For Release: January 22, 2007
SKI TEAMS OPEN UP CARNIVAL SEASON
The Middlebury College nordic and alpine ski teams opened up the 2007 carnival season as they raced at the St. Michael’s carnival. Dartmouth won the event with 697 points, followed by Vermont (686), Middlebury (679) and UNH (576). The Panthers won the men’s giant slalom race as well as the women’s slalom event.
In the women’s GS event, junior Dorothy Muirhead (Crested Butte, Colo.) was Middlebury’s top finisher, placing in sixth place with a time of 1:56.68. Placing 11th in the race was sophomore Mattie Ford (Plymouth, N.H.) in 1:57.85, followed by first-year racer Leah McLaughry (Norwich, Vt.) in 12th (1:57.95).
Ford looked strong in the slalom, finishing second overall with a time of 1:37.17. Two spots behind in fourth was McLaughry (1:37.51), while senior Lindsay Brush (Charlotte, Vt.) placed seventh in 1:37.96.
The men’s GS race saw sophomore Andrew Wagner (Traverse City, Mich.) finish in third place overall with a time of 1:50.25. Just behind him with a time of 1:50.43 was junior Alec Tarberry (N. Conway, N.H.) in fourth place, followed by junior Richard Davisson (Bethel, Maine) in 10th (1:51.28).
Junior Clayton Reed (Stowe, Vt.) paced the men’s squad in the slalom race, finishing fifth overall with a time of 1:29.24. Davisson was next for Middlebury in 11th place (1:30.25), while Tarberry placed 15th in 1:30.61.
In the nordic races, senior Jenny Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) was solid in both races for the women. She placed second overall in the 5K free race, leading the team with a time of 15:35. Finishing fourth was sophomore Cassidy Edwards (Glen Arbor, Mich.) in 15:47, while sophomore Robyn Anderson (Stowe, Vt.) and first-year racer Claire Luby (St. Minn.) were tied for seventh in 16:14.5.
Hamilton came in fifth overall in the 3x3 sprint relay race, ending with a time of 32:39.4. Sophomore Kate Barton (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) was next in ninth place in 32:02.5, while senior Elizabeth Torkelson (Norwich, Vt.) finished 12th with a time of 34:24.
Sophomore Tim Reynolds (Bristol, Vt.) led the men in the 10k free race, placing fifth overall with a time of 28:23.6. Just behind him in sixth place was sophomore Simeon Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) in 28:27, followed by junior Matt Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) in 17th (29:18).
Johnson was the top finisher in the 3x3 men’s sprint relay, ending the race with a time of 27:12.5, good for third place. Sophomore Cameron MacKugler (Londonderry, Vt.) came in 11th place (28:30.5), while junior Jimmy Ades (Shelburne, Vt.) finished in 13th place (28:36.2).
• Ski team places third at St. Michael’s Carnival
• Up next: 1/26-27 @ UNH Carnival
WOMEN’S HOCKEY WINS THREE NON-LEAGUE GAMES
The Panther women's hockey team had a week off from NESCAC play as they picked up three non-league road wins. Sophomore Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) netted a pair of goals, while first-year netminder Lani Wright (Reading, Mass.) stopped all 22 shots she saw to lead the Middlebury College women’s ice hockey team over host University of Massachusetts Boston, 5-0.
Cellino gave Middlebury a 3-0 margin when seniors Abby Kurtz-Phelan (Denver, Colo.) and Shannon Tarrant (Brookfield, Conn.) combined to find her for her third goal of the season with 1:35 left in the second period and then picked up where she left off and netted the Panthers’ fourth goal at 3:15 of the third period with Kurtz-Phelan picking up her third assist of the night along with senior Shannon Sylvester (Randolph, N.J.), who picked up her second point of the evening.
Sylvester put Middlebury on the board first when Tarrant and Kurtz-Phelan set her up at the 4:12 mark of the opening period for her seventh tally of the season and a 1-0 edge. That would be all the scoring in the opening period, but sophomore Erika Nakamura (Boston, Mass.) netted her fifth goal of the season at 10:34 of the middle period to increase the Panthers’ lead to 2-0.
Rookie Ashley Bairos (Van Nuys, Calif.) capped the scoring with her fifth score of the season at 9:29 of the final period to make it 5-0 in favor of the visitors. Wright registered the shutout stopping all 22 shots on net as Middlebury owned a 55-22 shot advantage. Jessica Sams made a season-high 50 saves for UMass Boston.
