MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The No. 6 nationally ranked Middlebury Panthers took the early lead and blanked the Bates men's soccer team by a final score of 3-0 Saturday afternoon in NESCAC action. 
 
Middlebury (7-2, 4-2 NESCAC) wasted little time out of the gates, scoring just 1:25 into the contest. A corner kick from Jordan Saint-Louis bounced around inside the box, before Brendan Barry used his body to push the ball into the net for the 1-0 edge. Bates (6-4, 3-3 NESCAC) almost tallied the equalizer with 7:07 expired. First-year Sam Assantha (Manchester, N.H.) dribbled the ball to the top of the 18, before rifling a shot that just hit the right post and ricocheted out of bounds. 
 
Out of the intermission, the Panthers doubled their lead at the 55:15 mark with another goal from Barry. Aidan Pape volleyed a loose ball to Barry on the left post, before Barry headed the pass just underneath the crossbar to make it 2-0. Middlebury added an insurance goal just under three minutes later, Saint-Louis carried the ball into the box, forcing Bates goaltender Bruce David (Pittsburgh, Pa.) off his line, before ripping a shot into the far corner for the 3-0 final. 
 
The Panthers held a 14-10 edge in shots and a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks. Ryan Grady made two saves to earn his sixth shutout of the year, while David made one stop during the contest.

Bates is back in action Sunday when the Bobcats visit No. 13 Amherst at 3pm.