MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Saint Joseph's College (9-3-8) fell to #10 Middlebury College (11-2-3), 2-1, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament at South Street Field on Saturday.
With the setback, Saint Joseph's concludes a season highlighted by the program's seventh GNAC Championship. Middlebury advances to Sunday's second round to face the winner of the Hobart–Wheaton matchup.
The Monks, who today suffered their first loss since dropping a 1-0 decision to Bates College on September 8, answered an early penalty-kick goal and the game remained tied until the 68th minute, when Dylan Payne scored the eventual game-winner for the hosts.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Middlebury applied pressure early, but senior goalkeeper Alex Bachmann (Scarborough, Maine) stopped two attempts by Will Sawin in the opening six minutes. The Panthers broke through at 15:48, when Sawin converted a penalty kick to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Saint Joseph's responded just 3:11 later as senior Cole Bishop (Gorham, Maine) scored an unassisted goal at 18:59. His fourth tally of the season pulled the Monks even, 1-1.
Saint Joseph's threatened again in the 37th minute, when Mattheus Silva placed a shot on target that Middlebury goalkeeper Leon Brody turned away. Bachmann added a save late in the half to help send the teams into intermission tied.
The Panthers regained the lead at 67:51, shortly after consecutive corner kicks, as Payne scored off a pass from Jaime Vega Espinosa.
The Monks pushed for an equalizer, earning two corner kicks and generating attempts from senior Zander Haskell (Scarborough, Maine) and junior Curtis Metcalf (South Portland, Maine). Bachmann kept Saint Joseph's within striking distance with three saves over the final 18 minutes, while Sawin missed a penalty kick with 28 seconds remaining. The Monks were unable to find the tying goal before time expired.
TEAM STATS:
Middlebury held advantages in shots (26-7), shots on goal (9-2), and corner kicks (10-3). The Panthers were called for 14 fouls, while the Monks committed 13.
THE KEEPERS:
Bachmann made seven saves in 90 minutes for Saint Joseph's, including four stops in the second half.
Brody recorded one save in Middlebury's victory.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's is now 1-1 all-time against Middlebury, with both meetings taking place in the NCAA Tournament. The Monks defeated the Panthers, 2-1, in the opening round in 2018.
Making its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2021, Saint Joseph's is now 2-6-2 in national tournament play.
