28:03) for the Panthers, while classmate Peter Hoffman (Rochester, Minn.) placed 75th (28:11).
• Cross country teams race at ECAC’s
• Up next: 11/11 @ NCAA Regional (Springfield)
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