The Middlesex boys’ varsity soccer team traveled to Braintree for Thayer’s Homecoming event on Saturday, playing the early match of a double header. 

The first half was back and forth, as the Tigers  took the initiative when their #15 was gifted a free finish from a bouncing ball in the 9^th minute to take the 1-0 lead.  The field caused Middlesex some problems in adjusting in the first half and there was difficulty in keeping the ball on the floor to play to feet.  Thayer nearly doubled their advantage in the 23^rd minute when #7 narrowly missed connecting on the back post as he drifted away from the left back’s marking.  Middlesex then knotted the score at 1-1 in the 29^th minute as their man-of-the-match, junior Stevie Gleason, was slipped through the Thayer defense from a feed by senior captain Philip Skayne to drop the ball over the onrushing keeper and into the back of the net.  In the 38^th minute Skayne just missed connecting for the lead when his shot from 20 yards went just wide of the right post.  The halftime whistle went with the score tied at 1-1 and Middlesex enjoying the Tiger's share of the possession in the midfield.  

Thayer scored within the first five minutes of the restart when their #15 again capitalized on a give away from the right side of Middlesex’s defense to beat a few lunging markers and score at the near post for the 2-1 lead.  Middlesex had a shout for a penalty denied just four minutes later as the game settled down and the quality chances minimized until freshman Gavin Tasker beat his man to the left byline and fizzed a flat ball just beyond the Thayer keeper and into the path of the weak side run from senior David Rengpraphun who stretched but just missed connecting with the tap in that would have tied the score in the 79^th minute.  The last quality chance to score came from a strong service from Gleason to the head of sophomore Julian Bishop whose glancing header fell comfortably into the arms of the Thayer keeper.  Just one minute later, in the 88^th minute, Thayer capped off the scoring when they again capitalized on a ball bouncing in the Middlesex defensive third for their #7 to finish and seal the 3-1 Homecoming victory.

Middlesex will bounce back with a few strong training sessions at the beginning of the week before taking on Nobles next Wednesday on the road.