MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College men’s soccer team opened its season with three wins, sandwiching a home NESCAC win on Saturday between road wins on Sept. 9 and Sept. 15. The 3-0 Panthers play at Amherst on Saturday.
On Sept. 9, the Panthers defeated host Norwich, 1-0, dropping the Cadets to 3-1.
Tyler Bonini scored 3:58 into the game, shooting through traffic after Adam Glaser flicked the ball forward at the top of the 18-yard box. Bonini beat Norwich goalkeeper Stefan Skoff with a hard, low shot after the Cadet keeper had come off his line to challenge.
Middlebury nearly pushed the lead to 2-0 with 29:50 left in the first half, but Skoff made a fantastic sprawling save to deny a slicing shot from the left by Glaser. Bonini came in on the rebound and lifted it just over the cross bar to keep it 1-0.
Middlebury held a 24-8 advantage in shots, but only 8-5 in the second half. Skoff made seven saves for Norwich, while Middlebury’s Greg Sydor picked up the victory without having to make a save.
On Saturday, the Panthers edged visiting NESCAC foe Connecticut College (1-1, 0-1 in league play) by scoring another early goal and making it stand up for the 1-0 victory.
Tom Bean scored on a header 2:13 into play. Tim Ogle lofted a long throw in from the right side of the goal that sailed into the box. Bean’s head redirected the ball into the upper-right corner of the goal just passed the outstretched arm of Camel goalkeeper Austin DaCuhna.
About seven minutes later, Middlebury’s Philip Skayne nearly doubled the Panther lead, but DaCuhna tipped his header over the crossbar for his only save of the game.
Connecticut College’s best chance of the opening half came at the 12-minute mark. Colin Patch laced a 25-yard free kick that Panther goalkeeper Greg Sydor (six saves) got his right hand on. The rebound came to Pat Devlin eight yards away, but Devlin’s shot found Sydor. In the second half, Sydor also tipped another Devlin bid, from 15 yards out, over the bar.
Connecticut held the edge in both shots (8-6) and corner kicks (5-4).
On Tuesday,  the Panthers tied a program record for goals in with a 10-0 victory at Green Mountain (0-4). 
The Panthers scored nine times in the first half. In the third minute, Glaser scored from Bonini, and Middlebury added four goals in the next 9:23. Enzo Wiener, Greg Conrad and Glaser scored unassisted markers before Conrad set up a Bean strike. Middlebury tallied four more goals before the 25-minute mark. 
Middlebury held a 20-8 shot advantage over the Eagles and an 11-2 edge in corner kicks. Sydor did not face a shot in the opening 11:55. Duncan Piper made six saves in the remaining 78:05. Eagle goalie Samuel Nichols made six saves.