For Release: February 19, 2007
WOMEN’S SWIM TEAM PLACES THIRD AT NESCAC’S
The Middlebury College women's swimming and diving teams finished third overall at the NESCAC Championships hosted by Williams. The host school won the event, followed by Amherst, Middlebury and Connecticut College. The Panthers set five varsity records and had five individual NESCAC Champions, as well as a championship relay team.
Junior Marika Ross (Shorewood, Wis.) won three events on the day, breaking several records. She won the 200 fly event in 2:01.25, setting a new school, pool and NESCAC record, while qualifying for the NCAA’s in the event. Ross also set a new school record by swimming the first leg of the 800 free relay in 1:53.76, while making the NCAA’s in the 100 fly with a time of 54.45. Ross also captured the 50 fly in 25.85, setting a new school and pool record.
Junior Sara Cowie (N. Palm Beach, Fla.) won both the 1000 and 1650 free events at the championship meet. She finished the 1000 free in 10:21.95, while qualifying for the NCAA’s with a time of 17:17.37 in the 1650 race. Cowie earned a second place finish in the 500 free, finishing with a time of 5:03.40.
Junior Alanna Hanson (Golden Bridge, N.Y.) and rookie Katie Soja (Sudbury, Mass.) both earned second place finishes. Hanson set a new school record with 444.20 points in the three-meter diving event, while Soja finished second in the 1000 free with a time of 10:27.02.
Middlebury’s 200 freestyle relay team comprised of Ross, senior Barbara Van der Veer (Pittsburgh, Pa.), first-year racer Katie Remington (Madison Wis.) and sophomore Lindsey Dattels (Wilmette, Ill.), won the event with a time of 1:37.07.
Three other relay teams finished in second place at NESCAC’s, with the 400 medley squad setting a new school record. Sophomore Catherine Suppan (Burlington, Vt.), junior Katie Chambers (Annapolis, Md.), Ross and Van der Veer made up the squad, who finished in 3:54.23
Ross, Cowie along with rookies Beth Bacon (Novelty, Ohio) and Yu Wang (Beijing, China) were a part of the second place 400 medley team that had a time of 7:43.57.
Van der Veer, Ross, junior Pam Chatikavanij (Bangkok, Thailand) and senior Liz Rice (New Canaan, Conn.) were a part of the 400 free team that finished with a time of 3:31.11.
• Women’s swimmers third at NESCAC’s
• Up next: 2/23-25 @ NESCAC Champ. (men @ Bowdoin)
MEN’S HOCKEY FINISHES NESCAC SEASON TIED FOR FIRST
The Panther men’s hockey team won at Hamilton and Amherst to wrap up the NESCAC regular season. With the pair of wins, Middlebury ends the NESCAC regular season in a first place tie with Bowdoin, but will end up as the tournament’s second seed with the Polar Bears owning the tie-breaker over Middlebury. The Panthers will host seventh-seeded Williams on Saturday, February 24th at 4:00 p.m. in a NESCAC quarterfinal match-up.
Middlebury scored four second period power play goals on its way to a 7-4 road win at Hamilton. Jake Davis gave Hamilton a 1-0 lead just 19 seconds in, only to have junior Scott Bartlett (Pittsford, N.Y.) answer for the Panthers just 10 seconds later. Jerome Wallace helped the Continentals regain the lead at 7:58, with Bartlett again answering, this time on the power play at 9:03. Bartlett notched the hat-trick at the 16:22 mark as Middlebury took a 3-2 lead after one.
A penalty-filled second period saw Middlebury outscore Hamilton 4-1 and emerge with a 7-3 lead. Senior John Sales (Downington, Pa.) scored the first of the session at 1:39, while Andrew Dicristoforo answered for Hamilton at 5:32, prompting Middlebury to make a goaltending change, bringing in sophomore Doug Raeder (Needham, Mass.) for junior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.).
Middlebury then scored three power play goals in 2:11 to break open a 4-3 game. Senior Darwin Hunt (Winnetka, Ill.) started the run, with goals by sophomore Jamie McKenna (Lake Placid, N.Y.) and sophomore Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) to follow.
Chris Lorenc scored the only goal of the third period for Hamilton, to make it a 7-4 final. Junior Tom Maldonado (Bronx, N.Y.) had three assists on the night for Middlebury, while senior Eric LaFreniere (St. Anne, Manitoba) and junior Mickey Gilchrist (Ottawa, Ont.) added two apiece.