Middlebury remained unbeaten (11-0-1) its last 12 games as they picked up a 4-2 win at Utica in a non-conference game. The Panthers trailed 2-1 after one period with a shorthanded goal from junior Lacey Farrell (Greenwich, Conn.). Junior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) and Kurtz-Phelan scored second period goals to give Middlebury a 3-2 lead after two periods of play.
Sylvester would score the only goal of the third period to give the Panthers the 4-2 win. Junior Angie Todd (Kent, Wash.) made 24 saves in goal to earn the victory as Sylvester and Levin each had a goal and an assist in the game.
Middlebury won its second game in as many games as the #3 Panthers picked up a 3-1 win over #10 R.I.T. in a neutral site game played at Hamilton College. RIT falls to 12-2-0 on the season, while Middlebury improves to 12-1-1.
The Panthers scored the lone goal of the first period with just five seconds remaining, as Tarrant took a feed from Nakamura and flipped a rising shot from the high slot that bounced off Tiger netminder Karen Quigley and into the back of the net.
Less than a minute earlier, Quigley made a tremendous save on a breakaway attempt by Middlebury’s Kurtz-Phelan. Kurtz-Phelan tried to deke Quigley to the forehand, but the freshman goaltender was not fooled and slid her left pad out to make the brilliant save.
The Panthers out-shot RIT 8-3 in the opening stanza. Middlebury upped its lead to 2-0 7:17 into the second period, on a power-play, as Bairos was sent in on a breakaway by sophomore Molly Vitt (Kenilworth, Ill.) and roofed a shot over the shoulder of Quigley to put the Panthers up 2-0.
RIT came right back however, while on a 5-on-3 power-play with 6:15 left in the frame. Brianne Campi scored her first collegiate goal, as she ripped a shot from the point through traffic and past Panther Wright to cut the lead in half.
First-year player Heather McCormack (Rowley, Mass.) gave Middlebury its two-goal lead back with just under 13 minutes left. Middlebury out-shot RIT 30-17 on the night. Quigley stopped 27 shots for RIT, while Wright stopped 16 shots for Middlebury.
• Women’s hockey record: 12-1-1
• Up next: 1/26 vs. Bowdoin – 7:00, 1/27 vs. Colby – 3:00
SWIM TEAMS DEFEAT UNION
The Panther swimming and diving teams continued their winning ways as they both picked up road wins at Union. The men moved to 6-0 on the season with a 174-103 win, while the women advance to 5-1 with a 160-136 victory.
Three Middlebury men won two events each on the afternoon at Union. First-year racer John Dillon (Wellesley, Mass.) won the 50 (24.31) and 100 fly (52.67), while junior Peter Bell (Deerfield, Mass.) won both the 50 (28.03) and 100 (1:01.78) breaststroke races. Middlebury’s other dual winner was senior Rob Collier (Catonsville, Md.), who won the 50 back in 25.60 and the 500 free in 4:52.83.
Other winners on the men’s side included sophomore Kevin O’Rourke (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) in the 200 free (1:47.53), sophomore Zach Woods (Monroe, N.Y.) in the 100 backstroke (53.25), senior John Rayburn (Washington, D.C.) won the 50 free (22.36), while first-year racer Schuyler Beeman (Guilford, Conn.) was a winner in the 100 free (48.59).
Leading the Middlebury women were juniors Sara Cowie (N. Palm Beach, Fla.) and Marika Ross (Shorewood, Wis.). Cowie won the 500 (5:17.57) and 1000 (10:42) free races, while Ross captured the 100 fly (59.88) and 200 IM (2:10.78). Other Middlebury winners were seniors Rebecca Reingold (Oakland, Calif.) (50 back-29.44) and Barbara Van derVeer (Pittsburgh, Pa.) (1000 free-55.71), along with first-year racers Katie Soja (Sudbury, Mass.) (200 free-2:00.17) and Katie Remington (Madison, Wis.) (50 free (26.02).
• Women’s swim record: 5-1, men’s swim record: 6-0
• Up next: 1/27 vs. Williams – 1:00
INDOOR TRACK IN ACTION AT UVM
The Middlebury College indoor track teams took part in a three-team race with McGill and the University of Vermont on Friday. Sophomore Jennifer Brenes (Lawrence, Mass.) picked up a win in the 55 hurdles in 8.66, while first-year racer Anjuli Demers (Dracut, Mass.) won the 300 meters in 42.45. Sophomore Simone Weisman (Newton, Mass.) was also a winner, capturing the 600 meters with a time of 1:41.12.
Senior Pascal Losambe (S. Burlington, Vt.) won both the 35-pound weight throw (43’1.75”) and the shot put (44’5.5”), while first-year jumper Robert Athan (Oakland, N.J.) won the long jump (19’6”).
