MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s soccer team picked up a road win and a home tie in recent action and finished in second place in NESCAC with a 6-1-3 league mark, a point behind first-place Tufts. The Panthers are 11-1-3 overall.
Middlebury will host the No. 7 seed in the NESCAC playoffs on Saturday at noon, with that team to be determined in games played after the deadline for this issue.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, Virginia Charman scored with 2:16 left in regulation to give the Panthers a 1-0 victory over host Tufts (10-2-2, 6-2-1).
Both teams had chances throughout, for the Panthers notably striker Ellie Greenberg, midfielder Gretchen McGrath and defender Isabelle Hartnett, and for Tufts Liz Reed (twice, once hitting the frame) and Sophie Lloyd, who was denied in the late going by Panther goalie Ursula Alwang (five saves).
The winning goal came when middie Ellie Bavier served a free kick from the right sideline into the penalty area, where Charman struck a redirection that curved into the right side of the net.
Jumbo goalie Hayley Bernstein made five stops. Tufts outshot the Panthers, 15-10. 
On Tuesday Middlebury and third-place Williams settled for a scoreless draw in the final regular-season contest for both squads. Statistics were essentially even, and Alwang made five six saves for Middlebury, while Ephs goalie Chelsea Taylor stopped six shots. The Panthers lower their goals-against average to a NESCAC best 0.32, having allowed just five goals in 15 games. However, they have scored just once in their past four games.