Cherry and Raeder combined to make 10 saves in goal, while Matt Crowson and Ian Stearns combined for 40 stops for Hamilton.
Middlebury remained unbeaten in its last four games as they closed out the regular season with a 6-2 win over Amherst. The game was even at the start but a pair of goals within a minute of each other gave Middlebury a 2-0 advantage. Gilchrest and senior Brett Shirreffs (Etna, N.H.) each found the net as the teams headed to the locker room.
The Jeffs came out firing in the second stanza as Joel Covelli finished off a cross-ice pass from Mike McIntosh. Only three minutes later, Rylan Burns fired a shot from the blue line that made its way through a crowd tying the score at two. Middlebury took control for good at the seven minute mark during four on four play, when sophomore Jack Kinder (Shaker Heights, Ohio) found the back of the net. The Panthers then took a two-goal lead with just under four minutes to play in the second period off the stick of junior Sam Driver (St. Albans, Vt.).
The third period was more Middlebury as Saidachev and first-year player John Sullivan (Delmar, N.Y.) finished off their chances sealing the Jeffs fate 6-2. Raeder made 23 stops for the Panthers, while Josh Fillman turned aside 30 shots and A.J. Scola made six stops in the third period for Amherst.
• Men’s hockey record: 14-7-3
• Up next: 2/24 vs. Williams – 4:00 (NESCAC Quarterfinals)
SKI TEAMS COME IN THIRD AT WILLIAMS
The Panther alpine and nordic ski teams remained steady this season as they earned a third place finish at the Williams Carnival. Middlebury will now prepare for the Eastern Championships this weekend at the Rikert Ski Touring Center and the Middlebury College Snow Bowl.
Junior Dorothy Muirhead (Crested Butte, Colo.) led the Middlebury women in the GS race, placing second overall with a time of 1:56.89. Senior Lindsay Brush (Charlotte, Vt.) was next for the Panthers in sixth place with a time of 1:58.09, followed by junior Krissy Poehling (LaCrosse, Wis.) in 12th (1:59.29).
Sophomore Mattie Ford (Plymouth, N.H.) was the top finisher the next day in the slalom, placing fourth with a time of 1:44.61. Poehling finished in sixth place (1:45.82), followed by Muirhead in 11th (1:47.32).
Sophomore Andrew Wagner (Traverse City, Mich.) led the men with a second place finish (1:59.78) in the GS on day one with a time of 1:50.78. Junior Alec Tarberry (N. Conway, N.H.) finished the race in 10th place in 1:52.54, followed closely by junior Joseph Swensson (Niantic, Conn.) in 11th (1:52.60).
Junior Clayton Reed (Stowe, Vt.) was tops in the slalom, finishing in fourth place overall with a time of 1:38.52. Placing sixth in the race was first-year racer Jonathan Hunter (McAfee, N.J.) in 1:39.64, followed by Swensson in 16th (1:42.44.).
Sophomore Cassidy Edwards (Glen Arbor, Mich.) paced the women’s nordic team in the 10K freestyle, finishing in fifth place with a time of 34:54. Just behind in sixth was senior Jenny Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) in 35:19, followed by first-year racer Claire Luby (St. Paul, Minn.) in ninth (36:05). Hamilton led the team in the classic sprints, placing fourth, followed by senior Elizabeth Torkelson (Norwich, Vt.) in fifth and sophomore Robyn Anderson (Stowe, Vt.) in seventh.
The men didn’t fare well in the 10K freestyle race, with sophomore Tim Reynolds (Bristol, Vt.) pacing the team with a 20th place finish (31:35). Just behind was junior Jimmy Ades (Shelburne, Vt.) in 21st (31:46), followed by sophomore Simon Thomas-Train (Keene Valley, N.Y.) in 38th (33:00).
Reynolds was the top finisher in the classic sprints race, coming in sixth overall to lead the team. Thomas-Train finished in 15th place, followed by sophomore Cameron MacKugler (Londonderry, Vt.) in 22nd.
