Middlesex was well prepared for Thayer after two strong days of practice on Saturday amidst the support of Parents Weekend. Middlesex came out flying possessing and challenging Thayer's backline and gusty goaltender from the opening kickoff. Shannon Wing '17 was exceptional shutting down Thayer's primary player and allowing the rest of the team to execute its game plan. Ellery Winkler '19 got onto the scoreboard within the opening 8 minutes after chasing down a rebound on the endline to put it past the Thayer keeper. Middlesex continued to press offensively and worked to move the ball quickly across the field to Thayer's weak side. As a result, the Zebras were able to come up with another team goal by Ellery Winkler '19 with a remarkable assist by Maddie MacMaster '18. Caroline Price '16 was strong in net and came up big with several saves and defensive clears in the first half to secure a shut out. Middlesex was up by two heading into halftime.

Thayer came out determined at the start of the second half and put Middlesex back on its heels a bit. The Zebras gave up their first goal after failing to clear the ball out after a corner kick. But Middlesex dug in and secured most of the possession in the second half. Middlesex got its third goal after Maddie MacMaster '18 cut a crossed ball back out to the top of the 18 where Lucy Reece '17 expertly passed the ball back into the net far post. But Thayer was resilient and they quickly countered with a ball into their top player who laid it off to a teammate through the Zebra back line. Middlesex collided with Thayer inside the 18 as they worked to thwart a breakaway shot on Caroline Price '18. Thayer was awarded a penalty kick and got onto the scoreboard for a second time as a result. With four minutes left, Middlesex worked to secure possession with tough running up top by Lucie Guildehaus '18, and solid defensive work by Kiara Wahnschafft '17, Caroline Hughes '18, Maddie MacMaster 18, Corina Kotidis '18, Mari Herrema '16, Mary Demoulas '16, and Caroline Reynolds '17 in the backfield. Caroline Price '17 came up big again with an outstanding save in these final minutes, aggressively coming off her line to challenge Thayer's top player in what was their final offensive opportunity of the game. Middlesex, as a result, held onto the lead and the win. The Zebras will get back to work on Monday to prepare for another tough battle with Exeter on Wednesday November  4th at 2:45 at home.