For Release: January 29, 2007
WOMEN’S SQUASH HAS 5-0 WEEK
The Middlebury College women’s squash team had an impressive week as the Panthers went 5-0, with four wins coming at the Amherst Invitational. Middlebury lost just five games all weekend, cruising to victories. The Panthers are now ranked 14th in the latest national poll.
On day one at Amherst, Middlebury defeated Amherst 6-3 and Smith 9-0. The next day, the Panthers were 8-1 winners over Tufts and 9-0 victors over Wesleyan. Middlebury then returned home to defeat Vassar 8-1 on Sunday.
Senior Hannah Baker (New York, N.Y.) moved to 12-1 on the season as she had a 5-0 week to pace the team in the number one singles slot. Also going 5-0 on the week were seniors Katherine Hawkins (Memphis, Tenn.) and Kara Zarchin (Oakton, Va.), junior Ellie Buechner (Newport, R.I.) and first-year player Brooke Beatt (W. Hartford, Conn.).
Earning 4-1 marks were sophomore Caroline Woodworth (Princeton, N.J.), senior Sarah Hatfield (Barrington, R.I.) and first-year player Elisabeth McMorris (New York, N.Y.). Sporting a 3-2 record was sophomore Avery Tilney (Philadelphia, Pa.).
• Women’s squash record: 9-4
• Up next: 2/3-4 – NESCAC Tournament at Trinity
SWIM TEAMS BATTLE WILLIAMS
The Panther swimming and diving teams earned a split with Williams as the two teams battled in Vermont on Saturday. The Panther women earned their first-ever win over Williams 161-139, while the men fell 170-126.
Junior Marika Ross (Shorewood, Wis.) led the women to victory, capturing four events and making three NCAA "B" cuts. Ross won the 200 free (1:54.37), 100 free (53.30) and the 100 fly (57.83) and was a part of the 200 medley relay team. The team finished with a time of 1:50.21 and was comprised of Ross, junior Katie Chambers (Annapolis, Md.), senior Barbara Van der Veer (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and sophomore Catherine Suppan (Burlington, Vt.).
Chambers won a pair of events on the day, capturing the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.82 and the 200 breaststroke in 2:27.35. Her time in the 200 breaststroke is currently the fastest time in the NESCAC this season. First-year racer Katie Soja (Sudbury, Mass.) won the 500 free (5:09.11 and the 1,650 free (17:42.60), while junior Alanna Hanson (Golden Bridge, N.Y.) won both the one-meter (270.08) and three-meter (259.13) diving competitions.
The 200 medley relay team of sophomore Zach Woods (Monroe, N.Y.), and seniors Rob Collier (Catonsville, Md.), John Rayburn (Washington, D.C.) and Tim Lux (Sandy Hook, Conn.) won the event and set a new pool record with a time of 1:35.97. Rayburn, sophomore Kevin O’Rourke (Chagrin Falls, Ohio), first-year racer Schuyler Beeman (Guilford, Conn.) and junior Jake Pepper (Barrington, Ill.) comprised the 200 free relay that did the same, with a time of 1:26.31.
Woods won a pair of individual events, capturing the 100 backstroke (52.55) and 200 backstroke (1:54.23). In addition to being a part of winning relay teams, Lux won the 100 breaststroke (59.57), while Beeman captured the 50 free (21.74).
• Women’s swim record: 6-1, men’s swim record: 6-1
• Up next: 2/3 @ M.I.T. Invit.
WOMEN’S HOCKEY WINS A PAIR OF NESCAC GAMES
The Middlebury College women's hockey team won a pair of big NESCAC contests last week as they defeated Bowdoin and Colby in the Kenyon Arena.
Senior Abby Kurtz-Phelan (Denver, Colo.) took a feed from senior Shannon Sylvester (Randolph, N.J.) and converted a breakaway 3:09 into overtime to lift Middlebury to a 5-4 win over Bowdoin. The win is the fifth straight for the Panthers over the Polar Bears.
Bowdoin came out strong with several good chances to score early. Middlebury’s first-year netminder Lani Wright (Reading, Mass.) made a pair of good saves on Meghan Gillis and Caroline Currie in the game’s first five minutes. Later in the period, the Polar Bears had a five-on-three power play for 41 seconds, but could not break onto the scoreboard.
Bowdoin scored the game’s first goal at 16:48 as Kristen Cameron made a pair of nice moves driving to the slot. The lead doubled at 18:41 as Caroline Currie scored with a feed from Kara Kelley, as her shot trickled through the pads of Wright. Middlebury cut the lead in half with 1:01 remaining in the period as sophomore Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) scored down low. Bowdoin ended the period with a 13-5 shots advantage.