• Ski team places third at Williams Carnival
• Up next: 2/23-24 @ Middlebury Carnival
WOMEN’S HOCKEY WINS TWO MORE
The Middlebury College women's hockey team extended its unbeaten streak to 22 games last week as they defeated Trinity and Hamilton at home. The Panthers will play a make-up game with Plattsburgh on Tuesday, before hosting the NESCAC semifinals and final on March 3rd and 4th.
The Panthers blanked Trinity 8-0 in women's hockey action on Friday night. Senior Shannon Sylvester (Randolph, N.J.) had a huge game for the Panthers as she had a goal and four assists for a five-point night. Senior Abby Kurtz-Phelan (Denver, Colo.) had a goal and three assists in the win, as Middlebury out shot Trinity 46-13.
Sophomores Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) and Randi Dumont (Greene, Maine) each had a pair of goals in the win, while first-year players Marjie Billings (Chevy Chase, Md.) and Ashley Bairos (Van Nuys, Calif.) each had solo goals. First-year goaltender Lani Wright (Reading, Mass.) made 13 saves in goal to earn the win, while Helen McCarthy made 38 in a losing effort.
Middlebury earned a 7-1 win over Hamilton in the NESCAC finale for both teams. Middlebury took a 1-0 lead at 5:23 as senior Emily McNamara (N. Hampton, N.H.) drove to the goal from the left wing before scoring. Hamilton tied the game at 9:04 as Jodi Raymond scored after a scramble in front. The Panthers regained the lead at the 10-minute mark as Sylvester scored, recording her 100th career point.
First-year player Jessica Bennett (Surrey, B.C.) scored for Middlebury eight minutes into the second period, before Sylvester struck on the power play at the 12:06 mark. Sophomore Erika Nakamura (Boston, Mass.) scored on a breakaway for the final goal of the period to make it a 5-1 game after two. Junior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) and senior Shannon Tarrant (Brookfield, Conn.) added a third period goal to round out the scoring. Senior Angie Todd (Kent, Wash.) ended the day with 21 saves for the win, while Kathryn Manning made 37 in a losing effort.
• Women’s hockey record: 20-1-2
• Up next: 2/20 vs. Plattsburgh – 7:00
WOMEN’S SQUASH COMPETES AT NATIONALS
The Middlebury College women’s squash team competed in the “B” division at the Howe Cup national tournament at Yale this weekend. The Panthers, who have often competed in the “C” division, moved up this season after a successful year and an impressive national ranking of 14th.
Middlebury opened with a 9-0 loss to Bowdoin, fell to Colby 5-4, before ending the season with a 5-4 win over Hamilton.
Senior Hannah Baker (New York, N.Y.) and first-year player Elisabeth McMorris (New York, N.Y.) led the Middlebury women, both going 2-1 over the three matches.
• Women’s squash final record: 12-7
INDOOR TRACK COMPETES AT NEW ENGLANDS
The Panther indoor track teams both competed in the New England Indoor Championships over the weekend. The women competed at Southern Maine, while the men were at Bates. The women placed ninth overall with 19 teams scoring, while the men sent just a handful of athletes to Bates.
The women turned in some impressive performances, with three school records. First-year racer Anjuli Demers (Dracut, Mass.) finished second in the 200 (26.60), while setting a new school mark with a third place finish (59.18) in the 400. Senior Beth Butler (Bronxville, N.Y.) placed second in the 800 (2:18.71), while sophomore Jennifer Brenes (Lawrence, Mass.) broke the school record with a time of 8.64 seconds in the 55-meter hurdles. Sophomore Emer Feighery (Westborough, Mass.) placed seventh for the Panthers in the pole vault, tying a school record by clearing 10’6”. Sophomore Simone Weisman (Newton, Mass.) was Middlebury’s other top eight finisher, placing eighth in the 600 in 1:39.42. All of these athletes earned All-New England honors
On the men’s side, senior Pascal Losambe (S. Burlington, Vt.) also earned All-New England honors with an eighth place finish in the shot put, setting a new school mark with a toss of 46’11.5”.
• Indoor track races at N.E.’s
• Up next: 2/23-24 @ Open N.E.’s (B.U.)
MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS TO COLBY IN NESCAC QUARTERFINALS
The Middlebury College men’s basketball team saw its season come to an end as they suffered a 91-79 overtime loss to Colby. The Mules outscored the Panthers 19-7 in overtime, behind 11 of 13 foul shooting, while Middlebury went 3-12 from the floor.
