Women's soccer falls in double OT thriller

Author: David Lee

"Succisa Virescit" is the shared motto of the Benedictine church and, apparently, the women's soccer team. Roughly translated from Latin, the phrase means, "when cut down, we grow back stronger."

After losing one of their captains and other key players to injury this season, the Panthers have always found a way to win in the face of adversity. As the final whistle blew last Saturday, against Colby College, however, the Middlebury women were forced to face their hardest challenge yet - a loss.

The question following Saturday's game was not why the women's squad had been "cut down" for their first loss - it was whether they would be able to grow back stronger for their next game. The very next day, the Panthers faced the daunting task of taking on conference rival Bowdoin College. Exhausted and utterly disappointed, the character of the women's squad was about to meet it first true test.

"After the Colby game, we knew that we had really been the better team out there," commented Alex Citrin '07, "We didn't dwell on the loss but just picked ourselves up and made the commitment to get the job done against Bowdoin."

The Panthers came out firing on Sunday, matching every Bowdoin attack with one of their own. For 90 minutes the two squads battled, neither willing to give an inch.

The game went into sudden death overtime and, with only two minutes left, senior co-captain Kim Walker was cut down in the box. With the game on the line, none other than Walker's younger sister, Lindsay Walker '10 stepped up and took the penalty kick to win the game. The choice for the penalty kick taker, however, was not just for the sake of poetic symmetry. Erin Pittenger '07 notes, "Lindsay was so dangerous every time she touched the ball all game. She willingly stepped up to take the PK, and buried it in the back of the net like a savage!"

With no mid-week games, the Panthers had five days to focus on their next opponent, Amherst. With perfect weather, hundreds of fans, and a big win against Bowdoin, the women appeared poised for a big result over Amherst. The Jeffs started the scoring in the 20th minute with a blast from the outside that sailed just by the outstretched hands of keeper Adele Plunkett '09. Pittenger quickly responded, however, taking a pass from Kim Walker and deposited it into the back of the net. Just 30 seconds later, however, Amherst regained the lead with a shot from just inside the penalty area.

The second half was equally as hard-fought. In the 60th minute, Erin Oliver '07 drew the keeper out of position before sliding the ball across the box to striker Ashley Pfaff '09, who promptly slotted the Panthers' second goal of the day. For the last 30 minutes of the game, both sides peppered the net with continuous pressure, but the defenses refused to break, and it appeared that another overtime thriller was imminent.

With only five minutes left in the second period of extra time, Amherst headed in a cross to seal the 3-2 victory.

"We all have each other's backs," Citrin commented. "We picked each other up after Colby and that is exactly what we have to do now."

Williams looms this Saturday. Is the team nervous for the upcoming battle with the talented Ephs? According to Citrin, not in the least bit: "Williams is not going know what to do with us next weekend."