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Women's Soccer
Brad Kasnet
2
Middlebury MIDD (12-3-2, 6-3-1)
2
Amherst AMHERST (14-1-2, 8-1-1)
Middlebury MIDD
(12-3-2, 6-3-1)
2
Final
2
Amherst AMHERST
(14-1-2, 8-1-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Middlebury MIDD 0 2 0 0 2
Amherst AMHERST 1 1 0 0 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Middlebury Edges Amherst in Penalty Kicks to Advance to NESCAC Final

AMHERST, Mass. -- Middlebury College edged the Amherst College women's soccer team in penalty kicks, 4-3, to advance to the NESCAC Championship Final after a 2-2 draw through 110 minutes in the semifinals on Saturday at Hitchcock Field.

In a rematch of the championship final won by Amherst in 2019, the last time this tournament was played, the fourth-seeded Panthers (12-3-2) scored two second-half goals to tie the score and push the game to overtime. The game goes down as a 2-2 tie with the penalty kicks serving only to determine which team advances in the tournament. The draw snaps a seven-game winning streak for the top-seeded Mammoths (14-1-2) and Amherst remains unbeaten in its last 13 games.

Middlebury will advance to face the winner of the Wesleyan/Hamilton semifinal in the championship game on Sunday, November 7, at noon at Hitchcock Field. The Mammoths will wait to see if they are one of the 20 teams selected for an at-large berth in the NCAA Championship when the field is announced on Monday, November 8, at 1 p.m. Amherst entered this week ranked first in the NCAA Region I Rankings (one of 10 regions across Division III) and 12th in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches poll.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

  • Amherst struck first when Middlebury was called for a handball in the 16th minute and senior Ruby Hastie converted the penalty kick for her 11th goal of the season and 5th goal in the last 4 games.
  • Freshman Patience Kum doubled the Mammoths' lead in the 49th minute when she weaved through a pair of Middlebury defenders to net her NESCAC-leading 12th goal of the season.
  • The Panthers got on the scoreboard with a penalty kick of their own in the 65th minute as junior Rose Evans scored for the 2nd time this season.
  • Middlebury's equalizer came in the 84th minute when Evans sent a pass through the box that sophomore Joely Virzi headed into the back of the net.
  • Neither team could score in overtime and a flurry of Amherst shots in the second overtime period was stopped by Middlebury freshman goalkeeper Sydney Poppinga, who made 7 saves before classmate Lucy VanNewkirk took over in goal for penalty kicks.
  • Senior Alexa Juarez made the first penalty kick for Amherst, but Sarah Guest, VanNewkirk and Jazzaray McClinton all converted for Middlebury to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead. Sophomore Liza Katz and senior Natalie Landau struck back for Amherst to tie the PKs at 3-3 after five shooters and send the kicks to sudden victory. Cate Shellenback converted for Middlebury and VanNewkirk saved Amherst's shot to give the Panthers the win.

BY THE NUMBERS

  • Sophomore goalkeeper Mika Fisher made 8 saves for the Mammoths.
  • Middlebury held a 16-15 edge in shots and 10-9 advantage in shots on goal, but the difference was pronounced between regulation and overtime. The Panthers held a 14-6 advantage in shots in regulation while the Mammoths led 9-2 in overtime shots.
  • The Panthers had a 5-1 lead in corner kicks with Amherst's lone opportunity coming in double overtime, but none of the corner kicks led directly to a goal.
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