MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The visiting Trinity College Bantams fell short in a tightly-contested women's soccer battle against the Middlebury College Panthers in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's soccer action this afternoon on Dragone Field.  Trinity, ranked No. 21 in the nation, falls to 5-1-6 overall and 2-1-4 in the NESCAC and the Panthers are now 10-3 overall and 5-3 in the league.  The Bantam host No. 11-ranked MIT on Monday at 7 p.m.  

Middlebury women's soccer team scored the game's only goal in the 7th minute when Ellie Bavier sent a corner kick into the box, and a Bantam defender deflected the ball to Joely Virzi who one-timed the rebound into the lower left corner.  The Bantams almost equalized just a minute into the second half, but senior Hannah Storuzuk (Tolland, Conn.) had her shot hit the left pipe and Middlebury goalie Sydney Poppinga corralled the rebound off the post.  Trinity's final quality chance to knot the game came just minutes later when junior tri-captain midfielder Cassie Lee (Newton, Mass.) volleyed a corner kick. The ball looked to cross the goal line, but the official waved it off.  Trinity junior goalie Mariana Cournoyer (St. Paul, Minn.) had six saves and Poppinga had five.