Williams Downs Men’s Soccer With Second Half Surge

Middlebury saw its season end in a frenetic final few minutes at Cole Field at Williams in the NESCAC quarterfinal, as the third-seeded Ephs bested the sixth-seeded Panthers 3-2 on Saturday, Nov. 2.

After Harper Williams ’15 blasted a penalty into the lower left-hand corner of the net in the 84th minute to bring Middlebury within one goal, both teams scrambled to gain possession with Middlebury ultimately failing to equalize.

The match pitted two veteran head coaches against one another. Middlebury’s David Saward, in his 29th year at the helm, appears a novice when compared to William’s head coach Mike Russo, who led the Ephs’ to their 31st consecutive winning season this year in his 35th year as head coach. Combined the two men have secured over 700 victories.

Saward said he admires Russo’s track record.

“There are very few coaches who compare to Mike Russo,” he said. “His consistent production of first class teams is second to none.”

No one told the Panthers that they were supposed to lie down for Russo and his higher-seeded squad, as just over two minutes into the contest Greg Conrad ’17 gave Middlebury the lead. Adam Glaser ’17 started the attack, finding Sam Peisch ’13.5 on the right side who beautifully crossed the ball to Conrad’s left boot for his fifth goal of the season.

Middlebury outplayed the Ephs for the first quarter of the game, who seemed to be disorganized early. Captain Dan Lima was playing out of position on Saturday, which may have caused some initial confusion, but would soon pay off for Williams.

Middlebury kept the pressure on and played strong defense early, forcing Williams to try some long passes and take ambitious shots. Peisch continued to wreak havoc on the offensive side of the ball, and the defense locked down on the Ephs forwards, particularly 2012 NESCAC Rookie of the Year Mohammed Rashid. Despite Rashid’s brilliant footwork and impressive speed, the defense refused to let him take over early. Tyler Smith ’14 and Deklan Robinson ’16 both used their physicality to frustrate Rashid, sending him to the turf more than once on loose balls and headers.

In the 29th minute it appeared that Middlebury might extend the lead. Glaser, Middlebury’s top scorer, did as he has done all year and created a scoring opportunity with his speed, sending a cross into the box that was deflected right of the net. As Peisch chased down the loose ball, Williams keeper Peter Morrell ambitiously pursued the Middlebury forward. Morrell’s dive prevented Peisch from getting to the ball and sent him flying to the ground, but no call was made, to Peisch’s dismay.

“I was definitely taken down in the box,” Peisch said. “The referee unfortunately didn’t make the call, but at the end of the day teams win games, not referees.”

Saward’s take was slightly more diplomatic.

“The decision did not surprise me,” Saward said. “What I thought the referee might have called is a foul just outside the penalty area, however, in his eyes I suspect he felt that Peisch went down too easily.”

Minutes later Williams nearly earned their own penalty kick as Rashid finally showed off the jets and caused problems for the Panthers. Off of a long outlet pass from Morrell along the left side, Rashid took the ball from the midfield all the way into the box where he was muscled to the ground on a clean but physical tackle that rightly was not whistled.

After Rashid’s attack, momentum seemed to swing to the Williams side. In the 26th minute Malcolm Moutenot found Rashid on a two on one off of a change of possession and Rashid easily buried the equalizer past a diving Ethan Collins ’14.

“Quality players like [Rashid] only need a half yard and they make you pay,” Saward said. “That is exactly what happened on the first goal, he got a yard start and was able to finish off a quick counter.”

The Panthers had a few chances to pull ahead again before halftime, but a long shot from Andres Rodlauer ’16 was tipped just high and a cross from Glaser who was behind the Williams back line failed to find a friendly boot.

The second half began at a frenzied pace, which favored the Ephs. In the 50th minute, Lima, usually at the back for the Ephs, curved a ball into the left side of the net well out of the reach of Collins for his first point of the season.

Less than a minute after the goal, Glaser found Peisch in the middle of the box on a low cross that Peisch sent just high of the net. Moments later Peisch redeemed himself by earning a free kick from just outside the box. The kick was knocked out of bounds for a Middlebury corner, but the effort was gobbled up by the keeper.

The Panthers’ outlook would only get bleaker in the 57th minute when Rashid again got the better of the Panthers’ usually unbreakable back line. Using his speed, Rashid surpassed the Middlebury defenders and beat Collins in the left side of the net, giving the Ephs a 3-1 lead.

The Ephs looked for the dagger as the Panthers were beaten and bruised. Conrad suffered a lower body injury and was forced to leave the game, and Graham Knisley ’14 appeared to be suffering from leg cramps. But the Panthers gamely pushed on, playing a freelance game and moving the ball upfield as quickly as possible.

As the final 15 minutes ticked on, Williams milked the clock with every possession and packed the box with defenders. Unfortunately for the Ephs, one such defender got a hand in the way of a shot from Noah Goss-Wolliner ’15 in the 84th minute. Morrell guessed correctly, diving to the right in an attempt to stop Williams’ penalty blast, but the ball found the net and reduced the deficit to one.

The last few minutes were predictably chaotic, as Williams sent long ball after long ball into Middlebury territory and the Panthers tried to put shots on net. However, Middlebury was unable to create any clear scoring opportunities, and the buzzer sounded, sending the Ephs into the semifinals to be played on Saturday, Nov. 9.

This game was the last for seven Panther seniors, who should be credited with vastly improving upon last year’s sub-.500 record, and finishing the 2013 season at 9-5-1, and whom Saward lauded for their efforts.

“This senior class has done a remarkable job,” he said. “They have left a legacy of hard work and dedication that I think will be continued by the underclassmen.”

Peisch reflected favorably on this season.

“This group is a truly a special one,” Peisch said. “I believe I speak for all the seniors in saying it has been an honor and a privilege to be a member of this team.”