The third-ranked Middlebury men's soccer team played to a 0-0 draw at Hamilton College on Saturday afternoon in each side's NESCAC opener.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Middlebury manufactured a solid early opportunity in the 15th minute. Ari Klayman kept a deflected pass in bounds and chipped it over his head to Keagan Harder on the edge of the goalie box, but his try glided over the crossbar.
- Harder and Will Sawin found themselves in a two-on-one scenario with Peter Montesano Scheibe in the 41st minute after Harder swiped the ball off the foot of a Hamilton defender. The Continental keeper snagged the ball to keep the match scoreless at the break.
- Dylan Payne found Sawin darting down the middle of the field for Middlebury's first quality opportunity with 54:51 elapsed. Sawin flicked up his right foot to settle the feed from Payne before Montesano Scheibe came screaming out to make a critical save for Hamilton.
- A Continental foul at the 68:35 mark brought Sawin up for a free kick from 20 yards out. The Panther delivered a shot to the top half in the middle of the goal, where Montesano Scheibe elevated to punch the try over the crossbar.
- The Panthers went a player down with 14:40 to go. Hamilton's Patrick Ferrare guided the ensuing free kick to the bottom right corner of the goal, but Joey Waterman snagged the attempt.
- The Continentals kept the heat on Middlebury with 7:12 remaining. Waterman deflected a cross in the box. Troy Miller collected the rebound and fired a bending shot that curved just outside the right post.
- The last chance for the Panthers came with 18 seconds remaining. Anderson Gardner collected a pass from Harder and fired an attempt that sailed wide of the left post.
NOTES
- Waterman stood tall in goal, turning away each of the four shots he faced.
- Middlebury stacked 16 shots against Hamilton's nine and earned 12 corners in the draw.
- The programs met for the 21st time, with Middlebury owning a 16-3-2 advantage in the all-time series that began in 1998. The Panthers are unbeaten in the last five meetings with the Continentals.
The Panthers return home on Tuesday, September 9, hosting St. Lawrence for a 4:00 p.m. kickoff from South Street Field.