Panther women’s soccer upset Amherst in NESCAC quarterfinal

AMHERST — The sixth-seeded Middlebury women’s soccer team knocked off third-seeded Amherst (10-3-2) by a 3-2 score in a NESCAC quarterfinal game on Saturday.
Amanda Hotvedt, who was named the NESCAC player of the week, scored with just 22 seconds remaining to give the Panthers (7-4-5) the victory.
With the win, Middlebury advanced to the NESCAC final four this weekend at Williams. The Panthers will face top-seeded Williams for a semifinal game on Saturday at 11 a.m., while Bowdoin takes on Trinity in the other semifinal contest at 1:30 p.m. The winners meet Sunday at noon for the NESCAC title, with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament.
The Panthers upset Williams in Middlebury, 2-0, on Oct. 27; that loss is the Ephs’ only setback this fall. Middlebury lost at Bowdoin, 1-0, earlier this year, and defeated Trinity at home, 3-0, on Oct. 17.
Vs. Amherst, Middlebury took the lead in the 10th minute, courtesy of an Alissa Huntington goal of the set up by Adrianna Gildner. Amherst evened the score at 1-1 eight minutes later on an Ashlyn Heller penalty kick, and Amherst’s Rachael Abernethy scored late in the half by netting a rebound. 
The Panthers tied it at 2-2 early in the second half, when Katherine Hobbs beat a defender and rifled a shot from just outside the box over Amherst goalkeeper Holly Burwick. 
The winning goal started with a throw from Reinmuth to Hobbs, who raced up the field before sending a pass into space behind the Amherst back line. Hotvedt touched the ball past the Amherst keeper and sent the ball into an open net.
Middlebury held the advantage in both shots (14-9) and corner kicks (3-2). Burwick recorded six saves for the Jeffs, while Panther goalie Kate Reinmuth made four stops.

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