While the Jumbo women's soccer and field hockey teams continue their impressive runs this fall season, there are several non-Tufts storylines that unfolded in Sunday's first-round action. Wesleyan had a rough day, Middlebury moved on in all three sports and three hosts enjoyed their first-round bye.
Field Hockey: No surprises here The seedings held throughout the conference yesterday as the No. 2 Jumbos were one of three higher-seeded teams to survive into the second round. In a fluke of scheduling and standings, the other two first-round games were rematches of Saturday's final regular-season games, and both had the same endings. Middlebury followed a 5-1 pounding of Trinity on Saturday with a 4-2 win over the Bantams in Sunday's three-six matchup. Sophomore Heather McCormack and senior co-captain Reid Berrien each scored twice as the Panthers moved on for a rematch of a tough regular-season loss to Tufts. Williams moved on with a 3-1 win over archrival Amherst, taking a 3-0 lead in the second half with goals from three different players. The win offered the Ephs some confidence after a shaky second half of the season, which included six losses in their final nine games, and a bit of payback for the Lord Jeffs' 1-0 win in the first round of the 2006 NESCAC Tournament. The Ephs have earned a date with host Bowdoin, the top-ranked team in both the tournament and the nation.
Women's Soccer: Middlebury delivers day's biggest upset The Jumbos, who rolled to a 6-0 win over Conn. College yesterday, will head to Williams next weekend to take on No. 4 Bowdoin, which moved past Trinity with a 2-0 win. Sophomore Dana Riker scored twice to lead the Polar Bears, who improved to 12-3, a record identical to that of the No. 2 Jumbos. The host Ephs, after a first-round bye, will take on No. 6 Middlebury, who turned in the biggest upset in any of the sports' first-round games yesterday. A 1-0 upset of No. 3 Amherst sends the Panthers to the semifinals next weekend. Senior Caitlin Parker broke a scoreless tie with 33 minutes remaining in regulation to propel Middlebury into the second round.
Men's Soccer: Conn. College elation is short-lived Despite coming off an invigorating overtime win over Tufts on Saturday that ended the Jumbos' season, Conn. College fell easily to Middlebury, 3-0. With the win, the Panthers will take on No. 3 Williams on Saturday with a chance to redeem their tough regular-season 1-0 loss to the Ephs. Bowdoin turned in the other of two upsets in first-round NESCAC action with a 2-0 upset of No. 4 Wesleyan in Middletown. and will travel to take on the host Amherst Lord Jeffs. In the third game, Williams used three first-half goals to down Trinity 4-2 in Williamstown, Mass. Coming off a 1-0 loss to Amherst the day before, the Ephs buckled down and, like their fellow Ephs on the field hockey team, got goals from a trio of players, added in an own-goal from the Bantams, and cruised into the NESCAC Semifinals.