Colby came out strong, jumping out to an 11-2 lead in the game’s first 3:50 behind six points from Drew Cohen. The lead grew to as many as 11 at the 12:48 mark on a hoop from Adam Choice. The Mules led by nine at the 9:48 mark, before the Panthers went on a 12-0 run to take a 26-23 lead with 7:43 left in the first half. Colby came right back to take a four-point advantage, before Middlebury outscored Colby 9-2 in the final 5:26 of the half to hold a 37-34 lead at the intermission. Colby turned the ball over 11 times in the first half, resulting in 12 Middlebury points.
The Panthers picked up where they left off when the second half began, moving out to a 49-38 lead at the 17:26 mark. Junior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) came alive from the floor, hitting a pair of two’s and a three during the spurt. Middlebury’s lead grew to as many as 14, behind a hoop from junior Mike Walsh (Needham, Mass.) with 13:12 remaining. Minutes later, Colby went on an 8-0 run, ending in a three from Nick Farrell to cut the lead to four. Artie Cutrone’s three at 7:29, followed by another from Farrell at 5:15 tied the game at 64. The Panthers extended their lead to five once again, leading 72-67 with 1:31 left to play on a hoop from sophomore Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.). That would be Middlebury’s final points of regulation as Colby scored the game’s next five points to force overtime. Cohen was strong down the stretch, scoring all five points during the 5-0 run. Farrell had a chance to win the game for Colby in regulation, but his three from 30 feet bounced off the front rim.
Colby hit its first four field goals of the overtime, taking an 80-74 lead at the 2:46 mark. Middlebury could not find the mark as they missed nine of 12 shots, including five of six from three-point range. The Panthers were forced to foul down the stretch, but to no avail, as the Mules connected on 11 of 13 from the charity stripe.
Cohen scored a game-high 26 points in the win for Colby, adding 11 rebounds and five blocked shots. Farrell scored 22, Mac Simpson netted 14, while Choice scored a dozen. The Mules shot .484 from the floor on the afternoon.
Harris scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, shooting 5-8 from three-point range for Middlebury. First-year player Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) added 18 points, while Rudin scored 16 with six boards.
• Men’s basketball final record: 15-10
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ELIMINATED IN QUARTERFINALS
The Panther women’s basketball team saw its season come to an end as they suffered a 65-50 loss at Tufts in the NESCAC Quarterfinals. The Panthers, who were the seventh-seed, end their season at 12-13, while second-seeded Tufts moves to 17-7.
Laura Jasinski led Tufts with 17 points, nine rebounds and four steals. The Panthers were led on Saturday by 13 points, nine rebounds and five steals from sophomore Emily Johnson (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.).
The final 15-point margin was the largest of the game. Though the Jumbos held the lead for all except three possessions, they couldn’t quite put the Panthers away with a run. Finally at the end of the game, the Jumbos scored the last nine points to turn a 56-50 margin at 4:18 of the second half into the 65-50 final.
Both teams were sloppy in the early going. With the game tied 13-13 at the 9:27 mark, Tufts surged to a 25-18 advantage on a lay-up by Jasinski at the 4:28 mark. A three-pointer by Johnson with 10 seconds left until halftime pulled Middlebury within three (31-28), but Khalilah Ummah scored on a lay-up with less than a second left and Tufts led 33-28 at the break.
Into the second half, another lay-up by Ummah put Tufts up by eight, 42-34, at 15:07. Middlebury cut the margin to four on a pair of free throws by junior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) at 12:46 to make it 42-38. The Jumbos then scored the next seven points, five by Jasinski, to lead by 11 (49-38) with 10:10 to play in the second half. That would give them a cushion heading down the stretch, and they put the game away with the closing spurt.
The win is the first in NESCAC Tournament for Tufts, who had lost their previous five first-round games. Four Jumbos scored in double figures, with Krah adding 16, Ummah 15 and Jenna Gomez 10 to go with seven rebounds and three steals. Taryn Miller-Stevens had seven assists.
Young finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for Middlebury, which shot just 28.1 percent from the floor (16/57). They missed their final 10 shots of the game. Sophomore Aylie Baker (Yarmouth, Maine) added six points, six rebounds and two blocks for the visitors.
• Women’s basketball final record: 12-13
MIDDLEBURY
COLLEGE
SPORTS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB:
www.gomidd.com