Box Score SOMERVILLE - Tufts University Women's Soccer fell to Middlebury College 1-0 on Saturday in Somerville, with the Panthers' Virginia Charman converting a late goal on a free kick opportunity to spoil the Jumbos' Seniors Day.
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| Ashley Latona was one of the six Jumbo seniors recognized prior to Saturday's game. |
Both teams entered the game ranked nationally, Tufts at 10th and Middlebury at 12th. The Jumbos came out very strong to begin the match at Kraft Field in one of the final NESCAC games of the regular season. Maintaining the midfield and smothering clearing attempts helped Tufts pace the battle for possession of the ball for much of the first 10 minutes of the game.
Tufts would generate eight first-half shots compared to Middlebury's' three. The Jumbos' best offensive opportunity in the first half came from the foot of junior Liz Reed when she found herself with the ball in the goal area. Reed chipped the ball past her defender and out of the goalkeepers reach, but she drilled the upper right corner of the goal post.
Tufts' backline played as one, just as they have done all year. Senior back Sarah Maloney helped shut down any opportunities for Middlebury forcing them out of bounds, and not allowing Panther forwards to get to the corner. The backline as a whole only allowed six shots on goal all game. Freshman goalkeeper Hayley Bernstein played about as well as she could have, playing every Middlebury set-piece strategically.
With the score at 0-0, the Jumbos were awarded back-to-back corner kick opportunities in the 75th minute. However, each attempt was cleared out by the strong Middlebury defense. The final Jumbo offensive opportunity came off the foot of sophomore defender Kylie Metcalf in 85th minute as she drove the ball towards the net on a mid-range shot. It was corralled by Middlebury goalkeeper Ursula Alwang.
Middlebury tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal with 2:16 remaining on a play that started after a foul by the Jumbos. Ellie Bavier served a free kick from the right sideline into the penalty area, where Charman's redirection curved into the right side of the net for a 1-0 lead.
The Jumbos were led offensively by Reed with six shots, two of which were fired on net. Five different Panthers took shots as the visitors totaled six on net, led by two from junior Gretchen McGrath. Tufts finished with six total penalty corners, while the Panthers finished with just one.
Both goalkeepers played outstanding today, showing why each of them is at the top of the NESCAC statistically at this point in the season. Bernstein made five saves in her 90 minutes, whereas Alwang saved all five shots she faced.
Tufts recognized seniors Tally Clark, Ashley Latona, Sarah Maloney, Izzy Moore, Jenna Troccoli and Paige Vigliotta in a ceremony prior to the game.
The Jumbos return to the field on Tuesday to close out their regular season against Bowdoin at 3 pm. Middlebury will look to continue their success on Tuesday against Williams (3 pm).
