Edition II: February 10, 2004

Sports Covered:

Skiing
Women's Hockey
Men's Hockey
Men's Basketball
Swimming and Diving
Women's Basketball
Women's Squash
Indoor Track

SKI TEAMS KNOCK OFF VERMONT

The Middlebury College nordic and alpine ski teams continued their sensational seasons as they captured the University of Vermont Carnival. The win marked the first time the Catamounts have lost on their own mountain in the 31-year history of their carnival.

First-year racer Lindsay Brush (Charlotte, Vt.) led the women in the GS race, placing sixth in 2:12.90, two seconds off the winning pace. Senior Laura Scripture (Harrisonburg, Va.) finished seventh (2:13.69), while first-year skier Tara Martin (Lyndonville, Vt.) came in 11th (2:16.15). Scripture had an impressive second place finish in the slalom, losing the race by just .10 seconds (1:38.41). Senior Brie Pike-Sprenger (West Dover, Vt.) came in 11th (1:42.87), while Martin placed 12th (1:43.48).

The men's GS race was shortened to one run due to mountain conditions, but that did not affect the Panthers as they placed racers in third, fifth and seventh places. Junior John Rusten (Federal Way, Wash.) led the pack in third place with a time of 1:01.28, .35 seconds off the winning time. Finishing fifth in the race was junior Peter Phillips (New York, N.Y.) in 1:02.07, while senior Eric Rygg (Belvedere, Calif.) came in seventh with a time of 1:02.38. In the slalom race, Rusten came in third overall in 1:31.72, one second off the winning time. Senior Fred Emich (Littleton, Colo.) came in seventh (1:32.63), while Rygg placed 13th in 1:34.31.

Senior Kate Newick (Canterbury, N.H.) led the Panthers in the 5K classical race with a second place finish in 19:03, three seconds off the winning pace. Senior Kate Whitcomb (Worthington, Mass.) came in fourth (19:19), followed by first-year racer Virginia Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) in eighth (19:34). Newick, Whitcomb and sophomore Claire Anderson (Whitefish, Mont.) won the 3x5 relay race with a combined time of 53:17.

The men's team was paced by a third place finish by sophomore Garrott Kuzzy (Minneapolis, Minn.). His time of 33:59 was 22 seconds off the winning pace in the 10K race. Senior Marshall Greene (Spokane, Wash.) placed seventh (35:27), while sophomore Jake Whitcomb (Worthington, Mass.) came in 14th (35:53).

* Ski team wins UVM Carnival

* Up next: 2/13-14 @ Dartmouth Carnival

WOMEN'S HOCKEY MAKES IT SIX STRAIGHT

The Panther women's hockey team earned three more wins last week as they won three road games, including a pair of NESCAC wins.

The week began with the team's second 3-2 win over Plattsburgh, this one coming in New York. Trailing 1-0, sophomore Hannah DeLong (Hillandale, New Brunswick) put the Panthers on the board at 4:44 of the second period. Goals from junior Lorna Gifis (Princeton, N.J.) and first-year player Emily McNamara (N. Hampton, N.H.) gave Middlebury a 3-1 lead 11:45 into the third period. The Cardinals cut it to 3-2 at 13:36, but that's as close as they'd come. Senior Kati Madouros (White Plains, N.Y.) made 22 saves in goal.

At Wesleyan, Gifis scored a pair of goals as the Panthers tallied five in the first period on their way to a 9-0 win. McNamara and sophomore Emily Quizon (Chino Hills, Calif.) each had three assists apiece in the win. Madouros made seven saves in goal for the win.

Middlebury led 3-0 at Trinity before exploding for five third period goals in the 8-0 win. Junior Allison Liati (Tenafly, N.J.) scored two goals in the win as Middlebury out shot Trinity, 65-12. McNamara collected a goal and an assist, while senior Molly Turco (Norwich, Vt.) dished out three assists. Sophomore Kate Kogut (Springfield, Mass.) made a dozen stops in goal for the shutout.

* Women's hockey record: 16-3

* Up next: 2/13 @ Colby, 2/14 @ Bowdoin

MEN'S HOCKEY EXTENDS WINNING STREAK TO EIGHT

The Middlebury College men's hockey team won two more NESCAC games last week, extending its lead in the NESCAC standing to four points over Bowdoin. Friday night's contest with Amherst was moved to Sunday afternoon due to poor weather conditions.

