The third-ranked Middlebury men's soccer team battled back to even Thursday's NCAA Semifinal at 1-1 against #8 Amherst, but the Mammoths converted a penalty kick in the 66th minute and held on for a 2-1 final score. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Amherst looked to get on the scoreboard with 9:02 expired in the opening half, but Mohammed Nuhu blasted a left-footed tough-angle shot into the outside of the net.
• In the 13th minute, the Mammoths earned their first corner kick. Jacob Dinzeo sent a looping ball that was caught by Middlebury goalie Joey Waterman.
• Nearly 16 minutes later, the Panthers manufactured a corner kick and a quality chance. A twirling insertion by Shane Farrell found the head of Luke Madden on the far post, but his bid caromed away to keep the match scoreless.
• With 37:18 elapsed, Amherst had another opportunity to score, but Wyatt McCarthy's blast from 25 yards out scooted wide of the left post.
• The Panthers looked to generate a bid with 40 seconds left in the stanza with a free kick near midfield, but the attempt from Eduardo Casanova sailed over the crossbar.
• The Mammoths came out quickly in the second half, scoring following a corner kick 1:16 into the frame. Dinzeo sent the ball toward the far post, connecting with the head of Simon Kalinasukas who redirected it into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.
• Continuing its pressure, Amherst nearly increased its advantage two minutes later but a header by Michael Cherico whistled over the crossbar.
• The Panthers leveled the contest 3:19 later at the 49:35 mark. Following a pair of blocked shots, Tyler Payne ran onto a bouncing ball inside the box, volleying a bid out of the air past the hands of a sprawling Max Landa to make it a 1-1 game.
• Middlebury kept up the momentum over the ensuing minutes as a shot by Colin Dugan with 22:20 gone in the stanza was blocked by an Amherst defender in front of the goal box.
• After a foul in the box at the 65:37 mark and a video review, the Mammoths were awarded a penalty kick. Nuhu stepped to the dot and Waterman guessed correctly and dove to his right but Nuhu's blast tucked into the bottom-left corner for a 2-1 edge.
• The Panthers searched for the equalizer in the 79th minute. Back-to-back shots by Casanova and Ari Klayman inside the box were blocked, before Malik Samms' rebound attempt from close range was thwarted by the body of Landa.
• Middlebury pressed in the waning seconds, but a header from 15 yards by Casanova with two seconds left was caught by Landa for the final 2-1 score.

NOTES

• The goal by Payne was his third of the season and the 15th in his career.
• Waterman recorded a save in the first 81:52 of action, while Owen Greene came in for the 8:08 of play.
• The squad made its 18th appearance in the NCAA postseason and advanced to the semifinals for the second time in school history. Both appearances featured head coach Alex Elias '08 as he helped guide the program to the 2007 NCAA Title as a player.
• Kyle Nilsson and Payne were named to the all-tournament team.
• The Panther offense racked up a program-record 55 goals this fall, eclipsing the total of 52 set a season ago. 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 tallied 17 wins this fall, ranking second in the single-season record books just behind the mark of 18 established in 2007.
• Thursday's semifinal marked the second time that the programs played this season and the 61st overall matchup with Middlebury holding a 26-23-14 advantage. The Panthers and the Mammoths met in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons and the fifth time overall.

Middlebury concludes the season with an impressive 17-2-4 record, a spot in the NESCAC Championship and its second berth in the NCAA Semifinals.

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE