AMHERST — The fifth-seeded Middlebury College women’s soccer team on Saturday topped host No. 4 seed Amherst, 1-0, to advance to the NESCAC semifinals for the 11th time in 15 years. The Panthers improved to 10-6 and Amherst dropped to 11-5.
Top seed Williams will host the NESCAC final four this weekend. The Panthers will face Williams in an 11 a.m. semifinal on Saturday. No. 2 Bowdoin will meet No. 3 Connecticut in the other contest at 1:30 p.m. The winners meet for the NESCAC title on Sunday at noon.
This past Saturday, Amherst outshot Middlebury 7-3 in the first 45 minutes, and 9-2 in the second half, but only put one of those shots on Panther goalie Emily Eslinger, who stopped it to earn her fifth shutout. Holly Burwick made two saves for Amherst.
The Jeffs also earned seven corner kicks to one for the Panthers, but Middlebury converted its, in the 39th minute, when sophomore Katherine Hobbs score her first collegiate goal. Claire Nishioka lifted the corner to Hobbs, who slotted the ball home.
Williams defeated the defending NESCAC champion Panthers, 1-0, in the regular season, outshooting them by 11-9. The Panthers also lost to Connecticut, 3-0, and Bowdoin, 2-1.