On the road this weekend, men’s soccer took a trip to Middlebury and walked away with a draw—a result the Cards can be proud of considering the Panthers’ impressive home record and overall strength as a team.
After holding off an early chance by Middlebury’s Stephen Hart, Wesleyan was first to find the net in Saturday’s contest, countering with a goal from Matt Nevin ’09, who put in a header from a tough angle off of a set piece from Nick Whipple ’10. Looking to protect their lead, the Cards dropped back and defended well in the first half, but surrendered a free kick in their own territory in the 30th minute.
Keeper Nigel Stacey ’11 did, however, make a great save on the initial ball by Middlebury’s Harrison Watkins. Unfortunately, Middlebury’s Taylor Macnee put in the rebound and brought the tally to 1-1. Over the course of the second half, the teams traded possession, the Cardinals settling into their rhythm and getting solid chances on goal.
Panther keeper Brian Bush kept his team alive late in the game, robbing Max Sander ’12 of a score off of a one-touch volley in the 79th minute. The two teams went into double overtime, but still could not find a winner as each keeper registered key saves to preserve the deadlock.
Keisuke Yamashita ’10, coming off a hat trick against Springfield, was almost the hero again for Wes, breaking away from his defender for a shot at goal. Again Bush made a spectacular save, diving to keep Yamashita’s ball out. While the Cards felt the win was within reach for them, they still have plenty to be proud of, having tied the defending NCAA Division III champions on their new artificial field, where visiting opponents had yet to hold the Panthers even to a draw.
While Wesleyan registered only nine shots to Middlebury’s 18, the team was pleased with its chances against such a talented Panther squad.
“Overall we were happy not to lose,” Whipple said after the game. “But a lot of us feel we could have taken a win from the number one team in the country.”
Regardless, the Cardinals have established itself as a team to watch this season, having dispensed of Springfield College and NESCAC rival Bowdoin.
Now with a 2-1-2 record, men’s soccer looks to continue its strong start, taking the field at home this weekend against Trinity College in a key match.
“It’s important to not be complacent after a good result like this,” Whipple said. “We can’t look past Trinity, they’re a really talented team.”
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