Women's Soccer Undefeated in Last Five

Author: Kate Nerenberg

With one game remaining in regular season play, the women's soccer team is undefeated in its last five contests and looking to make some noise in the upcoming New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament.
Two weeks ago, the Panthers took their game to New York to battle an experienced and talented Hamilton team. Britt Kittelsen '03 managed to bottle up some of that talent as she marked out Hamilton's leading scorer and top player. Avenging a 2-1 loss from last season, Middlebury helped goalkeeper Els Van Woert '05 register her first collegiate shutout with a 2-0 win.
Coming off a sweet victory over Williams just days before, the Panthers did not waste any time at Hamilton. In the 23rd minute of the game Allison Bell '05 put her team on the scoreboard as a deflected shot found the back of the net. Hamilton stayed close through half time and the first part of the second session. However, the Panther offense was too strong and surged again with 20 minutes remaining. Senior Anna Gayman plowed past the goalkeeper with an assist from Mayo Fujii '05 to secure the win.
Almost a full week of practice allowed the Panthers time to warm up for one of their homecoming game against Bates. Despite the cold weather, Meg Bonney '03 was on fire. She spurred her team into action, scoring the first two goals of the game. Fellow forward Leah Cumsky-Whitlock '03 scored the third goal of the half in the 31st minute.
"Put together Meg, the former NESCAC Player of the Year, and Leah, the All-American, and fireworks happen. In our early going, their unstoppable, relentless and savvy attacking really carried us," Head Coach Diane Boettcher said of her two senior attackers.
Although Bates scored right before the close of the first half, Bonney was ready to answer. Only 55 seconds into the second half, she scored her third of the afternoon. Just 15 minutes later, Bates again found the back of the net, but of course Bonney was there to respond with her fourth goal of the game. Gayman and Gillian Menza '05 each scored to secure the 7-2 Panther victory.
Bonney's four goals on the afternoon brought her total season tally up to 16, breaking the single-season scoring record of 13 she shared with Cumsky-Whitlock. She also tied the single-game scoring record, which incidentally is shared with Cumsky-Whitlock as well.
"Meg Bonney has rewritten the record books here at Middlebury. She would be the first, however to deflect praise to her teammates, especially her striker buddy Cumsky-Whitlock. Meg personifies the understated excellence of our athletes here at Middlebury," commented Boettcher on her top scorer.
In the last regular season home game, the Panthers took on a formidable Tufts team amid inhospitable weather conditions. Neither team could find the back of the net through 110 minutes of play as the game ended in a 0-0 tie. Defensively, the Panthers were extremely pleased with the shutout, after working on "no-shot defending" against one of the top NESCAC teams. Offensively, Middlebury was a little frustrated with the weather conditions and hitting the crossbar four times, including a shot by Fujii in the second overtime. The Jumbos went wide on a penalty kick, also in the second overtime, blowing their best opportunity to notch the deciding goal.
The Panthers have a hefty task at hand as they travel to Connecticut College this weekend for their last regular-season game. The game is crucial for postseason play, especially the NESCAC tournament, which begins Sunday. There are four teams tied for first in the league, with Middlebury and Connecticut College tied for second. The top seven NESCAC teams get a crack at the coveted NESCAC crown, meaning an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. Depending on the outcomes of other games, the Panthers could possibly host a NESCAC game on Sunday, or travel elsewhere.
The team is again looking to shift its lineup after a stress fracture sidelined defensive anchor Erica Martling '03. However, the team has confidence in its younger players to step up to the challenge in the midst of a hotly-contested NESCAC race. Boettcher just wants her team to maintain its composure each day: "Our 'one game at a time' focus shifts to 'each win brings another game together' and we want to play as many games together as we can."