Cellino struck again just 2:30 into the second period with a power play goal, roofing a shot past Kelly Keebler from the high slot. Bowdoin regained the lead at 5:16 as Kate Leonard finished off a puck sliding across the crease. Middlebury answered to tie it at three as sophomore Randi Dumont (Greene, Maine) scored with a high backhander from the slot, just after a face-off at the 11:57 mark. The Polar Bears went on top again with just 9.5 seconds left in the period as Jayme Woogerd made a great crossing pass to Meghan Gillis, who finished with a shot to the top left corner.
Middlebury tied the game 3:05 into the third period as Sylvester’s shot from the left point deflected in off a defender’s skate in front. The Panthers had a chance to win it in regulation with a power play at 15:45, but they could not take advantage. Bowdoin had the best chance of the period with four seconds left, but Gillis’ shot on the door step was stopped with a great pad save by Wright.
Wright ended the night with 21 saves, while Keebler made 16 stops for Bowdoin.
Middlebury extended its unbeaten streak to 15 games as they picked up a 7-1 win over Colby. The Panthers scored four unanswered goals in the second period on their way to the win.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead 6:24 into the game with a power play goal. Sophomore Erika Nakamura (Boston, Mass.) scored as she backhanded a loose puck in the slot. Cellino scored the first of the four-goal run in the second period with a power play tally. Junior Lacey Farrell (Greenwich, Conn.) put home her own rebound for a shorthanded goal, before sophomore Molly Vitt (Kenilworth, Ill.) scored the next two with backhanders to the top of the net.
Colby broke up the 5-0 shutout as Colette Finley scored a power play goal on a rebound, after a shot from Amanda Comeau was saved.
Junior Tania Kenney (Toronto, Ont.) scored a power play goal, while senior Ellen Sargent (St. Albans, Vt.) scored with 1:30 remaining to make it a 7-0 final. Junior Angie Todd (Kent, Wash.) made 11 saves in goal to earn the win, while Lacey Brown and Genevieve Triganne combined to make 39 saves for the Mules.
• Women’s hockey record: 14-1-1
• Up next: 1/30 vs. Williams – 7:00, 2/2 vs. St. Anselm – 7:00
SKI TEAMS RACE AT UNH
The Middlebury College nordic and alpine ski teams finished third for the second straight week as they competed at the University of New Hampshire Carnival. Dartmouth won its second carnival, followed by Vermont, Middlebury and UNH.
In the women’s GS, junior Meghan Hughes (Killington, Vt.) led the team with a third place finish in 2:24.60. Placing ninth in the event was junior Dorothy Muirhead (Crested Butte, Colo.) in 2:25.21, while first-year racer Leah McLaughry (Norwich, Vt.) finished 12th with a time of 2:26.14. Sophomore Mattie Ford (Plymouth, N.H.) was Middlebury’s top finisher in the slalom, placing third in 1:54.31. McLaughry came in ninth (1:54.98), while senior Lindsay Brush (Charlotte, Vt.) placed 12th (1:55.84).
Junior Alec Tarberry (N. Conway, N.H.) led the men’s squad in the GS, placing third with a time of 2:18.08. Junior Richard Davisson (Bethel, Maine) was next for the Panthers, finishing eighth in 2:19.26, followed by rookie Jonathan Hunter (McAfee, N.J.) in ninth (2:19.66). Junior Clayton Reed (Stowe, Vt.) paced the men in the slalom, finishing sixth with a time of 1:38.48. Next was sophomore Andrew Wagner (Traverse City, Mich.) in eighth (1:38.88), followed by Tarberry in 12th (1:39.22).
Sophomore Cassidy Edwards (Glen Arbor, Mich.) led the women’s nordic team in the 5K freestyle race, placing fourth with a time of 19:45. Senior Jenny Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) was not far behind in sixth (19:50), while sophomore Robyn Anderson (Stowe, Vt.) came in ninth (20:04). Hamilton was the leader in the 10K classical race, placing third with a time of 35:38. Anderson finished the race in 11th (37:10), followed by Edwards in 12th (37:22).
The nordic men struggled a bit, with Simeon Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) turning in a pair of solid performances. The sophomore finished the 10k classic race in seventh place with a time of 30:44. Placing 26th was junior Matt Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) in 32:15, followed by sophomore Tim Reynolds (Bristol, Vt.) in 31st (32:33). Hamilton placed fourth in the 10k freestyle race, finishing the event with a time of 24:21. Reynolds placed 12th in the event in 25:04, followed by Johnson and junior Jimmy Ades (Shelburne, Vt.), who tied for 38th with a time of 26:17.