• Indoor track races at UVM
• Up next: 1/27 @ McGill
MEN’S HOCKEY WINS TWO OF THREE
The Panther men’s hockey team broke a two-game losing skid as they picked up a 3-1 win over Williams in a NESCAC contest at the Kenyon Arena on Tuesday.
The first period saw few good scoring opportunities for either team, with Middlebury holding a 10-5 shots advantage. The Ephs' best chance came as Chris DeBaere was stopped on a breakaway by junior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.). The Panthers’ best chance came with less than two minutes remaining in the period as junior Mickey Gilchrist’s (Ottawa, Ont.) shot from point-blank range was stopped by Mark Pulde.
Williams took a 1-0 lead 6:28 into the second period as Brett Haraguchi scored from the slot after a shot from the right point by Colin Greenhalgh was saved by Cherry. Middlebury tied the game with 1:16 left in the period as senior Brett Shirreffs’ (Etna, N.H.) shot from the left side deflected in off a defender’s skate.
The Panthers scored the game-winner 7:25 into the third period as junior Samuel Driver (St. Albans, Vt.) intercepted a clearing pass as the Ephs were attempting to ice the puck. Driver found senior Evgeny Saidachev (Gig Harbor, Mich.), who quickly wristed a shot past Pulde from just inside the blue line. The lead grew to 3-1 just 1:09 later as sophomore Jamie McKenna (Lake Placid, N.Y.) made a quick pass ahead to senior John Sales (Downington, Pa.) who scored falling to the ice from the slot. Cherry ended the night with 20 saves to earn the win, while Pulde made 29 in a losing effort.
Mike Carmody scored with seven seconds left to lift New England College to a 4-3 win over Middlebury in the Chip Kenyon Arena. Jon Bellonio poked the puck ahead to Carmody, who snapped a shot into the top left corner of the net driving from the left side.
Middlebury controlled the pace early on, with N.E.C.’s best chance coming as Cherry stopped Mickey Serra’s breakaway opportunity on the Pilgrims first shot of the game at 12:47. N.E.C. opened the scoring as Bellonio and Paul Ruta worked a nice give-and-go in a two-on-one situation with Bellonio finishing at 13:31.
The Pilgrims had two great chances to add to their lead in the second period, but shots by Paul Ruta and Evan Erdmann hit the crossbar. The Panthers tied the game 14:44 into the period with a power play goal. Junior Robert MacIntyre (Calgary, Alberta) made a quick pass that went across the goal mouth and behind N.E.C. goaltender Ron Baia, where Driver knocked it in from the far side.
N.E.C. took a 2-1 lead 10:04 into the third period as Pat Melillo scored on a rebound after a shot from the left point by Ruta was saved by Cherry. Middlebury tied the game with a power play goal of its own just 1:36 later as rookie Charlie Townsend (Pennington, N.J.) tipped in a shot from junior Tom Maldonado (Bronx, N.Y.).
The Pilgrims regained the lead at 15:36 as Mike Mullen scored from the left side with a backhander. Middlebury answered just 23 seconds later as Sales made a quick crossing pass to MacIntyre who tied the game at three.
Middlebury out shot N.E.C. 32-18 as Cherry made 14 saves, and Baia stopped 29. The six losses this season are the most since the ’93-’94 team finished 13-10.
Middlebury bounced back with a 3-1 win over St. Anselm following a loss to N.E.C. on Friday night. Middlebury took a 1-0 lead late in the first period with a power play goal at 16:37. Sales had the puck on the left side before sliding a quick pass across the crease to Gilchrist for the tally.
The Panthers took a 2-0 lead 11:55 into the second period with another power play goal as Townsend scored down low after a shot from the left face-off circle by Driver. St. Anselm answered with a power play goal of its own at 13:37 as Mike Foley made a quick pass to Pat Porshner, who found the right side of the net.
St. Anselm had a great chance to tie the game at 3:54 as Middlebury took a major penalty, but they were unable to capitalize as the power play was limited with the Pilgrims taking a penalty of their own during the major.
Middlebury gained some breathing room at 11:06 as Gilchrist drove to the goal from the right face-off circle before scoring from just outside the crease. St. Anselm made it a one-goal game as they scored a power play goal with their goaltender pulled at the 19:12 mark. Danny Ohlson scored on a backhander after a rebound from the left side. That would be the game’s final goal as Middlebury held on for the win.
