Cinderella story comes true at Disney World Men's soccer team beats two unbeatens to win the NCAAs

Author: James Kerrigan

For the first time in school history, the men's soccer team captured the Division III NCAA National Championship, edging Trinity University (Texas) in penalty kicks at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Saturday, Nov. 24. It was the 28th national title for Middlebury since 1994 and the eighth different sport to bring the trophy home to Vermont.

After earning a much-deserved bye in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Middlebury knocked off each of its next three opponents with relative ease. A 5-0 rout of Wheaton kicked off the tournament and secured home field advantage for the sectionals.

The program looked remarkably similar to the one from the NESCAC semifinals. Middlebury would battle Williams while Amherst was set to take on York (Pa.) in the other match. Only Bowdoin was missing from making the NCAA sectional a mirror image of the NESCAC tourney - and the results from the Nov. 17-18 weekend were much the same.

Middlebury took care of business against Williams, taking down the Ephs 3-0. In doing so, it swept the season series against the perennial NESCAC powerhouse. York ended Amherst's season in penalty kicks, but Middlebury ended York's season just a day later. The victory sent Middlbury to the land of Splash Mountain and Mickey Mouse to compete with the nation's best.

One thousand three hundred sixty-seven miles from their home turf (on which they surrendered only one goal all season and finished with an 11-0 record) Middlebury's defense played just as strong - shutting out two undefeated teams in 0-0 draws, Loras (Iowa) in the semifinal match, and Trinity in the national finals.

In the opening minutes of the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 23, right back Colin Nangle '10, whose ankles had been taped all season, went down and would not return. Without skipping a beat, first-year Harrison Watkins came in and immediately meshed with the rest of the backs, helping Middlebury shut out the Loras attack.

"The way Harrison stepped in was phenomenal," said goalie Brian Bush '09. "It says something about the player he is and the depth we have. That has been the story with the freshmen all season."

Despite outshooting the Duhawks 16-12, the Panthers could not find the back of the net during regulation or overtime, but the penalty kicks would be a different story. Co-captain Andrew Germansky '08, anchor of the back four, put Middlebury on the board in the second round of the shootout, as Bush made a key diving save to his right on Loras' ensuing shot. With Stephen Hart '10 and Dave LaRocca '08 each converting their attempts and Bush making yet another save, Middlebury fought its way into the championship game against Trinity, which inched past three-time national champion Messiah in penalty kicks.

Trinity was on track to have the perfect season, but Bush and the Panther defense refused to let that happen. Even thought Andrew Banadda '10 cranked a shot from just inside the 18 off the left post, Middlebury was out possessed and out-shot (23-12) - but the defense prevailed.

"The reason we were successful," said Bush, who set a school record with 13 shutouts on the season, "is we stuck to the game plan we used all season and played a defensive style of soccer."

That strategy yielded impressive results. For 623 minutes, or just over 10 hours, Middlebury did not have to retrieve a ball out of the back of its net. During that remarkable shutout streak, Bush made 36 saves, including his biggest in the final three seconds. On a hard shot destined for the far post, Bush sprawled out to his right and deflected the ball wide.

Trinity shot first in the shootout and took the 1-0 advantage. After Germansky and Casey Ftorek '08 buried their shots, Bush made yet another diving save to give Middlebury the lead. Dave LaRocca '08 also converted, while Trinity's fourth shooter hit the crossbar. Brandon Jackson '08 then calmly knocked his NCAA title-clinching shot into the left side-netting.

Germansky, Corey Moffat '09 and Banadda were named to the All-Tournament team, while Bush received MVP honors.

- Additional reporting by Andrew Schlegel