Women's Soccer Team Eyes Top Four

Author: Mike Kennedy

With wins over arch rival Williams and non-conference opponent Lyndon State, and a disappointing loss to Bates, the Middlebury women's soccer team heads into the final two weeks of the regular season sitting in a fifth place tie in the NESCAC and ranked 22nd nationally. The Panthers will need to finish strong to have a chance to host a first round NESCAC playoff game. If the season ended today, the Panthers fifth place standing would send them on the road for first round action.

Middlebury and Williams squared off two weekends ago in front of the largest home crowd of the year, brought upon by Middlebury's first Fall Family Weekend and the great soccer these two schools have been known to produce when they face off. Williams came out looking to dictate the tempo of play and take control of the game early. They managed to get one by Panther goalkeeper Els Van Woert '05 midway through the first half to jump out to the early advantage. Middlebury evened the score before the half on junior Brittany Cronin's breakaway goal, her team-leading 10th of the season, which ranks her second in the NESCAC. After the break, both teams came out strong and each had their chances to take the lead, but solid defense and goaltending kept the score even late into the half. Middlebury's Mayo Fujii '05 broke through for the Panthers and got the game winner when she buried a perfect serve from first-year Erin Pittenger into the back of the net. Coach Diane Boettcher complimented the play off the bench and noted the gritty play of senior co-captain Michaela Dietz, who played her first game since being injured in the early part of the season, as keys to the victory.

The Panthers added another win against Lyndon State last week, cruising to an 8-0 shutout. First-year player Laura Kwoh led the Panther attack with two goals and an assist. Other scores for Middlebury included Amanda Vrecenak '07, who tallied the first of her career, and Dietz, who got the first of her injury-shortened senior campaign. Al Shube was rarely tested in the net, earning the shutout.

While most students traveled home for fall break, the Panthers made the long trip to Bates, where they came into the game in a five-way tie atop the crowded NESCAC standings. Bates would give the Panthers all they could handle, as they came out attacking and playing with a high level of intensity. Middlebury's defense held strong, but Bates was able to get on the board before the half on a clever play that stifled the Panther backs. Middlebury pressured the Bobcats for most of the second half, and Cronin almost got the equalizer after breaking into the box. A questionable offside call negated a potential goal for Fujii late in the game. "The final six minutes was all Panthers, all but a goal," noted Boettcher.

The loss dropped the Panthers all the way down to the fifth spot in the NESCAC standings, in a tie with Trinity.

The Panthers will look to jump into the top four this weekend as they travel to Tufts, closing out the regular season next week with games against Plattsburgh and Connecticut College.

The NESCAC tournament begins Nov. 2.