MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College men’s soccer team opened its final season with David Saward as its head coach by winning two of three recent contests, sandwiching two non-league victories around a NESCAC setback. The 2-1 Panthers will visit Amherst at noon on Saturday and then host league foe Hamilton at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
On this past Sunday the Panthers earned a 2-1 double-overtime win over visiting Colby-Sawyer (0-4). Daniel O’Grady scored the winning goal with 1:47 left in the second extra session.
O’Grady took a long pass from Henry Wilhelm just outside the penalty box, made a move to his left and ripped a left-footed shot just past the outstretched arms of Charger goalie Sean Babinski (11 saves). The game-winning tally was O’Grady’s fourth of his career.
Colby-Sawyer took the lead with 20 minutes left in the first half, when Denali Sexton carried the ball forward down the left side and ripped a shot inside the far post past Middlebury goalie Jeremy Yeager (one save).
The Panthers outshot the Chargers, 38-4, and finally knotted the score with nine minutes left in regulation, when Peter Davis headed in his first career goal following a scramble in the box on a corner kick.
On Saturday visiting Connecticut College (2-0) scored two first-half goals and held on for a 2-1 win. Panthers Kyle Moffat and Peter Davis both had great chances saved by Camel keeper A.J. Marcucci (11 stops) in the first nine minutes, but the Camels took the lead on an own goal 13 minutes in. Five minutes later Camel Justin Miranda’s 15-yard blast made it 2-0.
Marcucci dove to deny Ben Potter and Drew Goulart in the second half before Goulart put the Panthers on the board at 56:54, when his hard 15-yard shot deflected in off a defender.
Middlebury outshot the Camels, 14-11, and Yeager made three saves.
On Sept. 6 the Panthers opened with a 3-1 win at Norwich, scoring two late first-half goals and adding an insurance goal in the late going.
After a scoreless opening 40 minutes, Middlebury scored twice in the last five minutes of the second half. Potter opened the scoring by heading home O’Grady’s free kick from the left side. Shams Mohajerani made it 2-0 with 50 seconds left in the half with a turn-around shot from 40 yards out that curled into the top-right corner of the net.
Norwich cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 54th minute, when Staige Davis potted a crossing pass from Camilo Estrada. Middlebury capped the scoring in the 75th minute when Potter notched his second goal of the match.
Yeager made one save on two shots on goal for the Panthers, while Brendan Germano had six saves for Norwich. Middlebury possessed a 23-6 edge in shots. The Panthers hold a 52-3-4 advantage in the all-time series with the Cadets.