Middlebury sophomore goaltender Doug Reader (Needham, Mass.) and St. Anselm’s Jason Rafuse made 23 saves apiece in goal.
• Men’s hockey record: 9-6-1
• Up next: 1/27 vs. Trinity – 7:00, 1/28 vs. Wesleyan – 4:00
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SPLITS A PAIR OF NESCAC GAMES
Amherst overcame a 10-point deficit with a 27-7 run in the second half to rally past Middlebury 65-59 in NESCAC play Friday night at Pepin Gym.
The Panthers built an 11-point lead in the first half as sophomore Emily Johnson (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) hit a trio of three pointers, building a 15-4 advantage with 12:27 left. Amherst cut the lead to 28-25 heading into the break with a 9-3 run as Amanda Otieno chipped in five points during the span, including a three-pointer.
By the 16:49 mark of the second half, the Panthers once again built a double-digit lead 39-29 with sophomore Ashley Barron (Brockton, Mass.) tallying five points during the run, while junior Katie Fisher (Oakland, Calif.) book-ended the scoring with a pair of buckets as well. Amherst answered the outburst with the key 27-7 run over the next 10 minutes, building a 56-46 advantage.
Middlebury could get no closer than six points as Amherst shot 6-7 at the free throw line during the final 1:36 to earn the win. Middlebury had two players score in double figures as junior Jennifer Kelleher (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) led the Panthers with 14 and Johnson scored 11.
Middlebury led by as many as 16 points in the second half and fought off a late Trinity comeback to win 73-69 Saturday afternoon at Pepin Gym.
The Panthers slowly built a 25-15 lead by the 8:27 mark in the first half on senior Carlie Harrington’s (Duxbury, Mass.) three-pointer. The lead was cut to five on two occasions by the Bantams before a short 4-0 run in the final 37 seconds of the half extended the Panther advantage back to nine, 33-24.
Middlebury began the second half on a 7-0 run, building a 40-24 lead with 17:10 remaining in the game. The advantage hovered around double-digits for the next 13 minutes when Trinity began to chip away at the lead. A 12-6 run by the Bantams closed the gap to 68-65 with just 53 seconds left in the game. All 12 Trinity points were scored by Sarah Cox during that span including a three-pointer that cut the lead to three. With time dwindling, a lay-up by junior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) and three free throws by Johnson sealed the win for the Panthers.
Middlebury was led by Young’s 17 points and game-high 12 rebounds, while Barron and Fisher chipped in 10 points apiece.
• Women’s basketball record: 10-6
• Up next: 1/25 vs. Keene – 7:00, 1/27 @ Williams – 3:00
MEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS TWO LEAGUE GAMES ON THE ROAD
The Middlebury College men’s basketball team hung tough with second-ranked Amherst but fell short as they saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end with a 79-73 loss in NESCAC play.
Amherst took a 14-8 lead early, only to have Middlebury answer and cut the lead to 24-23 with 5:38 left in the first half. The lead grew to nine before the Jeffs took a 34-29 lead into the locker room.
Amherst extended its lead to 10 with 15:03 remaining, but Middlebury would not go away as they battled back to trail 60-59 with 8:12 remaining. The Jeffs pulled ahead before a three from junior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) cut the lead to one with 4:53 left to play. Dan Wheeler hit a two and three to give Amherst a six-point lead as they held on for the 79-73 win.
Senior Evan Thompson (New York, N.Y.) led Middlebury with 19, while sophomore Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) scored 17 with seven rebounds and six assists. Harris added 11 points in the game, while sophomore Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) scored 10 with six boards.
Middlebury got out-rebounded 41-25 as the Panthers suffered an 82-67 NESCAC loss at Trinity. Middlebury moves to 2-2 in league play and returns to action on Tuesday night when they host Johnson State.
The Bantams came out strong, opening up a 21-7 lead with 11:23 remaining in the first half. Middlebury cut the lead to nine, only to have Trinity close the half on a 9-0 run to take a 45-28 lead at the intermission.
Trailing by 11 with 13:14 remaining, Middlebury went on a 9-3 run to cut the lead to 59-54 at the 10:33 mark. The lead grew back to 12 before a 7-0 run at 6:03 made it a 71-66 game with 3:37 remaining.
Trinity then hit a quick three followed by a hoop and a pair of free throws to put the game out of reach.
Senior Chris Dowd (Beverly, Mass.) led Middlebury with 19 points on 7-13 shooting, first-year player Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) added 13, while Harris scored 10.
• Men’s basketball record: 11-5
• Up next: 1/23 vs. Johnson – 7:00, 1/27 vs. Williams – 3:00
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