Williamstown, MA.—The Ephs (7-6-2/ NESCAC 3-5-2) played their final regular season game on Farley-Lamb Field against the Middlebury Panthers (10-3-2/NESCAC 5-3-2), losing the match 1-0 in the second half of overtime. With 1:15 remaining in the game, Tyler Payne set the ball to Shane Farrell at the top of the box. Farrell volleyed the ball which beat the reach of Eph keeper
Ben Diffley and hit the back of the net.
Dan Rayhill started things off for the Ephs in the 8th minute when he found space in the Middlebury final third and ripped a shot from 25 yards out. The shot was tipped just outside of the left post by Panther keeper Ryan Grady .
In the 32nd minute,
Henry Osborn delivered a ball from the right wing. The cross took a deflection off a Middlebury defender and fell to
Dylan Kelemen. Kelemen let the ball bounce and hit it on the volley, forcing a catch from Ryan Grady.
2 minutes into the second half,
Felipe Gutierrez settled the ball 40 yards away from goal and dribbled past the Middlebury midfield. Gutierrez took the ball down and had a shot from 7 yards out. Grady quickly adjusted his feet to make the kick save.
In the 64th minute, Panther's Casey Lund settled the ball down from his chest off a long ball and drove at goal.
Ben Diffley came out well, closed the angle, and made the save.
Henry Osborn put a cross into the box from a corner during the 67th minute.
Nick Boardman rose above his markers and put his head on the cross and put it over the bar.
In the 78th minute, Jordan Saint-Louis played Tyler Payne through on goal and
Ben Diffley made a crucial kick save to deny the Panthers.
With 15 seconds left in the first half of overtime,
Jake Peters whipped in a cross to the back post.
Jamie Holland cocked his head back and sent a powerful header just over the crossbar.
Grady and Diffley both finished the game with 5 saves.
"Great game of soccer from both teams tonight," said Eph head coach
Steffen Siebert. "Couldn't be more proud of the performance from the guys!"
The Ephs will enter the NESCAC Tournament as the #8 seed and will be hosted by the #1 seed Connecticut College. The match will be at 12 PM on Saturday.
