Men’s Soccer Loses Key Nescac Matchup

The men’s soccer team (5–2–0, 2–2–0) extended their win streak to four games on Wednesday, Sep. 20, with a win over Keene State (3–1–2, 1–0) before seeing their streak snapped with a a 3–1 loss on the road to Bowdoin (5–2–0, 3–1–0) on Saturday, Sept. 23.

The Bowdoin was a rematch of last season’s Nescac semifinals, where the former two-time reigning Nescac champion Polar Bears also defeated Middlebury.

Just fifteen minutes into Saturday’s game, Bowdoin’s Matty McColl was fouled outside the penalty box. The ensuing 25-yard free kick, taken by Ethan Ellsworth, bent around a wall of Middlebury players, and curved back towards the near post, just past the outstretched hands of Middlebury goalie Jeremy Yeager ’18. After four complete games and 367 consecutive minutes of shutout goalkeeping, Yeager’s streak finally came to an end as Bowdoin climbed ahead, 1–0.

Four minutes later, however, Panther midfielder Daniel O’Grady ’19, tied things up by winning a battle for a header off a pass from Drew Goulart ’20. O’Grady’s goal would mark his second of the season and a moment of hope for Middlebury.

Nearing the break, however, Bowdoin’s Moctar Niang headed in a pass off a cross from Matty McColl to put the home team up 2–1 with 8 minutes remaining in the first half.

“[After] a good headed goal from O’Grady, it seemed that we could now take the game forward,” said coach David Saward. “However, the second goal from Bowdoin was a back breaker. We defended poorly out wide and they delivered an excellent cross that was emphatically headed past Yeager. It was the type of goal that lifts a team and unfortunately it deflated us.”

And lift the other team it did. Just 1:50 into the second half, Niang snagged a double-tap opportunity, sending his second header of the game into the net off a feed from Max McPherron, lifting Bowdoin to a 3–1 lead.

The scoreboard would remain unchanged through the game despite an attempt in the 68th minute from Middlebury’s Drew Goulart ’20, whose point-blank shot was smothered by Bowdoin goal keeper Stevie Van Siclen. Both Yeager and Van Siclen would end the game with 4 saves.

“As hard as the team tried we could never fully regained a ‘foothold’ in the contest. Bowdoin deserved the result,” Saward said. “We have to get back to defending responsibly, particularly in one-on-one situations. Also, the team needs to look positively at the challenge ahead and embrace that challenge which I believe they are very capable of doing.”

The Panthers will be back on the field this Saturday, Sept 30, to face Colby (3–2–1, 1–2–1).