The third-ranked Middlebury men's soccer team tallied three first-half goals and added four more in the second for a 7-0 victory over Hunter in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The victory pushes the Panthers into the second round for the third time in the last four seasons.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury opened the scoring with 9:55 elapsed. Tyler Payne worked the ball to the right post and sailed in a bid that glanced off Luke Madden's head. Hawks' goalie Matthew Heimowitz stopped the senior's initial bid before Will Sawin gathered the rebound and fired down the middle to make it 1-0. 
• Hunter manufactured its first chance at the 12:15 mark. Ben Avakook dribbled deep into the defensive end and fired an attempt that rang left of the post.
• Tyler Payne looked to double the lead five minutes later with back-to-back bids. His first attempt was blocked away while his second slamming off the crossbar. 
• The Panthers tried again with three consecutive bids over roughly two minutes from Gavin Randolph (15:15), Kyle Nilsson (17:37) and Eduardo Casanova (17:47). Heimowitz stepped up to the occasion by stuffing each attempt to keep it a one-goal contest.
• Keagan Harder looked to extend the lead in the 31st minute with a flick shot from the middle of the 18-yard box that Heimowitz cupped with both hands for his fifth save of the half.
• The Panthers tallied their second goal of the contest at the 37:54 mark. Harder blitzed into the box and was taken down, calling for a penalty kick. The first year stepped up to the dot and converted down the middle for a 2-0 edge.
• Middlebury made it a three-goal advantage with 40:06 elapsed. Malik Samms sent in a chance that was steered away by Heimowitz. Jay Hoke sent it back in towards Anderson Gardner, who flicked it towards the right post. Harder eluded the defense and was all alone, tapping in his second of the afternoon.
• Middlebury tacked on its fourth goal with 28:27 remaining. Samms worked towards the Hunter endline and sent a cross pass to Quinn Pappendick, who tucked the ball in the top right corner. 
• Alem Hadzic tallied a goal in the 76th minute, tapping a shot into the bottom left off a cross from Gardner for a 5-0 edge.
• The Panthers put in two more goals to cap the scoring. Hugo Horwitz tapped in a chance on a cross from Gardner in the 82nd minute while Samuel Dolan tallied his second goal of the season from Hadzic with 87:03 elapsed for the 7-0 final score.

NOTES

• Owen Greene tallied his first career start and victory in goal for the Panthers. Joe Todd also saw his first action between the posts in the navy and white to share the shutout.
• Hadzic and Pappendick found the back of the net for the first time in their careers.
• Gardner is the first Panther to tally three assists in a contest this fall.
• Saturday's matchup was the first between the Panthers and the Hawks in men's soccer.

Middlebury advances in the tournament and plays the winner of #12 Rowan and Vassar on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on South Street Field.