Middlebury's
Gretchen McGrath scored the game-wining goal in overtime, as the women's soccer team (8-3-1, 3-3-1) defeated #21 Tufts 2-1 on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers head to Colby on Saturday for an 11:00 a.m. start, while the Jumbos (5-5-0, 3-4-0) entertain #20 Amherst at noon on the same day.
Middlebury had a good chance to score with 6:41 expired when
Eliza Van Voorhis settled a throw-in from Olivia Reilly, before turning and firing a shot towards the goal that went just wide right. Tufts looked to get on the board at the 12:25 mark, but Panther goalkeeper
Sydney Poppinga just got a hand on Liz Reed's shot from the penalty stripe, punching the ball up and over the crossbar. Middlebury threatened to score with 18:52 expired on a give-and-go with
Rose Evans and
Simone Ameer, but Ameer's shot from six yards out hit the left post. The Jumbos broke the scoreless draw 22:03 into the half. Jordan Cushner crossed the ball from the left side, before Nic Sommers headed it to Reed's feet, before she tucked the ball under the crossbar to make it 1-0.
Middlebury came out of the intermission strong, with a good chance to score coming at the 53:24 mark.
Elise Morris took a free kick from midfield, but
Fanny Lodge's header attempt was thwarted by Tufts' goaltender Hayley Bernstein. Less than a minute later, the Panthers scored the equalizer on a similar set-piece. Morris took a free kick from 40 yards out that ping-ponged inside the 18. Reilly one-timed the loose ball to Van Voorhis on the post who one-touched it into the goal to make it 1-1. With 23:05 remaining, the Jumbos looked to take the lead, but Poppinga came off her line to deny a chance by Sommers. With just under five minutes remaining in regulation, Reed sent a through ball to Melina McDevitt, but Poppinga came charging out to deny a shot as the contest went into overtime.
The Panthers scored the game-winner with 51 seconds remaining in the initial extra stanza. Lodge beat a trio of Tufts' defenders before sending a cross from the right side. The Jumbo goalie dove to punch away the cross, but knocked the ball to McGrath, who had her back to the goal. McGrath spun around and buried the ball in the bottom left corner for the 2-1 triumph.
Poppinga made five saves in goal for Middlebury, while Bernstein had three stops for Tufts. Both teams took 13 shots and four corner kicks during the contest.
