When the Middlebury Panthers needed a goal in their biggest game of the season, they had just the player to get it.
Junior striker Casey Ftorek, the NESCAC's leading scorer in men's soccer this season, buried his own rebound in the 60th minute at Amherst on Saturday, propelling the Panthers to their first NESCAC Tournament title in seven years and an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. Ftorek's offensive prowess, coupled with an outstanding defensive unit that allowed just one goal throughout the tournament, kept Middlebury dominating its competition.
"At the end of the day, they say all teams defend well to be successful," coach Dave Saward said. "We've played 17 games, and we've only given up seven goals. Not just the goalkeeper, but also the back four, have been very good."
After Conn. College defeated Tufts in dramatic fashion last weekend to end the Jumbos' season, the Camels were no match for second-ranked Middlebury. The Panthers unleashed a 3-0 win in the tournament's first round, and Ftorek's goal in the 26th minute proved to be the winner. While Middlebury coasted by the Camels, they were met with a much greater challenge the following week against third-seeded Williams.
After the Ephs took a 1-0 lead early in the second half, the Panthers tied the game just over 10 minutes later. The two teams remained deadlocked after regulation, and they stayed that way through two overtime periods, leading to a penalty shootout.
Ftorek came up big yet again, netting the first shot to the upper left corner past Williams goalkeeper Andrew Graham. Senior Nathan Elwood, who nailed a controversial penalty kick against Tufts in the regular season, seemed likely to tie the score for the Ephs.
However, Elwood couldn't come through when it mattered most, ringing a resounding shot off the crossbar. It was all downhill from there for Williams, as two scores combined with two saves from Panthers junior goalkeeper Brian Bush sealed Middlebury a spot in the NESCAC final against Amherst. Bush, who allowed only one goal in three tournament games, was named the NESCAC Player of the Week.
After placing first in the NESCAC, Amherst received a bye in the tournament's first week of play. In their semifinal game against Bowdoin, the Jeffs rallied from a 1-0 deficit to top the Polar Bears, 2-1, and advance to the final. The confident Amherst team, which lost just one game throughout the entire regular season, got production from freshman Ian Rothkopf, whose header sailed into the back of the net in the 69th minute to seal the victory for the Jeffs. Amherst, which held home field for the semifinal and final rounds of the tournament, looked to be a shoo-in for the automatic NCAA tournament bid.
But Middlebury had other plans, showing no signs of fatigue after their double-overtime game one day earlier en route to registering a solid 1-0 win over the top-seeded Jeffs. The Panthers' defense looked brilliant, refusing to allow a goal for the second time in the tournament. Ftorek was equally clutch for the Panthers. Not only did the Bedford, Mass. native score the winning goal in each of Middlebury's tournament games, but he netted 12 total tallies over the regular season, including one in the Panthers' 1-0 win over Tufts.
"He scores when we need him," Saward said. "Goal-scorers in any sport have an intuition - they seem to show up in the right place at the right time. My joke is that a player like Casey makes me look like I know what I'm doing."
Although Amherst and Williams ended their NESCAC seasons in bitter fashion, both clubs received NCAA tournament at-large bids as recognition for strong seasons in a tough conference. All three NESCAC teams will compete on the same side of the bracket, allowing the possibility that the squads could meet again on the national circuit.
"I think the quality of soccer in the NESCAC is probably considered the best in New England," Amherst head coach Justin Serpone said. "The three bids represent that."
"[The NESCAC is] arguably the strongest conference in the country," Williams head coach Mike Russo added. "There are other teams, Bowdoin and Wesleyan in particular, who might've deserved to be in it as well. Hopefully one of the three teams in it can go a long way."
Amherst will open the tournament against the winner of Western New England and Johnson and Wales, while Williams will face a strong Eastern Connecticut State team. Middlebury will match up against the winner of Wheaton and Bridgewater State.
"At this point in the season, you need a little bit of luck," Russo said. "You need to be very tight defensively, not give up any soft goals, and take advantage of the openings you create on offense."
"I think that we're capable of winning some games," Serpone said. "Every team is good from here on out. You just have to play one game at a time. Every team right now is 0-0. Everyone is on the brink of elimination."