• Ski team places third at UNH Carnival
• Up next: 2/2-3 @ UVM Carnival
MEN’S BASKETBALL HAS 1-1 WEEK
The Panther men’s basketball team had a 1-1 week with a pair of home games. Middlebury shot .625 from the floor in the second half as the Panthers cruised to a 92-59 win over Johnson State. Middlebury held a decisive 55-31 edge on the boards, pulling down 21 offensive rebounds on the night.
Johnson State jumped out to a 6-0 lead early, but Middlebury was right back in the game with a three from senior Evan Thompson (New York, N.Y.). The Panthers took the lead at the 12:26 mark and would never trail again. The advantage stayed in single-digits until Middlebury closed the half on a 12-2 run in the final 3:51 to take a 42-25 lead at the break.
The Panthers came out firing in the second half, going on a 26-5 run to take a 68-30 lead with 12:44 remaining in the contest. The lead grew to as many as 41, with the Panthers earning the 92-59 win.
Thompson led all scorers with 27 points on 9 of 13 shooting on the night. The balanced scoring attack saw every player in uniform score, with only sophomore Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) entering double-digits with 10 points. Junior Mike Walsh (Needham, Mass.) grabbed 10 boards on the night, senior Wil Hyatt (Amesbury, Mass.) netted nine, sophomore Kyle Dudley (Scarsdale, N.Y.) scored seven, while sophomore Ben Ehrlich (Demarest, N.J.) had five points and seven boards.
With the game tied 74-74 with 5:12 left, Williams went on a 12-5 run to secure the victory 86-79 Saturday afternoon at Pepin Gym. The Panthers’ record drops to 12-6 and 2-3 in the NESCAC, while Williams improves to 10-9 and 3-2 in conference play.
There were few points scored early on, although both teams raced up and down the court at a furious pace. Middlebury held a slim advantage during the early part of the half before Williams’ Chris Rose hit one of his game-high six three-pointers to tie the game at 19 apiece with just over 10 minutes remaining. The Ephs took a 30-25 lead later in the half before the Panthers went on a 20-9 run in the final 7:26 of the half. Middlebury junior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) collected nine of his team-high 15 points during the run as the Panthers took a 45-39 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Panther lead grew to 49-41 before the Ephs tied it again at 54 with 13:35 left. Middlebury responded with a 9-2 run, taking the lead 63-56 with under 11 minutes left. With 9:24 remaining, Rose started an 11-2 Ephs comeback as he nailed another three-pointer. Williams took their first lead of the half 71-69 with just under seven minutes left, only to see Middlebury tie it on a lay-up from first-year player Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) with 6:33 remaining. The decisive 12-5 run by the Ephs saw Rose, Chris Shalvoy and Blake Schultz each score four points apiece, while the Panthers were just 2 of 11 from the field during the same span as the Ephs pulled away to win 86-79.
Middlebury was led by Harris’ 15 points as Thompson scored 11 and collected a game-high nine rebounds.
• Men’s basketball record: 12-6
• Up next: 1/30 @ Norwich, 2/2 vs. Tufts – 7:00, 2/3 vs. Bates – 3:00
INDOOR TRACK COMPETES IN CANADA
The Middlebury College indoor track teams were in action at McGill University in Montreal over the weekend. Sophomore Susanna Merrill (Frederick, Md.) and senior Beth Butler (Bronxville, N.Y.) both qualified for the Division III New England’s with impressive times in the 1,000 meters. Butler finished with a time of 3:07.34, while Merrill finished in 3:09.7.
On the men’s side, senior Pascal Losambe (S. Burlington, Vt.) placed third in the shot put (45’4”) and fifth in the 35-pound weight throw (40’7”). Junior Patrick Sedney (Underhill, Vt.) was solid in the pole vault, clearing 13’1” to place third.
• Indoor track competes at McGill
• Up next: 2/10 @ M.I.T. Invitational
MEN’S HOCKEY HAS 1-0-1 WEEK
The Panther men’s hockey team picked up three league points over the weekend as they earned an overtime win and a tie in the Kenyon Arena.
Eric LaFreniere (St. Anne, Manitoba) scored the game-winner 6:22 into the third period as Middlebury came from 3-1 down to pick up a 4-3 win over Trinity. The senior snapped a shot from the left face-off circle that slid just inside the left post.
Middlebury took a 1-0 lead 12:38 into the game as senior Brett Shirreffs’ (Etna, N.H.) shot from the high point deflected into the goal off the glove of Trinity’s David Murison. Trinity tied the game at 16:47 as Zachary Wissman roofed a shot on a breakaway after a Middlebury turnover. The Bantams took a 2-1 lead with 1:31 left in the period when Richard Hollstein’s shot from the right point was saved by sophomore goaltender Doug Reader (Needham, Mass.), before Tom Price pounced on the rebound from the far side.
