MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Wesleyan men's soccer team has earned the fifth seed for the 2021 New England Small College Athletic Conference Tournament and will travel to face the fourth-seeded Middlebury in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, October 30 at 11 AM. The Cardinals head into their matchup against the Panthers looking to avenge a 3-1 defeat in Vermont all the way back on September 11 which was just the second game of the season for both sides. Both Wesleyan and Middlebury finished with identical 5-3-2 records in NESCAC play this season but that 3-1 Panther win earned Middlebury the tiebreaker and the right to host the quarterfinal match.
Quarterfinal round action begins on Saturday on the campuses of the higher seeds (1-4). The four quarterfinal winners will square off in the semifinal round on Saturday, November 6 at the highest remaining seed. The championship match is set for Sunday, November 7 at the site of the semifinal matches.
Game Preview
#5 Wesleyan Cardinals
2021 Record: 10-3-2 (17 pts. / 5-3-2 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 18 (2nd consecutive)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 2 (last: 2015)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2005)
Notes: Wesleyan is the No. 5 seed for the first time since 2014 and will travel to No. 4 Middlebury … The Cardinals are 0-3-2 against the Panthers in the NESCAC Tournament, including a 0-0 draw in the 2015 semifinals that resulted in Wesleyan advancing to the championship match via a penalty kick shootout … The Cardinals are in the field for the second straight year and looking for their first quarterfinal victory since 2015 when they advanced to the championship game … Wesleyan is 9-1-1 in its last 11 games and enters the tournament having won five of its last six matches.
#4 Middlebury Panthers
2021 Record: 10-3-2 (17 pts. / 5-3-2 NESCAC)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 21
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 10 (last: 2019)
NESCAC Titles Won: 3 (last: 2010)
Notes: 2019 NESCAC Runner-Up … Middlebury is the No. 4 seed for the first time since 2014 and will host No. 5 Wesleyan … Middlebury is 3-0-2 versus Wesleyan in the NESCAC Tournament, including a 0-0 draw in the 2015 semifinals that resulted in the Cardinals advancing via penalty kicks … The Panthers have qualified for every NESCAC Championship and have advanced to the semifinal round five times in six years, including the last time the NESCAC Championship was held in 2019.
