AMHERST, Mass. — The Middlebury College soccer team lost its No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division III after a NESCAC road loss and home tie this past weekend after failing to score in either game.
The path for the Panthers (10-1-2, 5-1-2 NESCAC) does not get easier, as they visit first-place Tufts (10-1-2, 6-1-1) on Saturday before hosting defending NCAA champion Williams (8-3-1, 6-2) on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
On this past Sunday, host Amherst (9-3-1, 4-2-1) dealt the Panthers their first loss, 2-0. Both Amherst goals came in the second half. At 16:01, Alexa Juarez redirected a shot home that snapped the Panthers’ streak of not allowing a goal in more than 542 minutes. A late penalty kick created the final score.
Amherst outshot the Panthers, 14-9, 6-2 in the second half. Panther goalie Ursula Alwang made four saves, and Erica Sanders made three stops for the Mammoths.
On Saturday, the Panthers outshot visiting Trinity, 19-9, but had to settle for a 0-0 tie against the 4-6-2 Bantams. The Panthers’ best chance in regulation came in the late going from middie Gretchen McGrath, who broke in from the left side and fired just high and wide of the upper right corner. In overtime, Panther Olivia Miller had a header that went in but was disallowed due to a foul.  
Ursula Alwang played the first half without recording a save, while Shaw made three saves in 65 minutes in the Panthers’ ninth shutout. Jennifer Stuart had five stops for the Bantams. The Panthers held a 19-9 margin in shots.