Women's soccer stretches season to the sweet sixteen

Author: Jeff Patterson

It was late, a little after 1:45 a.m. on Monday, when the women's soccer team arrived back on campus. It was also late, in overtime to be exact, when Nora Tomlinson-Weintraub '10 scored to beat the University of Scranton 4-3 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. And finally it was late, with only 12 minutes of game-play remaining, when Tri-Captain Caitrin Abshere '07 scored the game-winner, to move the Panthers 3-2 past host Western Connecticut State, the 3rd-ranked team in the nation.

Abshere, coincidentally, scored both the first goal of the weekend and the last. With her first goal on Saturday, Middlebury was tied 1-1 with Scranton at halftime, but they trailed twice during the second half. Tomlinson-Weintraub and Lindsay Walker '07 came to the rescue and tied the game. Tomlinson-Weintraub's goal was set-up by Abshere who, with the pass, passed Leah Cumsky-Whitlock's '02 record of 23 career assists.

In overtime, the stage was set for Tomlinson-Weintraub. On a direct kick from five yards outside of the penalty box, the California Crusher hit the net and the game was over.

"That goal was definitely the biggest of my career," said Tomlinson-Weintraub. "The next-biggest is the one that tied it up 2-2. [This] game was definitely the most important situation I've ever been in."

Abshere has tons of praise for the first-year phenom, who has scored nine goals and dished out six assists so far this season.

"Nora's been a huge asset, she has poise and confidence on the field that's surprising for a first year," she said.

"Nora rarely enters a game without making an impact."

Still, the Panthers were not done after Saturday's performance. Western Connecticut, who had outscored their opponents 85-10 while compiling a 20-1-1 record, stood in the way. With the game again tied 1-1 at halftime, Abshere scored two goals in the second half, 7:01 apart, and goalie Adele Plunkett '09 made ten saves to stop the Colonials. Abshere's second goal of the game, which came only 22 seconds after Western Connecticut tied the game at two, stole whatever momentum the Colonials had tried to recover.

"To be able to pick ourselves up and get it done again the next day showed a great deal of spirit and resolve," said Abshere. "I think everyone found something a little extra."

Middlebury will play again on Saturday when they travel to the Garden State to take on The College of New Jersey, who blasted Villa Julie 10-1 in the second-round. "We're on a pretty good roll, said Tomlinson-Weintraub. "I have all the confidence in the world in our defense to stop them."