Edition IV: March 23, 2004
Sports Covered:
Women's Hockey
Men's Hockey
Men's Swimming
Men's Lacrosse
Women's Lacrosse
WOMEN’S HOCKEY WINS NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Middlebury won its first NCAA Championship with a 2-1 win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Kenyon Arena. The “national title” is the third for Middlebury after capturing the AWCHA (American Women’s College Hockey Alliance) National Championships in ’00 and ’01, before the NCAA sponsored its inaugural tournament in ’02. This marks the 20th national championship for Middlebury College since ’95, including the men’s title won the same night.
Wisconsin-Stevens Point jumped on the board first with a tally at the 2:36 mark. Jackie Schmitt made a cross-crease pass to Ashley Howe who one-timed a quick shot into the net. Middlebury answered just 1:57 later as first-year player Emily McNamara (N. Hampton, N.H.) made a cross-ice pass from the corner to senior Jean Butler (W. Hartford, Conn.) on the doorstep for the one-timer. The Panthers took a 2-1 lead at 15:32 as sophomore Liz Yale-Loehr (Ithaca, N.Y.) put in a rebound from the right crease area after a shot from the left circle by Butler was saved by Amy Statz.
A scoreless second period saw both team have opportunities to score, but Statz and Middlebury’s sophomore Kate Kogut (Springfield, Mass.) were equal to the task. Middlebury out shot UWSP 11-10 in the period and held a 24-12 advantage after two periods.
The third period looked much like the second, with both teams having some chances to score. Although the Pointers were only able to muster up three shots in the period, they were all good opportunities to tie the game. Middlebury had solid pressure late in the game, not allowing Statz to leave the net until there were only seven seconds left in the contest. Kogut ended the night with 14 saves, while Statz made 32.
“I’m proud of our team, they played hard and to the best of their abilities,” said UWSP head coach Brian Idalski. “Middlebury is a very good team, they play a system we’re not used to, but we left it all out on the ice.”
“This was a great win, and a great day for our program,” said Middlebury head coach Bill Mandigo. “After the first period, we kept the pressure on, but their goaltender was outstanding. They are a very disciplined and well-coached team.”
“Hardwork, determination and discipline are what got us here. We came together as a team, no individuals, just one team,” said captain Jean Butler.
When asked about the Middlebury hockey programs winning two titles in one night, Mandigo gleamed. “What a great day for the Middlebury hockey program and Middlebury College.”
In the semifinal game, Kogut made 27 saves to lead Middlebury to a 2-1 win over Plattsburgh in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship.
Plattsburgh had a nice chance to score just 2:00 minutes into the game, but Elizabeth Gibson’s shot was snared with a glove save by Middlebury’s Kogut. Middlebury had two great chances to score during the 12:00 mark on the power play, but Carolyn Roy made point-blank saves on rookie Abby Kurtz-Phelan (Denver, Colo.) and first-year player Shannon Sylvester (Randolph, N.J.).
Middlebury took a 1-0 lead 8:04 into the second period when Kurtz-Phelan backhanded a shot into the net from the slot after a feed from junior Lorna Gifis (Princeton, N.J.). The assist was the 100th point of Gifis’ career.
Plattsburgh continued to battle for the equalizer in the third period, but Kogut was very impressive, including a huge stop on Jenn Clarke at the 8:30 mark. The Panthers took a 2-0 lead at 10:38 when McNamara found a breaking Gifis who converted the breakaway with a fake left before sliding it into the right side of the net. The Cardinals cut the lead in half at 15:13 as Clarke picked up a loose puck and snapped a shot under the arm of Kogut that fell into the net after a partial save. The Cardinals kept up the pressure in the final five minutes, but Kogut was impressive as she turned away 27 of 28 shots on the night.
“Plattsburgh outplayed us in the third and much of the game, but Kate Kogut was the difference, as she has been for the last several games. She’s in a zone,” said Middlebury coach Bill Mandigo.
