Hat trick does the trick vs. Wheaton

Author: Andrew Schlegel

On Saturday, Nov. 11, the men's soccer team faced the Wheaton Lyons in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Panthers raised the aggressive level of play that made them NESCAC champions, authoritatively handing Wheaton a 5-0 loss.

"We came out like we had nothing to lose and took control by the fifth minute," said Casey Ftorek '09, who finished with three goals and one assist on the chilly afternoon, "At no point was there a question as to whether we were going to win. Wheaton was a good team, but we have said all year that it is up to us and if we play our game, then no one can beat us."

Wheaton was a solid team, which tied Keene State, a team which handed Middlebury one of their two losses, in the regular season. However, the Panthers came out playing their best soccer of the season, and Wheaton looked flat-footed in response.

The Panthers played as aggressively as ever, winning the majority of 50-50 balls and controlling the ball most of the match.

"It was the best passing game of the season," said co-captain Alex Elias '08. "We found each other very well and were able to pass out of pressure, which was a primary reason for our success. We had a very high work rate and were able to put them under a lot of pressure."

From the start of the match, it was clear that Middlebury was the better team. And Ftorek made sure that it was known by scoring the first three goals of the match in the fifth, 20th and 48th minutes. He tallied his 13th, 14th and 15th goals, tying the single-season goal records at Middlebury held by Michael Walker '92.

"Fifteen is just a number and it means different things to different people," said Ftorek, "but if we can add one more it will be another broken record for this record-breaking team this season."

For Ftorek and the Panther squad, however, the more important record of 15 is the number of wins it has tallied in 2007, one more victory than the previous record of 14 set in 1986.

The Panthers have already surpassed the results of last year's impressive season. And they are playing with drive and desire to take them far into the tournament.

"The Wheaton game was a confidence game and a statement game," said Elias. "We know that if we play well that we can play with anyone. That said, the teams from here on out will be very strong and we will have to keep a high work rate and really come to play if we want to extend the season."

After Dave LaRocca '08 netted his fourth goal of the season, left-back Jake Edwards '11 was finally rewarded for all the runs he had been making during the second half of the season. Edwards, the lone first-year starter, has helped Middlebury earn five shutouts in his seven appearances in the starting lineup, and on Saturday, he scored his first collegiate goal.

If the Panthers can come out with the same drive and have all four All-NESCAC team members - Ftorek, Elias, Andrew Germansky '08 and Brian Bush '09 - make big plays, then they will travel deeper into the NCAAs.