For Release: February 12, 2007
MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOST NESCAC TOURNAMENT GAME
The Middlebury College men’s basketball team will host its first-ever NESCAC Tournament game after finishing the regular season with a 5-4 mark in NESCAC play. The Panthers will host Colby on Saturday, February 17th at 2:00 p.m. in a quarterfinal contest.
Middlebury had a busy week as they fell at Plattsburgh before sweeping Wesleyan and Connecticut College on the road. Middlebury controlled the boards 49-40 but came up on the short end of the 86-69 non-league game at Plattsburgh. The Panthers shot .365 from the floor, while the Cardinals converted on .471.
Junior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) ended the night with 27 points, while sophomore Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) added 13 points and 12 boards. Sophomore Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) chipped in with six points and seven assists.
Middlebury earned a key NESCAC road win at Wesleyan as the Panthers picked up a 64-58 win in Connecticut. The Panthers trailed 9-2 early before battling back to tie the game at 11. Wesleyan pulled ahead again before Middlebury tied the game at 23 and took a 30-27 lead at the intermission.
The lead grew to as many as 14 in the second half, with Wesleyan coming back to make it a 56-54 game with 1:13 remaining. Smith scored with 45 seconds left, followed by 6-6 free throw shooting to seal the win.
Smith led the team with 17 points on 7 of 9 shooting to go along with his 10 rebounds. Rudin scored 12 in the win, while Harris added nine.
Middlebury defeated Connecticut College 69-59 in the NESCAC season finale for both teams. First-year player Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Panthers. Smith tallied 11 points and grabbed two rebounds in the game.
With 2:04 to play in the opening half, the Panthers built a 31-19 lead with a field goal from junior Albert Handy (Westbury, N.Y.). But the Camels ended the half with an 8-0 run, closing the gap to four points at the intermission. Ulises Veras put back a missed jump shot at the buzzer and the Middlebury lead was 31-27 at the break.
Middlebury extended its lead to nine in the second half but the Camels continued to hang around with some inside defense and rebounding. With 1:06 remaining, Billy Karis fed Stone in the post for a deuce and the visitors lead was reduced to four, 60-56. But Middlebury was able to sink seven free throws in the final minute and the Camels could not get any closer.
• Men’s basketball record: 15-9
• Up next: 2/17 vs. Colby – 2:00 (NESCAC Quarterfinals)
INDOOR TRACK RACES AT M.I.T.
The Panther indoor track teams were in action at M.I.T. over the weekend, competing with over 10 teams at the M.I.T. Invitational.
Sophomore Jennifer Brenes (Lawrence, Mass.) and first-year racer Anjuli Demers (Dracut, Mass.) both picked up a pair of wins on the day for the Middlebury women. Brenes won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.7 seconds, while winning the long jump with a leap of 16’9.25”. Demers was a winner in both the 200 meters (26.81) and 400 meters (1:00.31.). Senior Beth Butler (Bronxville, N.Y.) was also a victor for the Panthers, capturing the 800 in 2:20.94.
The women’s 4x400 relay team of Demers, Butler, sophomore Simone Weisman (Newton, Mass.) and senior Kara Plunkett (Topsfield, Mass.) won the event with a time of 4:13.69
Two Middlebury men picked up wins on the day, with senior Conor O’Neill (Friendswood, Texas) winning the 800 (2:02.06) and sophomore Max Mackinnon (Norwich, Vt.) capturing the 1000 (2:39.06).
Two other men finished in second place in their respective events, qualifying for New England’s. First-year racer Bruce Hallett (S. Londonderry, N.H.) accomplished the feat in the 3000 (8:56.61), while senior Will McDonough (Lancaster, N.H.) did so in the 5000 (15:44.65), a new school record.
• Indoor track races at M.I.T.
• Up next: 2/17 @ N.E.’s
WOMEN’S HOCKEY TO HOST NESCAC TOURNEY
The Middlebury College women's hockey team had a 2-0-1 week, securing the top seed for the upcoming NESCAC Tournament. The Panthers will draw a first-round bye and will host the semifinals and finals on March 3rd and 4th in the Kenyon Arena.
Middlebury broke open a 2-2 tie with two third period goals as the Panthers picked up a 4-2 NESCAC win at Williams to begin the week. Middlebury out shot the Ephs 44-14 on the night.
Williams took a 1-0 lead with a power play goal 7:28 into the first period. Sophomore Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) tied the game at 15:10 before senior Abby Kurtz-Phelan (Denver, Colo.) gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead with 30 seconds left in the period. The Ephs scored the only goal of the second period on the power play to tie the game at 15:35.
Senior Shannon Sylvester (Randolph, N.J.) scored the eventual game-winner, with a shorthanded tally at the 6:44 mark of the final period. Junior Lacey Farrell (Greenwich, Conn.) added an insurance goal midway through the period.
First-year goaltender Lani Wright (Reading, Mass.) made 12 saves in goal to pick up the win. Kurtz-Phelan and Sylvester ended the night with a goal and two assists apiece.