“I’ve waited three years to get to this point,” said Gifis, “I can’t wait to play for a championship, we’re all very excited.”
Plattsburgh coach Kevin Houle said, “It was a great game, we played unbelievably well, for two periods we carried the play. It was a typical Middlebury/Plattsburgh game, but I thought we deserved to win.”
This was the third one-goal game between the schools this season, with Middlebury picking up a pair of 3-2 wins during the regular season.
The following players were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team: Jenn Clarke (Plattsburgh), Lorna Gifis (Middlebury), Ann Ninnemann (UWSP), Jean Butler (Middlebury), Rose Babst (Middlebury) and Amy Statz (UWSP).
• Women’s hockey final record: 24-4
MEN’S HOCKEY WINS SIXTH NCAA TITLE
The Panther men’s hockey team capped an amazing season by winning its sixth NCAA Championship. Middlebury has won more championships and more NCAA Tournament games than any other team in Division III Men’s Hockey Championship history. The 27 wins this season are also a school record.
It was a fitting way for the National Player of the Year to cap his career, as senior Kevin Cooper (Mississauga, Ont.) knocked home the rebound of junior Brian Phinney’s (Ripton, Vt.) shot 2:58 into overtime, giving the Panthers the 2004 NCAA Division III National Championship with a 1-0 win over St. Norbert College.
"I think it’s prophetic that we played overtime again," said Panthers coach Bill Beaney, who guided the team to their sixth NCAA title, and their first since their streak of five straight was snapped after the 1999 season, when they last won a national title, on the same sheet of ice at Norwich University's Kreitzberg Arena.
Middlebury and St. Norbert traded body-blow for body-blow in a fast paced, hard-hitting game that saw the Panthers out-shoot the Green Knights, 33-29. Senior Marc Scheuer (Pt. Claire, Que.) was tough, stopping Faron Duthie's blast from the left face-off slot, and then stoning Connor Hughes blast seconds later on the ensuing face-off during the third period.
"Marc has been the backbone of our team throughout the playoff run," said Middlebury captain John Dawson. "He may be small, but he's quick, and he gets every puck."
"It's a tribute to our group that they persevered," said Beaney. "It didn't come easy tonight, and everyone knows it certainly didn't come without an awful lot of work last night. We had two things that you need to win hockey games, great, great, great goaltending and opportunistic scoring and guys who believed."
"In a 0-0 game it’s gonna be a bounce this way or that, and it bounced for me," said Cooper. "They have been bouncing for me a little bit this year."
Senior Mike Kennedy (Darien, Conn.) shipped the puck to Phinney, whose shot from the left side bounced directly to Cooper, who had a wide open right side of the net into which to score the game-winner, which was the 99th goal of his career.
"Our guys from the freshman up are great," said Cooper. "They put everything into this. We cared for each other, and had the trust, the respect that we have been talking about the entire year. It's an unbelievable experience."
Another chapter was added to the Middlebury/Norwich rivalry with an epic semifinals game. Junior Levi Doria (Ripton, Vt.) scored the game-winner 7:17 into the second overtime to lift Middlebury to a 3-2 win over Norwich. Doria wristed the game-winner over Norwich goalie Kevin Schieve's right shoulder from the left face-off circle off, after a perfect pass from senior John Dawson (New Canaan, Conn.).
Kurtis McLean staked Norwich to a 1-0 lead just 15 seconds into the game, lifting a backhander past Scheuer on a feed from Mario Chinelli. Andrew Senesi scored his second of the tourney and the Cadets' second of the game on a breakaway off a feed from Phil Aucoin at 11:22 of the first period.
First-year player John Sales (Chatham, Ill.) tallied on a backhander for Middlebury in a scramble in front of the net at 15:07 of the second period to cut the Cadets' lead to 2-1. Cooper tied the game with a redirection of Phinney's shot at 14:13 of the third period to force the extra sessions. Scheuer made 44 saves for the Panthers, while Schieve stopped 42 shots for the Cadets.
