Following its victory on Sunday, the third-ranked Middlebury men's soccer team continues its pursuit of the program's second NCAA Championship. The Panthers host a sectional this weekend on South Street Field, entertaining Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, while Babson and Trinity (Texas) play at 1:30 p.m. The winners of each contest battle in quarterfinal action at 12:30 p.m. Sunday with a trip to the final four at stake.
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and is making its 17th appearance.
• The Panthers cruised past Hunter 7-0 in opening action, before edging Vassar 2-1 on Sunday. Middlebury set a single-season mark for most goals with 53 against the Brewers.
• The team completed the regular season at 13-0-3, making it the first time since the 1970s that the program tallied back-to-back unblemished marks after going 11-0-4 last year.
• The Panthers claimed the NCAA Championship in 2007 when head coach Alex Elias '08 was on the team. 
• The squad has advanced to the national quarterfinals five times including last year.
• Middlebury is ranked in the top-15 nationally in winning percentage (third - .875), shutout percentage (eighth - .600), save percentage (11th - .848), assists per game (14th - 2.50) and total assists (15th - 50). 
• The NESCAC set a record this year with eight teams earning a spot in the NCAA postseason. After last weekend, only half of those squads remain including Amherst, Connecticut College and Williams. 

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• A stalwart between the pipes this season, Joey Waterman has started in 19 of 20 contests. The Panther is fifth in the country with 10 shutouts and 19th with a .842 save percentage.
• Luke Madden became just the second Middlebury defender to garner NESCAC Player of the Year honors last week. The senior has logged the most minutes of any field player (1,583). Madden has also contributed to the shoreline this fall, tallying 10 points (3G, 4A).
• Aiding Madden on the backline has been Hank Nelson, William O'Brien and Ari Klayman, each playing in 19 games. The group has collectively limited its opponents to 12 goals and just 8.5 shots per contest.
• Gavin Randolph garnered a spot on the All-NESCAC Second Team, starting in 16 contests this fall. The Panther is in a three-way tie for second on the squad with 15 points (6G, 3A).
• Also earning a spot on the all-conference second team was Kyle Nilsson, who has 15 points (4G, 7A) in 20 starts. 
• With three goals last weekend, Keagan Harder ascended to the top of the Panther rankings with 20 points and nine goals. The NESCAC Rookie of the Year has played in every game this season and has tallied a trio of game-winners.

ABOUT CMS

• The Stags are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
• CMS advanced to the sectional round on a golden goal with just 3:02 left in the second overtime last weekend against #5 Colorado College. 
• The program earned a spot in the postseason after claiming the Southern California Intercollegiate Atheltic Conference Championship (SCIAC). 
• The Stags rank first in their league in assists (43) and goals (49). Those metrics are also among the top-40 spots in the country.

STAGS TO WATCH

• Miles Demarest has started in goal for CMS in 20 of 22 contests. The Stag is 14-2-2 with seven shutouts and a .756 save percentage.
• Leading the charge for CMS up front has been powerhouse Rafael Otero. The All-SCIAC First Team honoree tallied the game-winner last Sundayand is among four players in the country to rank first with seven on the season. Otero paces the team with 32 points and 13 tallies while playing the most minutes of any field player (1,729).
• James Gomez has also been a threat on the attack, earning first-team all-conference laurels while ranking first on the squad with nine assists. The Stag is third in points (23) and tallies (seven). 
• Midfielder John Laidlow garnered All-SCIAC Second Team accolades and is second for CMS in points (25), goals (11) and game-winners (four).
• Rounding out the all-conference players for the Stags is Shaan Malik, who earned a spot on the first team. The defender has played in 21 contests with 19 starts, logging nearly 1,400 minutes. Malik has contributed offensively as well, scoring once and adding a pair of helpers. 

ABOUT BABSON

• The 11th-ranked Beavers enter the weekend riding a nine-game winning streak and advance to the sectional round for the first time since 2011.
• Babson is making its 30th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and seeking the program's fourth crown, having won in 1975, 1979 and 1980.
• The squad earned an automatic bid to the postseason after hoisting the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) trophy for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
• The Beavers hit the road after earning hosting rights last weekend, defeating St. John Fisher and Wesleyan by 1-0 scores.
• Babson is ranked second in the country in shutout percentage (.652) and goals against average (.435).
• Walker White paces Division III with the most goalie minutes played (2008:47) and is third in GAA (.448) and shutouts (11). 
• Leading the offensive output is Kento Abe, who is first on the squad in points (22), goals (eight) and game-winners (five). The latter stat ranks 14th in the country.

ABOUT TRINITY (TEXAS)

• The 13th-ranked Tigers are first in the country with an impressive .932 winning percentage, remaining unbeaten (19-0-3) coming into the weekend.
• The squad has tallied five shutouts in the last six contests and is riding a six-game winning streak. 
• The Tigers earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament after claiming their seventh Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title. This marks the 25th appearance in the national postseason for the program.
• The squad is seeking its second championship, having won in 2003 with an unblemished 24-0-0 mark.
• Trinity ranks in the top-five spots in the country in a plethora of statistical categories in addition to its win percentage. The team is second in assists per game (3.50) and goal differential (65) while ranking third in GAA (.455), points (227), assists (77) and goals (75). 
• Omkar Satpathy ranks 11th in the country with a 0.537 GAA, while tallying five shutouts this season.
• Adam Knutson is the one to watch up front, tying for first in the country with seven golden tallies. The SCAC Offensive Player of the Year is 15th in Division III with 40 points and paces the squad with 17 goals.

SERIES HISTORY VS. MIDDLEBURY

• While Middlebury and CMS have had a dated rivalry, particularly in women's tennis, the schools have never met in men's soccer. Babson and Trinity will also meet for the first time.
• The Panthers and Beavers played for the first time in over a decade this fall, with Middlebury triumphing 3-1. The programs have squared off 18 times with the Panthers claiming three straight. The only other meeting in the last 20 years came in NCAA play in 2010, with Middlebury earning a 1-0 victory to advance to the sectional round.
• The Panthers have only matched up against Trinity once before, with everything on the line. The teams played for the 2007 national championship, with the hardware coming down to a shootout. Middlebury claimed the program's lone title with a 4-3 decision in penalty kicks. 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Interactive Bracket
• Sectional Schedule
  • Saturday, November 23
    • Middlebury vs. CMS - 10:30 a.m.
    • Babson vs. Trinity - 1:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, November 24
    • Quarterfinal - 12:30 p.m.

 Sunday's winner advances to the final four in Las Vegas, with semifinal contests taking place on Thursday, December 5.