Middlebury out shot Amherst 41-27, but were only able to muster up a 2-2 tie on the road. The Jeffs held the Panthers scoreless for the first two periods, but surrendered two goals in the final frame en route to a 2-2 tie.
Amherst struck first just three minutes and 32 seconds into the opening period, as a loose puck bounced to a wide-open Kirsten Forsberg, who composed herself, glanced up at the net and placed a beautiful soft shot high and to Middlebury goaltender Angie Todd’s (Kent, Wash.) right side, giving the Jeffs an early 1-0 lead. The Jeffs managed to take their 1-0 lead into the first intermission despite being out-shot by the Panthers 12-5.
Amherst began the second period in similar fashion to the first, as the Jeffs put another tally on the scoreboard less than four minutes into the frame. After a crowd formed in front of the Middlebury net and neither team was able to gain control of the puck, McGann got off an unbalanced shot that found its way to the back of the net, giving Amherst a 2-0 lead.
The visitors spread their offense and set up a shot from Kurtz-Phelan, who put her team on the board just 28 seconds into the third period with a power play goal. Another Amherst penalty kept the advantage at five-on-three, and the Panthers once again capitalized with another goal after spreading out their offense. Senior Shannon Tarrant (Brookfield, Conn.) tied the game at 2-2 just 22 seconds later, with Kurtz-Phelan picking up the assist. Middlebury still had 1:50 remaining on a power play, but was unable to take advantage. That would be the game’s final goal, with a scoreless overtime to follow. Todd ended the game with 25 saves for the Panthers.
Middlebury edged Connecticut College 2-1 in NESCAC women's hockey action played at Dayton Arena Saturday afternoon. Cellino and junior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) tallied goals for the Panthers, who are ranked #2 in the latest USCHO Division III Poll. Connecticut College's Caroline Jeffery tallied her second score of the season, going end to end on a breakaway in the third period.
Wright stopped 22 saves for the Panthers. Lauren Mellen finished with 34 saves for Connecticut College.
• Women’s hockey record: 18-1-2
• Up next: 2/14 vs. Plattsburgh – 7:00, 2/16 vs. Trinity – 7:00, 2/17 vs. Hamilton – 4:00
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MAKES NESCAC TOURNAMENT
The Panther women’s basketball team has qualified for the NESCAC Tournament and will play a quarterfinal game at Tufts this Saturday, February 17th at 3:00 p.m.
The week began as Middlebury broke a five-game skid as they picked up a 66-53 win at Plattsburgh. The Panthers dominated the boards with a 44-22 advantage, with four players grabbing seven or more rebounds.
Junior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) led Middlebury with 20 points, seven rebounds and five steals, while sophomore Emily Johnson (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) chipped in 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Aylie Baker (Yarmouth, Maine) had nine points with eight rebounds, while junior Jennifer Kelleher (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) grabbed eight boards.
Johnson’s game-winning three was blocked by Kelly Bowman as time expired, leaving Wesleyan with a 54-52 win over Middlebury in a NESCAC contest in Pepin Gym.
Middlebury held a five-point lead with 5:11 remaining in the first half, before going on a 9-0 run. A pair of three’s from Johnson and one from senior Carlie Harrington (Duxbury, Mass.) left the Panthers with a 30-16 advantage at the 2:33 mark. Wesleyan chipped away and closed the gap to 31-23 at the half.
The Cardinals opened the second half with a 12-2 run over the first 5:12 of play. Meredith Lowe scored seven points during the run, which gave Wesleyan a 37-33 lead. The Cardinals increased the lead to as many as seven, but Middlebury would not go away. Johnson picked up a steal and converted a lay-up with 26 seconds to go, bringing the Panthers within one. Nikki Maletta converted one of two free throws for Wesleyan, setting up Johnson’s last-second shot.
Sophomore Ashley Barron (Brockton, Mass.) led Middlebury with 15 points, Young added 13 points and eight boards, while Johnson scored a dozen.
Middlebury pulled away late in the second half to beat Connecticut 51-40 in a key NESCAC match-up with playoff implications for both teams. By the 15:38 mark in the first half, the Panthers trailed 9-1. Kirsten Frazer book-ended the Camels nine points with a pair of buckets en route to her game-high 12. The Panthers forced 18 first half turnovers to overcome the early deficit. For the remainder of the half, Middlebury outscored Connecticut by 16. Harrington chipped in nine of her team-high 11 points during the span as the Panthers took a 27-17 lead into intermission.
The second half saw the Camels go on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 28 with 14:01 left. For nearly 10 minutes the outcome was in doubt as the Panthers hung to a five-point advantage. First-year player Kaitlyn Fallon (Swarthmore, Pa.) connected on a pair of traditional three-point plays on consecutive possessions to expand the Middlebury lead to 44-33 with 4:05 to play in the game. The Panthers maintained their double-digit lead down the stretch and secured their playoff spot with the 51-40 victory.
Harrington led the Panthers with 11 points, while Fallon collected a career-high 10. Both teams struggled from the field as the Camels shot .320 from the floor and the Panthers managed to shoot .258.