• Men’s hockey final record: 27-3
MEN’S SWIMMERS COMPETE AT NCAA’S
Three members of the Middlebury College swimming and diving team had top finishes for the Panthers at last weekend’s NCAA Championship meet.
Sophomore Rob Hillas (Princeton, N.J.) finished 14th overall on the 1,650 free with a time of 16:05.58, setting a new varsity record and earning honorable mention All-American status. In the 500 free, Hillas also set a varsity record with a time of 4:42.27 in the 500 free, placing him 29th overall.
In the three-meter diving competition, sophomore Tristram Arscott (Atherton, Calif.) came in 16th with 340.50 points, earning honorable mention All-American status.
• end of season
MEN’S LACROSSE TEAM OPENS 3-0
The Panther men’s lacrosse team is off to a solid 3-0 start, including a nice road win at Springfield sandwiched between a pair of wins on Kohn Field.
Second-ranked Middlebury opened its season with a 12-5 win over Colby on March 13th. Middlebury led 1-0 before a pair of goals from junior Jamie Duke (Englewood, Colo.) and senior Bob Wannop (Woodstock, Vt.) gave them a 3-0 lead after one. The Panthers scored three in the second quarter to take a 6-1 advantage into the halftime break. Leading 8-2 late in the quarter, Middlebury’s rookie Nick Bastis (Old Greenwich, Conn.) and senior Mike Saraceni (N. Syracuse, N.Y.) scored to give the Panthers a 10-2 lead heading into the final quarter. Middlebury would score twice more with Colby netting three goals in the final 7:14 to make it a 12-5 final. Senior Charley Howe (Darien, Conn.) led the Panthers with four goals and two assists, while Saraceni netted a pair of goals. Senior Krieger (Princeton, N.J.) made 10 saves for Middlebury.
Junior Mark Foster (Denver, Colo.) exploded for six goals as Middlebury earned a tough 12-10 road win at Springfield. The Panthers led 4-0 after one and 7-2 at the half. The Pride outscored Middlebury 6-2 in the third quarter to cut the lead to 9-8. The teams exchanged five fourth quarter goals as the Panthers held on for the win. Howe added a pair of goals for Middlebury, while Krieger made 10 saves in goal.
The Panthers exploded for a dozen second quarter goals after leading 6-0 after one quarter against N.E.C. Howe led the attack with four goals, while N. Bastis and Saraceni had two goals and two assists apiece. In all, 18 players had a goal or an assist for Middlebury. Four netminders combined to make six saves in goal for the Panthers.
• Men’s lacrosse record: 3-0
• Up next: 3/24 @ Gettysburg, 3/27 @ Conn. College
WOMEN’S LACROSSE TEAM OFF TO 2-0 START
The Middlebury College women’s lacrosse team opened its season with a pair of wins on the road over NESCAC opponents.
The Panthers opened their season with an 8-3 win over Colby in a game played on the turf at Bates. Senior Nuala O'Donohoe (Needham, Mass.) scored three goals and assisted on a another, while sophomores Michele Bergofsky (Exeter, N.H.) and Alison Perencevich (Concord, N.H.) added two goals and one assist apiece. Senior Sarah Grenert (Sewickley, Pa.) and junior Johanna Rosenfield (Brunswick, Maine) combined to make 10 saves in goal.
Middlebury scored 13 unanswered goals in the first half on its way to a 17-0 win over Connecticut College in a game played at Trinity. O'Donohoe scored four goals, while sophomore Elizabeth Renehan (St. Davids, Pa.) added three in the win. First-year player Claire Edelen (Sparks, Md.) scored a goal and had two assists, while Grenert and Rosenfield combined to make fives saves in goal.
• Women’s lacrosse record: 2-0
• Up next: 3/23 vs. Salisbury at Univ. of Md., 3/27 vs. Wesleyan – 11:00
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE SPORTS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB:
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