The 22nd-ranked Middlebury women's soccer team (5-1-0) shut out Castleton State 2-0 on Tuesday afternoon. The Panthers travel to Hamilton on Saturday for an 11 a.m. start, while the Spartans (3-2-0) head to Rhode Island College for a 1 p.m. kickoff on the same day.
Middlebury wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, scoring just 21 seconds into the opening half.
Talia Rubino sent the ball down the right sideline to
Joely Virzi who dribbled into the box before tucking the ball inside the right post for the 1-0 early edge and her first career tally.
The best chance of the stanza for the visitors came with 2:25 expired when Holly Cudmore ripped a shot from 40 yards out, but Panther goalkeeper
Sydney Poppinga denied the chance.
Middlebury looked to double its lead at the 34:08 mark when
Elizabeth Jack settled a corner from
Isabella Di Benedetto, but the shot went just wide right.
Castleton had a great opportunity to knot the game at the 59 minute mark. Kaidin Gauthier dribbled down the right side, before rifling a shot that initially deflected off of Poppinga, before Poppinga was able to corral the loose ball and preserve the Middlebury lead.
The Panthers struck again at the 73:30 mark.
Fanny Lodge's blast from the top of the 18 was punched up and over the goal by Spartan keeper Alex Benfatti.
Carolyn Days served the corner into the box, before
Cate Woolsey one-timed the ball into the upper right 90 for the 2-0 advantage at the 73:53 mark. The goal was Woolsey's first of her career.
Castleton had its best opportunity with under a minute remaining in the game. Maddie Lindgren had a breakaway, but a charging Poppinga smothered the chance to preserve the shutout.
Middlebury held an advantage in shots (28-5) and corner kicks (6-1) during the contest. Poppinga recorded her third shutout of the season, making four stops in goal for the Panthers. Benfatti had nine saves for the Spartans.