Trinity increased its lead to 3-1 midway through the second period as Chris Powers drove from the left wing, circled the net and scored on a wrap-around. Middlebury made it a one goal game at 14:08 as junior Scott Bartlett (Pittsford, N.Y.) put home his own rebound for a power play goal. Just 10 seconds later, junior Tom Maldonado (Bronx, N.Y.) found junior Samuel Driver (St. Albans, Vt.) for a one-timer that tied the game at three.
Trinity held a 12-5 shots advantage in the third period, but could not score the equalizer. Raeder ended the night with 29 saves to earn the win, while Murison made 20 stops for Trinity.
Middlebury out shot Wesleyan 31-11, but needed a late goal to the tie the game and salvage an overtime tie with the Cardinals. The Panthers had beaten Wesleyan in the 30 previous meetings between the schools.
Neither team could break onto the scoreboard in the first period, with the Panthers holding an 11-2 shots advantage.
Middlebury had a good chance to take the lead at 6:30, but first-year player Charlie Townsend’s (Pennington, N.J.) shot was denied from close range by a nice save from Mike Palladino. Wesleyan took advantage of an opportunity at the 8:56 mark, as they took a 1-0 lead. David Layne’s shot from the left wing was blocked by a defender, bouncing right to J.J. Evans, who scored with a shot to the top right corner from the slot.
Neither team had great chances through much of the third period, with Middlebury having two power play opportunities. The Panthers took advantage of the second power play, tying the game with just 1:56 remaining. Shirreffs’ shot from the top was saved by Palladino, before senior John Sales (Downington, Pa.) jumped on the rebound from the left side and quickly snapped a shot into the back of the net to knot the game at one. Neither team scored in the final 1:56, forcing the contest into overtime. The Panthers held a 12-1 shots advantage in the third period.
Wesleyan had a couple of good chances to score in overtime, the first by Taylor Evans in the first minute, but his stuff attempt following a carom off the boards was denied by Ross Cherry. The Panthers had a shot saved by Palladino at 1:30, with junior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.) denying Will Bennett from point-blank range three minutes into overtime.
Cherry ended the night with 10 saves, while Palladino made 30.
• Men’s hockey record: 10-6-2
• Up next: 2/2 @ St. Michael’s, 2/4 vs. Norwich – 3:00 (LIVE ON ESPNU)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GOES 0-2
The Middlebury College women’s basketball team dropped a pair of games last week, both taking place in Pepin Gym.
In a game that saw 12 lead changes, including nine in the second half, Middlebury could not hold on as visiting Keene State won the non-league contest Thursday night 62-58.
Trailing 14-12 at the midway point in the first half, the Panthers went on an 11-0 run, building a 23-14 advantage at the 7:26 mark. Junior Katie Fisher (Oakland, Calif.) led the way for Middlebury with two buckets during the run. The Owls countered with a 9-4 run of their own, cutting the lead to 27-24 at the half.
Middlebury expanded their advantage to 31-25 early in the second half until Keene State responded with a 10-3 run to take their first lead of the second half 35-34 with 14:35 remaining. There would be eight more lead changes in the next 12 minutes including the final one as Kristin Degou knocked in a basket with 2:11 left to make it 56-55 in favor of the Owls. Keene State would tack on four more points before senior Carlie Harrington’s (Duxbury, Mass.) three foul shots with only six seconds remaining brought the Panthers to within two, 60-58. Two free throws by Keene State’s Michelle Boudreau, who was fouled on the in-bounds pass by the Panthers with four seconds left, sealed the victory for the Owls, 62-58.
The Panthers were led by Fisher and sophomores Emily Johnson (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) and Ashley Barron (Brockton, Mass.), each chipping in 12 points, while junior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) led the team with 10 rebounds.
Middlebury dropped its second conference game of the season as the Panthers fell 39-28 at Williams in a low-scoring affair. Neither team had much luck shooting on the afternoon, as Middlebury shot 20% and Williams shot 32% from the floor. Middlebury held a 9-2 lead midway through the first half, before Williams closed the session on a 7-0 run to take a 20-15 lead at the half.
The lead grew to as many as 21 in the second half, with Middlebury chipping away late with six of eight free throw shooting. Sophomore Aylie Baker (Yarmouth, Maine) led the team with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Young grabbed 11 boards.
• Women’s basketball record: 10-8
• Up next: 1/30 vs. Hamilton – 7:00, 2/2 @ Tufts – 7:00, 2/3 @ Bates – 3:00
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