The #3 Middlebury men's soccer team looks to hit big when it travels to Las Vegas, Nevada for the final four next week. The Panthers, who are making their second-ever trip to the NCAA Semifinals, battle #8 Amherst on Thursday, December 5 at 5:30 p.m. EST. The victor secures a spot in the title tilt on Saturday, December 7 against either #21 Washington & Lee or Connecticut College. 

ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers earned hosting rights for all preliminary rounds of the tournament, taking down CUNYAC Champion Hunter (7-0) and Vassar (2-1) to move onto the third round. 
• Middlebury followed that up with a 1-0 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps before punching its ticket by edging #13 Babson 4-3 in a penalty shootout in the sectional final.
• The program is making its 18th appearance in the NCAA postseason, posting a 21-11-8 all-time mark. 
• Middlebury has one of the strongest defenses in the country. The squad ranks in the top-10 spots in winning percentage (third - 0.864), shutout percentage (third - 0.636), goals against average (eighth - 0.540) and save percentage (ninth - 0.864).
• The Panther offense has racked up a program-record 54 goals this fall. The team also shares the wealth with 16 goal scorers and 20 players recording a point.
• Middlebury finished the regular season with a 13-0-3 mark, remaining unbeaten through the last two combined (25-0-7). It is the first time since the 1972 (9-0-1) and 1973 (10-0-0) campaigns that the squad had an unblemished record before postseason play in back-to-back seasons.
• The team has tallied 17 wins, one away from tying the single-season record (18) set during the NCAA Championship year in 2007.

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Keagan Harder has burst on the scene in his first season for the Panthers. The NESCAC Rookie of the Year paces the program with 10 goals and 22 points. Each metric sits second and third in the conference. Harder also leads the squad with four game-winners, including the golden goal in the 1-0 victory over CMS in the third round.
• Colin Dugan and Gavin Randolph also headline a Panther attack with six goals and three helpers each this season.
• Middlebury's defense is led by the duo of Luke Madden and William O'Brien. Both secured first-team all-conference honors and have played over 3,500 minutes combined. Madden, who garnered NESCAC Player of the Year honors, has also found the net three times and added four assists.
• Kyle Nilsson continues to be a workhorse at the midfield position. The Panther has four goals and a team-best eight assists in 22 games. Two of those helpers have come in the NCAA Tournament.
• A force between the posts, Joey Waterman continues to impress, sitting third in the nation with 12 shutouts and is the highest remaining goalie in save percentage (0.859). His 12 clean sheets also sit one behind Brian Bush '08 for the most in a single season for Middlebury.

ABOUT AMHERST

• Amherst received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after falling 4-2 in penalty kicks to Connecticut College in the NESCAC Quarterfinals.
• The Mammoths defeated Neumann (3-1) and advanced past Stevens (1-1, 3-0 PKs) in the opening rounds of NCAA competition. The squad traveled to the cheese state for the Round of 16 and national quarterfinal, taking down Wisconsin-Superior by a 3-2 mark in double overtime before defeating host #7 Wisconsin Eau-Claire 2-1 to book its spot in the final four. 
• Amherst is appearing in its 22nd overall and 11th-consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Mammoths have tallied 47 wins in the dance, which is third all-time behind Messiah (91) and Ohio Wesleyan (70).
• The team advanced to the semifinals for the seventh time overall and fourth in the past five seasons. 
• Amherst has one NCAA Championship after a 2-1 victory over Loras during the 2015 season.
• The Mammoths are 14-2-4 entering the week and have posted wins in six of their last eight contests.
• Amherst ranks seventh nationally in corner kicks per game (7.10) and 17th in team goals against average (GAA - 0.629).

MAMMOTHS TO WATCH

• Forward Mohammed Nuhu has been a force up front for Amherst, leading the squad in goals (10), assists (8) and points (28). He also sits at the top of the NESCAC ranks with five game-winning goals and had a tally in the third-round and regional final contests against the Yellowjackets and Blugolds. 
• Michael Cherico and Flynn Ruffner-Hayton complement Nuhu upfront with six and five goals, respectively. The pair each had a goal in the team's victory over Wisconsin-Superior.
• The midfield is patrolled by Wyatt McCarthy and Johnny Novak, who lead the Mammoths with 1,672 and 1,524 minutes played, respectively. 
• First team All-NESCAC selection Niall Murphy has been a solid contributor with four goals and an assist over 19 games played.
• Amherst's defensive unit is led by Simon Kalinauskas and Ben Clark-Eden. The senior pair has helped the Mammoths to 10 shutouts this season and only 13 goals allowed.
• Trey Sheppard has seen the most time in the net this fall, posting the second-best GAA in the conference (0.569) over 12 appearances alongside a 0.833 saves percentage. Max Landa also has been an option for the Mammoths in goal, starting the last three contests. 

ABOUT WASHINGTON AND LEE

• Washington and Lee enters the final four riding a 20-game unbeaten streak dating back to a 3-0 victory over Oglethorpe on September 13.
• The Generals are making their 10th overall and ninth-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
• Washington and Lee secured the automatic qualifier by winning the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship for the eighth time in program history.
• The Generals punched their ticket to the final four for the third time in the last four seasons with a 3-2 victory over Dickinson in the regional final. 
• The program is in search of its first NCAA Championship.
• Weyimi Agbeyegbe leads the Generals and the ODAC with 14 goals and 35 points. He is one of four Washington and Lee players to log over 2,000 minutes.
• Will Joseph has played the second-most minutes of any player in Division III (2159:50) and puts forward a 0.741 saves percentage alongside eight shutouts.

ABOUT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE

• The Camels have caught fire as of late, going unbeaten in their last seven contests.
• Connecticut College earned the NESCAC's automatic bid with a 3-1 victory in the conference title game.
• The squad started its journey to Las Vegas with a 4-1 victory over Suffolk and 3-0 triumph against #19 Franklin and Marshall in the opening rounds. Connecticut College knocked off 14th-ranked Kenyon College in penalty kicks before a 2-1 victory over #10 Denison to make the final four for the second time in program history.
• The team has made the tournament eight times and taken home one NCAA Championship in a 4-1 penalty-kick triumph over Amherst in 2021.
• Connecticut College ranks in the top-15 places nationally in save percentage (10th - 0.859) and goals against average (14th - 0.593).
• Matt Scofone leads the Camel attack with 10 goals this season. Marco Perugini has been a solid pairing with Scofone, as the midfielder has tallied a team-best eight assists this season.

SERIES HISTORY VS. MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury and Amherst meet for the second time this season and 61st time overall. It will be the fifth time the conference foes play in the NCAA Tournament, but the first time at the final site. 
• The Panthers and Generals have never squared off in men's soccer.
• Connecticut College and Middlebury have battled 43 times in conference action and twice this season. The Panthers hold a 28-9-5 edge in the all-time series but have not been able to get past the Camels this year. The teams tied 0-0 in the regular season before Connecticut College won 3-1 in the NESCAC Championship.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Interactive Bracket
• Championship Schedule
  • Thursday, December 5
    • Middlebury vs. Amherst - 5:30 p.m. ET
    • Washington and Lee vs. Connecticut College - 9:00 p.m. ET
  • Saturday, December 7
    • Championship - 3:00 p.m. ET

All games will be streamed on NCAA Championship Pass via ncaa.com or by accessing the broadcast and live stats from the interactive bracket.