Middlesex hit the road for a crosstown derby match with Concord Academy and showed significant growth and tactical improvement in gaining a well-deserved 2-0 victory.  Concord were anchored by a phenomenal performance in the net by sophomore goalkeeper Nate Drew, who finished the day with 13 saves.  They also posed a threat on the counterattack, particularly through the physical presence and speed of senior captain Jason Seeger.  The Concord Academy backline proved resilient and organized, but the story of the day was the relentless pressure collectively applied by the visitors.  Middlesex connected over half of their passes for the match in the attacking third, took 28 total shots-15 of which were on frame, and earned 12 corner kicks.  The surging tide of pressure started from the back, with Gavin Garrity-Rokous and Justin Krayer allowing only one Concord Academy shot attempt, and the Middlesex keepers Zach Suazo and Kenyon Pelletier did not have a save to make throughout the match. 
 
Middlesex scored their first goal in the 13th minute from a corner kick, as the ball found its way to Reed Foster and then sophomore Josh Quirk pounced on the loose ball for an instinctive left-footed finish.  In the 62nd minute, James Sanderson fed Quirk behind the Concord backline for a tempting service across the face of goal that was met by a one-time strike from Jacob Charles that produced the save of the match from Nate Drew.  However, Quirk collected the rebound, cut past the onrushing defender and unselfishly fed James Sanderson on the edge of the six for the calmest of finishes to seal the three points.  Liam Sloan left his mark on the match as he controlled the midfield and created several scoring chances for Middlesex.  Haydn Herrema and Justin D'Alessandro were excellent in linking defense to attack for Middlesex, and helped apply the constant pressure to control the match.  The performance is a solid platform upon which to embark on the ISL fixture list, which begins at home to St. Mark's on Saturday the 24th. Kick-off is set for 2:30PM.