MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s soccer team clinched a NESCAC playoff berth on Saturday with a 3-2 win over visiting Wesleyan. The Panthers finished their regular season at 9-6, 5-5 in league play, and will enter the league tournament with the No. 5 seed. They will open on the road against an opponent to be determined by results late on Wednesday.
The Panthers prevailed over Wesleyan on Carter Talgo’s tie-breaking goal in the 88th minute. With much of action happening in the Middlebury offensive end, Jamie Soroka took a shot from 10 yards on the left that hit the far post and caromed back to her feet. She shot again, and Talgo deflected it home off her thigh to drop Wesleyan to 1-11-2, 0-8-1 NESCAC.
With a strong wind at their back, the Cardinals took at 1-0 lead at 21:11, when Sarah Sylla converted a Madeline Keane cross.
Middlebury tied the match in the 33rd minute, when Soroka carried and set up Robinson for a close-range conversion.
Wesleyan took the lead at 65:08 minute on a Marisa Yang penalty kick, but the Panthers equalized less than a minute later, as Soroka netted a through ball from Katherine Hobbs.
Both goalies, Middlebury’s Emily Eslinger and Wesleyan’s Rachel Hobert, made three saves. The Panthers owned advantages of 24-7 in shots and 7-2 in corner kicks.