Women's soccer team strikes early and often

Author: Dave Lee

Bad luck, injuries and the weather are all potential excuses for the Williams women's soccer team's futility against the Panthers. Since 2001, the Middlebury women have not lost to the Ephs and certainly Middlebury had no intention of changing that stat last Saturday down in Williamstown. The Panthers are simply Eph-proof following a 1-1 tie.

From the starting whistle, the Panthers came out flying and only minutes into the game, Erin Oliver '07 headed home Lindsay Walker's '10 deflected shot to give them the lead. After the goal, Williams began to generate some chances of their own, but goalkeeping sensation Adele Plunkett '09 made some great saves to maintain the 1-0 lead.

Only a few minutes after the halftime break, Williams broke onto the scoreboard with a well-placed shot into the lower corner. The Panthers dominated the remainder of the game but, as has been the case all year, the women were destined for another overtime thriller.

Middlebury held Williams without a shot for the entire 20 minutes of overtime. Captain Kim Walker '07 had the best chance in the extra frame, but her shot hit the crossbar and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

The Panthers continued to roll midweek as they met in-state foe Castleton State. Although the game itself would turn into a 7-1 blow-out victory, it was no ordinary day for forward Nora Tomlinson-Weintraub '10. After the Panthers went ahead 3-1 early in the second half, Tomlinson-Weintraub came off the bench and immediately made her impact. Fueled by a Proctor panini, the California native took four shots on goal and all four found the back of the net.

"I really liked the second goal," said Tomlinson-Weintraub. "As soon as I kicked it, I knew it was going in and that the keeper had no chance to save it. It was my first 'real' shot of the season, with a legitimate windup, and with power. It felt awesome." Her four goals tied the team's single-game scoring record.

The Panthers continued their goal scoring barrage against Bates.Middlebury outshot Bates 24-7 on the day. Oliver, Tomlinson-Weintraub, and Carly Berger '08 each tallied a goal to contribute to the three-goal halftime lead.

As the second half opened, Tri-Captain Caitrin Abshere's '07 joined the scoring party and made it 4-0. With twenty minutes left in the game, Ashley Pfaff '09, also, got in the scoring column with a hard shot.