Keagan Harder scored with 7:21 remaining in Sunday's contest, lifting the second-ranked Middlebury men's soccer team past Wesleyan 1-0. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers looked to get on the scoreboard first 6:15 into action. Gavin Randolph dribbled down the right side, sending a cross through the goal mouth that just bounded just out of the reach of a charging Eduardo Casanova on the left post.
• Middlebury kept the pressure up, creating a pair of chances minutes later. Kyle Nilsson fired a blast from 10 yards away that Cardinal goalie Mathis Blanc punched into the box. The rebound came to Will Sawin, but his rising bid was denied by the keeper's right hand.
• Nilsson nearly found the back of the goal with 11:53 left in the stanza, but his header toward the upper portion of the goal was corralled by Blanc just under the bar.
• The Cardinals looked to strike in the 45th minute, but a header from Calder Truesdale sailed high.
• The visitors posted a pair of opportunities in the early portion of the second half, as a header by Luke Madden was saved by Blanc and an attempt from the left side by Tyler Payne went just wide to the left.
• The Panthers looked to score with 9:16 expired, but Sawin's header clanged off the bar and bounced over.
• Wesleyan had a quality chance at the midway point of the stanza as the ball bounced three times inside the six-yard box, but the Panther defense cleared it away. 
• Middlebury pressed to get into the scoring column in the 77th minute. Antonio Cosentino ran onto the ball working down the side, rifling a shot that Blanc saved diving to his left.
• The Panthers struck with 7:21 left in the contest when Harder and Randolph orchestrated a nifty give-and-go. Harder dribbled toward the box, sending a through ball to Randolph who fed a pass back to Harder. The rookie calmly fired a left-footed blast into the lower-right corner for the 1-0 advantage.
• Wesleyan looked for the equalizer, manufacturing its best opportunity with 2:20 left when a right-footed bid by Truesdale was saved by Joey Waterman for the final 1-0 score.

NOTES

• The goal is Harder's third this season and his second game-winning tally.
• Waterman finished with one save to earn his third clean sheet this fall.
• The programs played for the 46th time in an all-time series where the Panthers hold a 30-10-6 advantage
• Middlebury is undefeated in the last 13 contests with the Cardinals, improving to 9-0-4 during that stretch.
• The Panther defensive unit hasn't allowed a goal against Wesleyan in the last four games, last surrendering a tally 1:09 into the 2021 regular-season matchup. The scoreless streak spans 468:51 of play.

Middlebury returns to action on Saturday for its Senior Day when the Panthers host Connecticut College at 12:00 p.m.