MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College men’s soccer team edged visiting Trinity on Saturday, 1-0, clinching a NESCAC playoff berth. The 9-4 Panthers are 4-4 in league play with two games to play: at Bates (1-5-2 NESCAC through Monday) on Saturday and at home vs. Williams (2-1-4 NESCAC) on Wednesday, Oct. 24.
Vs. Trinity, Brandon Reid scored the game’s only goal midway through the second half. Reid settled the ball in the top left corner of the penalty area, took one touch and fired a shot into the upper right corner with 28:14 to go.
Neither team put a shot on net in the first half, although Middlebury had a chance on a restart from the right sideline. Drew Goulart served the ball into the Bantam box, where Kyle Moffat shot high from point-blank.
In the second half the Panthers nearly scored just before Reid’s goal on a free kick from the top of the Trinity box. Goulart rolled a short pass to Ben Potter, who laced a shot that Bantam keeper Mateo Zavala (four saves) punched over the crossbar. 
Middlebury nearly doubled its lead with just over eight minutes remaining, but Zabala dove right to deny Potter.
Panther keeper Jeremy Yeager made two saves to earn his NESCAC-leading seventh shutout of the season. Middlebury held a 12-6 advantage in shots at goal.