After taking out Anna Maria College, 6-0, on Sunday, men’s soccer faces defending NESCAC and NCAA champion Middlebury College, the team that defeated the Jeffs last season in a heartbreaking 1-0 upset in the NESCAC finals. The Jeffs have a brilliant offense, led by senior tri-captains Jake Duker, Rory O’Connor and Nick Lynch ’09. Six of the top 10 scorers from last season have returned, and new faces will add balance.

With a comfortable 3-0 lead just four minutes into the game, the match against Anna Maria quickly became an opportunity for new players to gain experience. The Middlebury Panthers, on the other hand, will offer a much more dangerous competition. Their star goalkeeper, Brian Bush, tallying 13 shut-outs in 19 matches, was recently featured in Sports Illustrated. Baer Fisher and Stephen Hart will also be a force to contend with on offense.

The Jeffs have defeated the Panthers before, 3-1 in 2007, but the Middlebury match might well be one of the greatest challenges of their season.