Overtime Shocker Ends Men's Soccer

Author: Dave Freedman

At 1:48 into overtime John Rusten '05 fell to the ground outside Bowdoin's 18 and put his hands to his face in his disbelief. His body language conveyed just how stunned Middlebury's men's soccer team was after Bowdoin scored its second goal of the match in sudden death to end the Panthers' season and secure a trip to the NESCAC Tournament finals with a 2-1 victory.

"Soccer can be a very unfair game," Head Coach David Saward said afterwards. "Saturday was an occasion where the team that probably played the better match ended up going home. The result was unfortunate, but the performance was first class."

The performance was arguably the best the team had played all year. Middlebury dominated the time of possession, outshot the Polar Bears 18-10 and controlled the pace of the game throughout the match.

Early on it looked like Middlebury was going to run away with the game, having held the ball in their opponents' half of the field for most of the first 20 minutes. After a series of well played passes deep in the Polar Bear defense, Rusten fought for the ball at the top of Bowdoin's 18 and slipped a pass to first-year John Sales '07, who drove home his seventh goal of the season at 18:01, making the rookie the team's leader in points for the year.

The Panthers then poured on the pressure, earning four straight corner kicks after nearly scoring on multiple of occasions. But, like losses in the past, Middlebury couldn't find a way to finish its opportunities and close out the game.

"The reality is that we struggle to score enough goals to put ourselves in a position of comfort," Saward said.

The team's sense of comfort evaporated on an odd play at 24:01 when a ball curling in the howling 20 mph winds hit co-captain Pat Saunders '04 in his chest and right shoulder at the top of Middlebury's 18. The referee signaled for a penalty kick despite the fact that Saunders' arm never moved towards the ball and that he may have been outside the penalty area. Bowdoin capitalized on the opportunity and tied the game on the 12 yard shot.

With the score knotted at 1-1 the Panthers initially lost a bit of their momentum, but after halftime the team regained its composure and intensity and made a memorable effort. Led by the play of midfielders Andrew Stewart '04, Derek Cece '06 and Saunders, Middlebury gave the Polar Bears keeper all he could handle.

Cece's play on the outside eclipsed the efforts of any player on the field. Playing in his hometown, Cece burned defender after defender and sent incredibly dangerous balls into Bowdoin's six-yard box time and time again. The Polar Bears rotated three defenders on Cece, but none could keep him in check during his second-half flurry. Cece, alongside the efforts of forward Kellan Florio '05, helped the Panthers create the chances they needed to win the game, but the finishing touch was not there on the day.

The Panthers' championship aspirations collapsed in overtime off an anti-climactic goal in which a long floating ball over the top of the Middlebury defense put a Bowdoin forward on a break-away where he deftly pushed the ball past Craig Hirsch '05 for the victory.

"We really came together down the stretch," Cece said. "We didn't take any of our final games or practices for granted, we just didn't have the element of luck on our sides, which any team [trying] to win needs." Cece and the rest of the team's goals may not have been completely achieved, but the season was anything but a failure. "It was a disappointing end," Sales remarked, "but I think we had a great run this season and if you look back at the numbers, a great season."

Middlebury's 11-3-2 record was the best overall record the team has had in three years. Saward earned his 200th victory in the team's quarterfinal win over Tufts University, putting his winning percentage at nearly 75 percent, a school record. The team shut out every non-conference opponent and allowed only nine goals in sixteen games. Hirsch recorded six shutouts on the year.

The major loss for this team goes beyond the defeat this past weekend in Williamstown. Middlebury loses eight seniors off this resilient squad, four of whom were starters.

"This class has been outstanding," Saward said. "We lose a number of players who have left an indelible mark on the program and me."

Matt Scheufele '04, Aaron Barasch '04, Andrew Helming '04 and Andy Peters '04 displayed a work ethic and loyalty that will be sorely missed. Peters' determination to overcome his severe back troubles was a prime example of this group's legacy.

Jake Armstrong '04 and Andrew Stewart '04 made powerful contributions to the team on and off the field over their years in Panther uniforms. Stewart improved steadily over his career and tied Middlebury's second place record for assists in a season with eight.

As irreplaceable as some of these athletes are, co-captains Griffiths and Saunders may be two of the hardest players for Middlebury to lose. Saward described Saunders' training habits as "second to none. His work ethic and commitment to the team is nothing short of heroic."

Griffiths clearly made a lasting impression on the program, the team, and his head coach. "Jason Griffiths has proved to be everything that his high school coach had promised," Saward said. "A quality player who is passionate about the game, is driven to do everything that is humanly possible to win, but in the same breath, can shake an opponent's hand, win or loose and move forward. His leadership on the field was clear to all who watched us play, and his legacy will live on for years to come."

Cece echoed his coach's statements, saying, "The seniors we lose this year are going to be impossible to replace. The leadership, passion and camaraderie these seniors brought will be greatly missed."

Yet the team knows and believes that they will only build on the foundation this group laid down for them. "They made it clear just what Middlebury soccer was and what it meant to put on that jersey every day," Sales said. "We will miss that leadership initially, but I think there are plenty of guys that will step up to the challenge [next season]."

Next year may be a bit of challenge, but no group is better prepared to face that challenge than the remaining athletes. They got to learn from the best Middlebury has had to offer in a long time, the Class of 2004.