Courtesy Wesleyan Sports Information

Box Score

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Sixth-seeded Middlebury used a pair of late second-half goals to take a 2-0 victory over top-seeded Wesleyan in the semifinals of the 2009 NESCAC Men’s Soccer Championship Saturday afternoon at Jackson Field. Middlebury advances to the championship game for the third straight season and will take on Williams in the finals Sunday at Wesleyan. The Ephs were a 2-0 winner over Bowdoin in the late semifinal.

With the win, Middlebury improved to 10-4-2 and extended its winning streak to four games. The loss snapped Wesleyan’s school-record 15-game unbeaten streak, as the Cardinals now stand at 11-1-4 on the season.

After a scoreless 78 minutes, Middlebury broke through with 11:04 remaining in the contest as junior defender Harrison Watkins headed a ball inside the left post for a 1-0 lead. Watkins’ header followed a low corner kick by junior defender Jake Edwards that passed otherwise untouched through the goal mouth. The goal, Watkins’ fifth of the season to lead the Panthers, was the first given up by Wesleyan since a 3-2 victory over Western Connecticut State on Oct. 14. The Cardinals had posted five straight shutouts since. Wesleyan freshman goalie Adam Purdy’s had his string of scoreless minutes snapped at 570:40 over a seven-game span.

Middlebury pushed its lead to 2-0 three minutes later, as sophomore forward Tyler Macnee netted an unassisted tally with 8:07 to play. Macnee ran in all alone and sent a shot toward the left side of the goal. Purdy got a hand on the ball but was unable to deflect it out of bounds. Macnee ranks second on Middlebury with four goals and is tied with Watkins as the team’s leading scorer with ten points.

Wesleyan had a chance to take a 1-0 lead early in the first half, as senior defender Jory Kahan headed a shot towards an open net from the right side of the box. However, Middlebury senior defender Nolan Lincoln stepped in to block the shot and keep the game scoreless.

Purdy made seven saves in the Wesleyan net, including a key save at the time in the 68th minute. Middlebury freshman forward Adam Batista fired a shot from the left side on a two-man rush, but Purdy leapt to his right and knocked the ball away. The rebound went to freshman forward Ethan Galiette, whose shot went just wide of the mark.

Middlebury sophomore keeper Tim Cahill needed to make only one save for his sixth shutout, as Wesleyan put just two of its eight shots on net, both of which came in the first half.