MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (November 17, 2019)  – An own goal in the 75th minute proved to be the difference as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's soccer team defeated Middlebury College 2-1 Sunday in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship played on a frigid South Street Field.

Sophomore Gianna Nitti broke through in the third minute for the Ducks, who won their 15th straight to improve to 17-3-1 and advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history and first since 2015. The 15 consecutive victories set a new program record, breaking the previous mark of 14 set in 2005 and matched last season.

Olivia Miller had the lone marker for the hosting Panthers, who fell to 14-3-3. The victory snapped Middlebury's 23-match winning streak in the friendly confines of its home field. The Ducks earned their first victory over the Panthers and reversed the outcome of the 2016 regional final that saw the Panthers edge the Ducks 2-0 at the DeBaun Athletic Complex. Middlebury was ranked ninth in the final regular-season poll released by the United Soccer Coaches.

With the temperature 10 degrees warmer at the start of Sunday's fixture (34) than it was for Saturday's opening-round contest (24), Nitti put Stevens on the board in the third minute. The sophomore back buried a direct kick from well outside the 18-yard box that sailed into the top right corner of the net, past the outstretched arms of the Panthers' Ursula Alwang to give the Ducks the early advantage. Senior Gabby Saade broke through at the exact same time (2:45) Saturday in the Ducks' 3-0 victory over UMASS Boston.

Sophomore goalkeeper Izzy DiDario made a career-high 10 saves to earn her 13th win of the season. The Scotch Plains, New Jersey native made a pair of splendid saves 45 seconds apart late in the first half to preserve Stevens' one-goal advantage. Alwang finished with one save for the Panthers.

Once Stevens regained the lead, a staunch effort in the midfield kept possession in favor of the Ducks and Middlebury did not attempt a shot of the final 15 minutes of the match.

Turning Point

• With the teams tied in the 75th minute, the Ducks countered along the far touch line.
• Junior Emily Damrell played a cross in an attempt to find a streaking Saade in the box. 
• A Middelbury defender attempted to block the crossing attempt and stuck out her left foot. 
• The ball redirected off the defender's foot and caromed into the net to give Stevens a 2-1 lead.

Inside the Numbers

• Middlebury outshot Stevens 21-7, including a 12-4 edge in the first half. It's the fifth time this season that the Ducks didn't hold the advantage in shots. Stevens' seven shot attempts marked a season-low.
• The Ducks became the first team to register two goals against Middlebury on their home turf since Tufts scored three times in a conference victory on Oct. 8, 2016.
• Middlebury outearned Stevens 4-2 in corner kicks, although neither side earned a corner in the second half.
• Nitti had two of the Ducks' three shots on goal.
• Miller's second-half tally ended Stevens' shutout streak at 626:33 - 3:27 shy of seven matches.
• Stevens improved to 11-10-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Unsung Hero

• Sophomore Nicole Veraja thwarted Middlebury's scoring threat in the 11th minute, depossessing the Panthers' attacking forward along the edge of the 18-yard box.

From the Sidelines (Head Coach Jeff Parker)

• "Really gritty performance from our team in pretty tough conditions. Best thing about our group is that they're tough, they keep fighting and [they are] very resilient. I felt like we were in this same scenario kind of last year, up 1-0 on the road, gave up a goal and everything kind of seemed lost, and this year, we were able to find our feet and get back into it. I thought we were actually really good in the second half. I'm proud of their efforts and just a testament to this group as a whole."

From the Sidelines (Senior Julia Panko)

• "For one, I think everybody is really, really excited that we won. This is the furthest that anyone on this team has gotten [in the NCAA Tournament]. We've never been to the [Third Round] because we all came to the program after 2015 and our freshmen season, Middlebury ended our season on our home turf, so we're very excited that we were able to win today and continue our season."

From the Sidelines (Senior Gabby Saade)

• "We fought really hard til the very end, especially in the second half. Really good effort from everyone on our team today."

Up Next

• Women's Soccer advances to next weekend's Third Round and will face William Smith College. 
• It will be the second meeting between the programs. The Herons defeated the Ducks via a 6-2 decision on Aug. 31, 2013 in a neutral-site fixture played at The College of New Jersey
• William Smith defeated Utica (3-0) and Mary Washington (2-0) to reach the third round. The program was ranked second in the final regular-season poll released by the United Soccer Coaches.
• Links for live stats and video, along with site information and match time, will be posted to StevensDucks.com when available.

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