Middlebury won its seventh straight game as they picked up a 3-1 win over Hamilton at the Kenyon Arena. First-year player Brett Shirreffs (Etna, N.H.) opened the scoring at the 18:07 mark of the first period with a power play goal. First-year player Evgeny Saidachev (Gig Harbor, Wash.) made it a 2-0 game with 1:53 left in the second period, while senior Kevin Cooper (Mississauga, Ont.) gave the Panthers some breathing room midway through the third as he scored from just outside the crease. Senior Marc Scheuer (Pt. Claire, Que.) made nine saves in goal.

Middlebury scored three first period goals on its way to a 7-2 win over Amherst. Cooper, senior John Dawson (New Canaan, Conn.) and junior Brian Phinney (Ripton, Vt.) each scored two goals in the win. Dawson opened the scoring at 7:38 as he scored a power play goal on a wrap-around. Amherst tied the game on a rebound before Cooper made it a 2-1 game with a shot down low on the power play. Dawson increased the lead to 3-1 with a penalty shot just 19 seconds later after the net was intentionally knocked off its moorings. Cooper gave the Panthers a 4-1 lead just 2:04 into the second period as he ripped home a slap shot from the right wing after senior Adam Foote (New Hartford, N.Y.) won the face-off back to him. Phinney struck just 20 seconds into the third period as he took a feed from Cooper in the corner before converting. The duo combined again at 7:22 as Phinney snapped in a shot from the high slot. Sophomore Shady Young (Bethlehem, Pa.) added a goal at 11:57 before the Jeffs scored late to make it a 7-2 final. Scheuer made 13 saves in goal.

* Men's hockey record: 17-2

* Up next: 2/10 vs. Skidmore - 7:00, 2/13 @ Wesleyan, 2/14 @ Trinity

MEN'S BASKETBALL SPLITS A PAIR OF NESCAC GAMES

The Panther men's basketball team had a 1-1 week at the Pepin Gym as they fell to Wesleyan before defeating Connecticut College.

Wesleyan went on a 10-1 run at the 6:47 mark of the second half to take a 71-69 lead on its way to an 83-81 win at Middlebury. The Panthers led 20-6 early in the first half, but the Cardinals slowly cut the lead, eventually holding a one-point halftime lead. Middlebury took a 63-56 lead in the second half, before the decisive Wesleyan run. Senior John Donnelly (Roswell, Ga.) led Middlebury with 22 points, while first-year player Bobby Marcoux (Campbell Hall, N.Y.) added 18.

Middlebury won its final game of the season in the Pepin Gym by handing Connecticut College a 92-64 loss. The Panthers used a 10-2 first half run and opened the second half on an 8-0 run en route to the win. Middlebury led by as many as 32 in the second half before coming away with the 28-point win. Junior Clark Read (Pepper Pike, Ohio) led the team with 20 points on eight of ten shooting, while junior Mike Salek (Fairfield, Conn.) scored 15 and junior Adam Sinoway (Harrisburg, Pa.) added 13.

* Men's basketball record: 12-8

* Up next: 2/10 @ Skidmore, 2/13 @ Tufts, 2/14 @ Bates

SWIM TEAMS HOST INVITATIONAL, FALL TO DARTMOUTH

The Middlebury College swimming and diving teams were in action twice last week as they both lost to Dartmouth before hosting the Middlebury Invitational. 

Middlebury won two events as they were handed a 124-97 loss by Division I  Dartmouth. Sophomore Alex Demas (Norwich, Vt.) won the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.90, while the 200 free relay team of junior David Hawkins (Arlington, Va.), junior Jason Korsmeyer (Weston, Mass.), first-year swimmer John Rayburn (Washington, D.C.) and senior Matt Clark (Woolwich, Maine), won the event in 1:29.20.

Four Middlebury women won events as they fell to Division I Dartmouth, 125-110. Senior Lizzy DeWitt (Madison, Wis.) won the 100 back (1:00.78), senior Sarah Groff (Cooperstown, N.Y.) won the 500 free (5:14.95), senior Taylor Bolz (San Antonio, Texas) was a victor in the 100 breaststroke (1:10.65), while junior Tessa Truex (Wethersfield, Conn.) won the 3-meter diving competition (206.6 points).

