The Middlebury women's soccer team battled Tufts to a 1-1 tie, extending its unbeaten streak to five games. The Panthers wrap up the regular season on Tuesday, as they will challenge Williams for the second seed of the upcoming NESCAC Tournament. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Jumbos capitalized on the first quality opportunity in the game with 19:46 expired. Maddie Pero beat a defender at the top right of the 18, before burying the ball in the bottom left corner for the 1-0 edge.
• With just under 20 minutes to go in the opening half, Middlebury nearly equalized. A midfielder sent the ball into the box that sent Joely Virzi and a defender leaping to get their heads on it. Their heads tipped the ball and it hit the crossbar, but Tufts' defense cleared the dangerous bouncing ball away.
• Caroline O'neill sent cross in that a Jumbo got a head on it. As the ball crossed the goal line, the referee's whistle blew, nullifying the goal.
• At the 28:14 mark, Tufts' O'Neill played a through ball to Elsie Aires who ran onto it, but as Aires shot the ball, Elise Morris was there to block the chance from point blank range.
• The Jumbos had a good chance to double their lead at the 51:29 mark, but Pero's blast from 30 yards out was thwarted by a diving Sydney Poppinga.
• With 59:17 elapsed, Tufts nearly tacked on another tally, but Aires' one-timer hit the crossbar and ricocheted away.
• Middlebury had a great chance to level the score with just over 20 minutes remaining. Cate Wagner sent a ball over the top of the defensive backfield for Emma Binks to run onto. Binks got a foot on it, but Jumbos' goalie Kaelin Logue came charging out to smother the ball.
• The Panthers continued their momentum, knotting the game 1-1 with 72:27 expired. Carolyn Days sent a ball from 30 yards out on the right sideline into the box. Ella Gagnon, the Tufts' goalie and a defender all went up for the ball, but it was Gagnon who got her head on it first, flicking the ball into the lower left corner to deadlock the game.
• Middlebury had a flurry of corner kicks and shots with roughly 10 minutes left, but a strong defensive performance denied the Panthers a goal.
• With just under five minutes remaining, the Jumbos were awarded a free kick on the right sideline just outside the box. Grace Duke looked for the golden goal, but her header attempt went just wide left as the teams ended in a 1-1 tie. 

NOTES

• Middlebury's 5-3-1 conference record ranks third in the standings to the Ephs (second, 6-2-1) and Amherst (first, 7-2-0). Trinity is right behind the Panthers in fourth with a 4-1-4 mark. 
• The Panthers remain unbeaten in the last 12 meetings against Tufts, owning an 8-0-4 mark.