Sports
Panther teams open play
MIDDLEBURY — In Middlebury College sports action during the past week, the top-ranked field hockey team kept up its winning ways, men’s soccer picked up two victories, and women’s soccer split a pair of games. The football team will open at Williams on Saturday, when the field hockey and soccer teams will all host Bowdoin.
FIELD HOCKEY
The 3-0 field hockey team — winners of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 NCAA Division III titles — on Saturday opened NESCAC play by defeating visiting Wesleyan (1-1 overall, 0-1 in NESCAC), 6-0.
The Panthers outshot the Cardinals 15-0, and got two goals from Joan Vera, and one apiece from Grace Murphy, Caroline Segal, Erin Nicholas and Isabel Chandler.
On Sunday, Nicholas picked up a hat trick as the Panthers blanked visiting University of New England, 5-0. Katie George and Hannah Medwar also found the cage for Middlebury, and Amy Griffin assisted twice as Middlebury outshot UNE, 40-6. Goalie Grace Harlan made five stops
MEN’S SOCCER
Men’s soccer improved to 3-0 with its two wins, including a 3-1 victory on Saturday over NESCAC rival Wesleyan.
In that game, the 1-1 Cardinals took the lead in the second minute on a Christopher Textor goal in a scramble. But the Panthers answered 14 seconds later, when Aiden Pape headed in a corner kick from Jordan Saint-Louis. Late in the half, Ben Powers headed in an Eujin Chae corner to make it 2-1.
The Panthers got an insurance goal in the game’s final minute, when Brandon Reed netted a Saint-Louis feed on a two-on-one break. Panther goalie Ryan Grady made four saves, and Liam Devanny made one for Wesleyan.
On Tuesday, Ethan Coomber scored his first career goal with 5:02 remaining to lift the Panthers past visiting Plattsburgh, 1-0.
The winning goal began with a Liam Sloan free kick from just outside of the 18. Michael McFarlane headed Sloan’s strike, and Coomber redirected the ball into the net.
Grady made two stops in goal for Middlebury, while Teddy Healy saved one shot for Plattsburgh. The Panthers held a 14-7 advantage in shots on goal and a 7-4 edge in corner kicks.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Women’s soccer stands at 2-1, 0-1 in NESCAC play, after the weekend. Visiting Wesleyan (2-0) blanked the Panthers on Saturday, scoring twice in the first half on a penalty kick and conversion after a corner kick.
The Panthers had four good chances after the break, but a defender blocked Cate Wagner on one corner, Eliza Van Voorhis saw her header hit the post on another corner, a long Eliza Robinson shot hit the crossbar, and Cardinal goalie Sarah Hammond (four saves) snared a Fanny Lodge header. Panther goalie Sydney Poppinga made five saves.
On Sunday, the Panthers outshot host Wheaton, 18-4, in a 1-0 victory. Lodge’s 25-yard blast early in the second half stood up as the game-winner. Panther goalie Lucy VanNewkirk made one stop, a diving save with 1:09 remaining.
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