• Women’s basketball record: 12-12
• Up next: 2/17 @ Tufts – 3:00 (NESCAC Quarterfinals)
MEN’S HOCKEY PICKS UP THREE POINTS
The Middlebury College men’s hockey team earned a win and a tie last week as they enter the final week of the regular season. The NESCAC standings are log-jammed at the top, with Bowdoin holding a one-point lead over Amherst, Colby and Wesleyan. Middlebury sits in fifth place with 20 points, just two out of first.
Middlebury scored a season-high eight goals as the Panthers picked up an 8-0 shutout win over UMass.-Boston in Kenyon Arena. The Panthers out shot the Beacons 51-14 on the night, out scoring their opponents 5-0 in the second period.
Middlebury struck early as senior Eric LaFreniere (St. Anne, Manitoba) scored from his knees in the slot after a nice feed from senior Evgeny Saidachev (Gig Harbor, Wash.). Junior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) scored the first of his two goals 3:27 into the second period. Middlebury then scored three goals in a 5:22 span to take a 5-0 lead. Junior Sam Driver (St. Albans, Vt.) tallied the first, followed by goals from junior Scott Bartlett (Pittsford, N.Y.) and senior Brett Shirreffs (Etna, N.H.) during the run. Ftorek scored his second of the period with just 56 seconds remaining.
Senior John Sales (Downington, Pa.) and junior Mickey Gilchrist (Ottawa, Ont.) scored third period goals to make it an 8-0 final. Shirreffs, Ftorek, Gilchrist and junior Tom Maldonado (Bronx, N.Y.) each had two assists on the night. Junior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.) made 14 saves between the pipes to earn the shutout, while Ryan Donovan and Chris Testa combined to make 43 stops for the Beacons.
Middlebury and Babson battled to a 2-2 tie in the Kenyon Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Beavers held a 33-24 advantage in shots, but neither team could score in the third period or extra session.
Babson opened the scoring at 8:24 of the first period as Nick Jones found Shane Farrell for a one-timer and a 1-0 lead. The Panthers scored a pair of quick goals in 48 seconds to take a 2-1 lead in the second period. LaFreniere scored the first on a wrap around at 16:55, while Driver scored from the right face-off circle at the 17:43 mark for a power play goal. The Beavers stole the momentum back with 23 seconds left in the period as Chris Wood redirected a shot from Jones.
Each team would have chances in the third period, including a five-on-three for 1:25 for Babson, but neither could convert. Middlebury out shot Babson 5-0 in the overtime, but could not get one past Skylar Nipps, who ended the night with 22 saves. Cherry made 31 saves between the pipes for the Panthers.
• Men’s hockey record: 12-7-3
• Up next: 2/16 @ Hamilton, 2/17 @ Amherst
SKI TEAMS FINISH THIRD AT DARTMOUTH
The Panther alpine and nordic ski teams placed third for the fourth time this season, this time at the Dartmouth Carnival. The Big Green won their third straight carnival, with Vermont, Middlebury and UNH following.
Sophomore Mattie Ford (Plymouth, N.H.) got things off to a great start for the women as she won Friday’s slalom race with a time of 1:39.60. Just behind her was sophomore Tucker Burton (Breckenridge, Colo.) in second (1:40.08), followed by senior Lindsay Brush (Charlotte, Vt.) in seventh (1:41.53). Burton paced the squad the next day, placing sixth in the slalom with a time of 1:46.99. Brush finished in ninth place (1:47.85), followed by junior Dorothy Muirhead (Crested Butte, Colo.) in 12th (1:48.24).
Sophomore Andrew Wagner (Traverse City, Mich.) led the men’s team in the slalom on Friday, placing third overall in 1:39.88. Not far behind in fifth place was junior Richard Davisson (Bethel, Maine) in fifth (1:41.16), followed by junior Clayton Reed (Stowe, Vt.) in 10th (1:41.74). Wagner was again the leader on Saturday, finishing fifth in the slalom with a time of 1:36.89. Davisson finished the race in 11th place (1:38.55), while Reed came in 17th (1:39.74).
Sophomore Cassidy Edwards (Glen Arbor, Mich.) led the women’s nordic team in the 15K classic race, finishing in fifth overall with a time of 53:08. Just behind her in sixth place was senior Jenny Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) (53:28) and first-year racer Claire Luby (St. Paul, Minn.) in 12th (55:22). The threesome were Middlebury’s top performers on Saturday, finishing the 3x5 freestyle relay race in second place in 46:30.
Sophomore Simeon Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) was the men’s top finisher in the 20K classic race, finishing in 12th place with a time of 1:05.36. Junior Jimmy Ades (Shelburne, Vt.) was next in 29th place (1:07.39), followed by junior Matt Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) in 33rd (1:08.06). The same three were Middlebury’s top relay team in the 3x10 race, placing fourth overall (1:22).
• Ski team places third at Dartmouth Carnival
• Up next: 2/16-17 @ Williams Carnival
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