Men's soccer stands strong on home turf

Author: Kevin Carpenter

The reigning D-III national champion men's soccer team narrowly edged Amherst College 1-0 in its home opener on Saturday, Sept. 13. Even before the kickoff, the energy on the field was palpable as the Amherst squad clearly remembered its 1-0 loss to Middlebury in last year's NESCAC Final. The visiting Jeffs were unable to avoid history repeating itself, as the Panthers relied on an early goal to sink Amherst once again.

"We knew Amherst would come out with intensity," said tri-captain Brian Bush '09. "We tried to match that intensity up front and then let the game come to us."

The game started like a tennis rally, with possession changing back and forth quickly. Both sides committed several fouls early on, which led to an aggressive match. One of these fouls led to a free kick and subsequently changed the course of the game.

In the 8th minute, tri-captain Baer Fisher '09 delivered a masterful kick from above the 18 to the upper right corner, where sophomore Harrison Watkins '11 leapt and spiked in a header for the game's first and only goal.

Watkins' goal silenced the stunned Jeffs. It was obvious that Amherst would need to create more offensive chances for any hope to even the score. Dynamic runs by Tyler Macnee '11 and dominant ball control from Fisher kept the momentum going for Middlebury in the first half. Amherst heads dropped as the game was getting out of reach - the energy with which the Jeffs had entered the game was fading, while Middlebury kept its head high.

"Fitness was our main concern in pre-season," said Bush. "Our goal is to always be the fittest and hardest working team on the field."

In the second half, the fitness and determination of Middlebury was evident to all 325 spectators. Seven minutes into the second half, defender Colin Nangle '10 carried the ball down Amherst's half, breaking three tackles along the way. The impressive display seemed to epitomize Middlebury's dominance; nothing was going to stop the team from driving its way to a perfect 12-0 record on its new turf field.

It was the first victory at Middlebury for a few young first-years - goalie Tim Cahill, Robbie Redmond, Tyler Macnee and Otis Pitney are all new players from the class of 2012. The three field players saw time in Saturday's game and provided valuable minutes, including two shots on goal for Macnee and one for Pitney.

Bush believes the first-years have been outstanding.

"It's a small class of only four players, but all three field players played today and did incredible jobs," he said. "They all fit into our style of play very well."

The game was not without its scares for Middlebury, however. A free kick in the 65th minute looked promising for Amherst but it was quickly cleared out by a solid Panther defense. Bush was tested in the 75th minute by a shot to the lower post, but a quick dive saved a goal.

In the last ten minutes, the Panthers had several chances to add to their lead, including one shot from Stephen Hart '10 that was so close to a goal that the crowd cheered, not having realized it was just wide.

Two games into the season, the Panthers are playing with intensity and are moving the ball nicely. Another successful season looks promising if Middlebury keeps up its strong play. With expectations so high after a national championship season, the team is trying to keep a clear head, according to Bush.

"Given that last year was so special, we've done what we can to try and tame expectations and aim high," he said. "If we can come together as a team like we did last year, we can do great things."

Middlebury will travel to Colby-Sawyer on Wednesday, Sept. 17.