At the Invitational, Bolz set the women's pool record with a time of 32.21 in the 50 breaststroke. Dewitt won the 100 backstroke in 1:01.61 and the 200 IM in 2:15.39, sophomore McKenna Moreau (Canton, N.Y.) won the 200 back in 2:11.11, while Groff won the 500 free (5:17.12). In the 100 fly, first-year swimmer Jennifer Guest (Washington, D.C.) was a victor in 1:02.27, while senior Molly Callahan (Sacramento, Calif.) won the three-meter diving competition with 224.78 points.

The men's team won several events on the day, as sophomore Tristram Arscott (Atherton, Calif.) won both diving competitions. He scored 280.13 points in the one-meter and 250.58 in the three-meter event. Other winners on the day include senior Andrew Kimball (Winchester, Mass.) in the 200 fly (2:11.20), first-year swimmer Zachary Maxwell (New York, N.Y.) in the 50 free (21.76) and rookie Robert Collier (Catonsville, Md.) in the 200 back (1:56.96). Also winning were sophomore Alex Demas (Norwich, Vt.) in the 100 fly (54.67) and sophomore Robert Hillas (Princeton, N.J.) in the 200 IM (2:07.41)

* Women's swim record: 5-3, men's swim record: 5-3

* Up next: 2/20-22 @ NESCAC Champ. (women at Wesleyan)

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL IN GOOD SHAPE FOR NESCAC BID

The Panther women's basketball team won one of two NESCAC road games last weekend, putting them in a good position to earn a bid to the upcoming NESCAC Tournament.

The week began with an 80-60 non-league loss at Hamilton. The Continentals jumped out to a 25-9 lead on their way to the win. Despite shooting just .303 from the floor, the Panthers cut the lead to 15 in the second half. Sophomore Kate Fehsenfeld (Zionsville, Ind.) led the team with 15 points, while junior Alexis Hollinger (New London, N.H.) added 12 points and 11 rebounds

Wesleyan jumped out to a 13-point halftime lead and never looked back as they picked up a 70-57 win over Middlebury. The Cardinals were hot from the floor, shooting 50 percent on the night. Hollinger led Middleburywith 17 points and 11 boards, while Fehsenfeld added 16 points.

Middlebury shot .613 from the floor in the second half on its way to an 80-58 win at Connecticut College. The Panthers held a double-digit lead for a majority of the second half, including a game-high 25-point lead. Hollinger led Middlebury with 19 points and a dozen boards, while Fehsenfeldand junior Elyse Carlson (Braintree, Mass.) added 14 points apiece

* Women's basketball record: 11-9

* Up next: 2/13 vs. Tufts - 7:30, 2/14 vs. Bates - 3:00

WOMEN'S SQUASH WINS THREE OF FOUR

Playing its first home match in several years, the Middlebury College women's squash team suffered a very hard-fought and tight battle with Vassar, 5-4. First-year player Hannah Baker (New York, N.Y.) won at #1, junior Beth Seeley (Wayland, Mass.) won from the fourth spot, while junior Lauren Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was a victor at #7 and junior Kea Anstey(Prides Crossing, Mass.) at #9.

* Women's squash record: 7-5

* Up next: 2/20-22 @ Howe Cup (Yale)

INDOOR TRACK COMPETES DARTMOUTH

The Panther indoor track team was+ in action last week as theycompeted at Dartmouth against several Division I schools.

Four men had top five finishes on the day, as sophomore Kevin Bright(Sharon, Mass.) finished third in the 400 meters (50.81), while Nick Digani(Northfield, Ill.) did the same in the 1000 meters (2:33.08). Finishingfourth in the 3000 meters (8:59.87) was junior Jon Erwin (Rumson, N.J.),while rookie Chris Pelliccia (Auburn, Maine) came in fifth in the 800 meters (2:01.68).

On the women's side, senior Jessica Kosciewicz (Plaistow, N.H.) wasthe top finisher, coming in fifth in the 60 meters (8.40). Senior MaryannePorter (W. Roxbury, Mass.) also had a solid finish, placing sixth in the 400meters (1:01.33)

* Teams compete at Dartmouth

* Up next: 2/14 @ Wesleyan

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE SPORTS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: www.gomidd.com