Women's Soccer Lowers Boom on Opponents

Author: Mike Kennedy

The Middlebury College Women's soccer team rebounded from a disappointing last-second loss to Trinity with convincing wins against Norwich and Wesleyan this week. With the victories, the Panthers improved their record to 2-1 heading into what will be a trying week as the team squares off against nationally ranked Keene State on Wednesday and Colby and Bowdoin over the weekend.

Against Norwich, six different Panthers found the back of the net in the 8-0 win. Junior striker Brittany Cronin led the attack with two goals and an assist, while first-year forward Erin Pittenger had two goals of her own, the first of her Middlebury career. Both outside midfielders, first-years Caity Abshere and Erin Oliver, also tallied their first career goals. Junior Mayo Fujii and senior Molly Turco completed the scoring for the Panthers. Rookie Al Shube '07 earned the shutout win. Coach Diane Boettcher was happy with the team's performance, commenting, "While Norwich is not the same caliber contest as a NESCAC opponent, the team employed some very effective possession tactics as the score elevated. The effort was well-balanced and the players on whom we must rely came through for us."

The lopsided win gave the Panthers a jolt of confidence heading into the game at Wesleyan, where they looked to get their first win in NESCAC play. They controlled most of the action in the first half, and an Abshere rebound off a Cronin shot gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead at the break. Senior co-captain Amanda Green described what the team talked about at the half. "We wanted to put Wesleyan away early in the second half, and not give them a chance to steal the game from us. What happened at Trinity was something we did not want to experience again, and we knew we had to come out ready to go in the second half." The talk may have sparked the Panthers, as Turco scored on a great individual effort early in the half to increase the lead to two. A late goal from Cronin and one by Fujii, on a back-door feed from sophomore Siobhan Redmond, secured the 4-0 victory. Junior goalkeeper Els Van Woert continued her great play, picking up six saves, including a great stop on a breakaway, for the win.

By outscoring their opponents 12-0 on the week, the Panthers seem to be getting stronger at both ends of the field. Senior co-captain Michaela Dietz, who hopes to return from an injury in the next few weeks, talked about the team's progress. "This was a great week for us. We got contributions on offense from all over the field, and our defense gave up minimal chances. Els has been a wall for us in the net. These wins give us a lot of confidence heading into this week." The Panthers will travel to Keene State on Wednesday, before hosting Colby and Bowdoin this weekend.