Men’s Soccer Hopes for NCAA Bid After Williams Loss

Last Tuesday, the Middlebury men’s soccer team crushed Williams 2-0 in its final regular-season game. This set up a NESCAC quarterfinal matchup in Middlebury this past Saturday, Oct. 27. The third-seeded Panthers welcomed the sixth-seeded Ephs to Vermont during treacherous nor’easter conditions. The Ephs were intent on avenging their loss four days earlier to the Panthers, and their energy was evident from the opening whistle.

Williams came out of the gate with guns blazing. The Ephs earned four corner kicks in the first 2:42 of the game, putting immense pressure on goalkeeper Matt Hyer ’21. During the remainder of the half, Williams put pressure on the goal. The Panthers struggled to gain possession and organize any sort of an offensive attack.

The Panthers fought hard on the defensive end, however, and were able to keep Williams out of the back of the net. The game headed into halftime scoreless. A few minutes after the halftime whistle blew, the red weather warning light atop the scoreboard lit up and the game was delayed to allow for the weather to clear up.

Two hours later, the game restarted. Eleven minutes into the second half, Williams was able to find the back of the net, when Scatt McDonald took a free kick from 30 yards out. Hyer managed to make the save, but was unable to maintain possession of the ball. Williams’ Eric Hirsch found the loose ball and shot it into the back of the net. The Panthers pushed and looked for the equalizer but were unable to score; the match ended in a 1-0 win for the Ephs.

 

“Beating a team twice in one week is not easy to do. We beat them Tuesday 2-0,  which was our biggest conference win all season, so I think we expected to win on Saturday as well. Williams brought the fight to us and held us to two shots the whole game,” said Hyer. “I think we underestimated Williams’ ability to battle us on our field and never really entertained the possibility of losing. As a result, Williams was down our throats from kickoff, and we never really had an opportunity to win the game.”

Williams outshot Midd 10-2 and managed five shots on goal. The Ephs earned five corners compared to the Panthers’ one. 

The future remains uncertain for the Panthers. After being knocked out of the NESCAC tournament, they will have to wait until Monday, Nov. 5 to find out if they will earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. Until then, the Panthers will maintain their normal practice schedule. After finishing third in the NESCAC regular season and drawing against the defending national champion Tufts, the Panthers have a strong case for a bid.

---