For Release: May 7, 2007

MEN’S LACROSSE WINS NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIP

The Middlebury College men's lacrosse team won its seventh consecutive NESCAC men’s lacrosse championship on Sunday with an 11-6 victory over Wesleyan at Tufts University’s Bello Field.

The Panthers, who earn the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, have not lost a game in the NESCAC tournament during the seven-year history of the event. Middlebury will host Mt. Ida in an NCAA first-round game at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9^th. The winner of the game will travel to Wesleyan for a second round game on Saturday.

Sophomore Skyler Hopkins (Easton, Md.) scored five goals as the Panthers improved to 15-0 overall in NESCAC tournament games since 2001. Middlebury took a different route to the title this year, as they entered the tournament as the sixth-seed after a 4-5 conference record during the regular season. They had been the tournament’s #1 seed in the previous six seasons. The 2007 Panthers defeated Trinity 16-4 in the first round, #7 Tufts 8-7 in the semifinals and #4 Wesleyan for the championship.

Middlebury jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first quarter, including the first of two goals by senior Nick Bastis (Old Greenwich, Conn.). Wesleyan tied the game at 3-3 with two quick goals in the middle of the second period, by Connors at 8:28 and by Jeff Strittmatter 13 seconds later. When Connors scored a man-up goal with two minutes to play in the half, the Cardinals took their first lead of the game at 4-3. However, Hopkins scored twice for Middlebury in the final 31 seconds, including a goal with just two seconds remaining after a costly Wesleyan turnover, and they led 5-4.

Into the third quarter, the Panthers added two goals to their lead. They extended their run to three goals at 7:45 of the fourth quarter for an 8-4 advantage. First-year player Pete Smith (Wilton, Conn.) had two assists during the run. Wesleyan’s Kwasi Ansu got one for Wesleyan at 5:54, but the Panthers scored the next two and had the game well under control at 10-5 with 3:19 on the clock.

The Panthers flung 52 shots towards Cardinals keeper Charlie Congleton, who stopped 14. Senior goalkeeper Alex Palmisano (Southport, Conn.) also finished with 14 stops in the Middlebury cage, facing 31 Wesleyan shots. Middlebury also won the ground balls battle 40-29, won 13 of the 21 face offs and scored two man-up goals. Smith finished with three assists overall, while sophomore Mike Stone (Boston, Mass.) joined Bastis with two goals for Middlebury.

Middlebury advanced to the finals after an 8-7 win at Tufts in the semifinals. The Panthers came out strong in the first quarter, scoring the game's first three goals. Tufts answered with a four-goal run that gave them a 4-3 lead with a man-up goal at the 1:05 mark of the second quarter. Stone scored with just six seconds left in the half to make it a 4-4 game at the intermission.

The Panthers scored the first three goals of the third quarter to take a 7-4 lead with 3:15 remaining in the quarter. Tufts netted a late third period goal to cut the lead to 7-5 after three.

Middlebury gained some breathing room on a goal from junior Jim Cabrera (Old Greenwich, Conn.) at the 9:47 mark of the fourth quarter. A man-up goal at 4:52 and a goal from Chase Bibby with just 27 seconds left made it an 8-7 contest.

Tufts had possession of the ball late in the game, but the Panthers were able to hold on and come away with the win.

Stone had a pair of goals on the afternoon, while six other players scored. Bastis had a goal and two assists in the win. Palmisano made 13 saves in goal, earning NESCAC Player of the Week honors.
• Men’s lacrosse record: 10-6
• Up next: 5/9 vs. Mt. Ida – TBA (NCAA First-Round), if win: 5/12 @ Wesleyan

WOMEN’S TENNIS WINS NCAA REGIONAL

The Panther women’s tennis team advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the second time in three years after a 5-0 win at Bowdoin in an NCAA Regional Final. The Panthers advance to the championship weekend from May 15-20th at Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.

The Panthers took a commanding lead after doubles play, earning all three points thanks to senior Amy Roche (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) and junior Claire Smyser's (Houston, Texas) close-fought 8-6 decision at #1 over Polar Bears Sarah D'Elia and Kristen Raymond. Middlebury's #2 and #3 teams of senior Emily Holick (Sudbury, Mass.) / sophomore Clare Burke (Summit, N.J.) and sophomores Elizabeth Stone (Cohasset, Mass.) / Elizabeth Emery (McLean, Va.) both earned 8-4 wins, putting the Panthers in great position heading into singles play. In singles, Middlebury got the clinching points quickly with wins from Emory (#3, 6-1, 6-1) and simultaneously-ending victories from Holick (#5, 6-1, 6-3) and Burke (#6, 6-4, 6-1).

Middlebury advanced to the third round by sweeping Vassar 5-0. Behind a strong performance by Roche and Smyser at #1 (8-5), the Panthers swept the doubles matches in convincing fashion. Holick/Clare (8-4 at #2) and Stone/ Emory (8-6 at #3). Holick won her #5 singles match over Anna Will of Vassar, 6-1, 6-1 before Burke clinched the victory with a win at #6 over Alexis Jacobson, 6-3, 6-3.
• Women’s tennis record: 13-4
• Up next: 5/15 vs. W&L (NCAA Quarterfinals at Mary Washington)

WOMEN’S LACROSSE CAPTURES NESCAC TOURNEY

The Middlebury College women’s lacrosse team won its seventh consecutive NESCAC Championship with a 10-8 win over Colby. The Panthers earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will host an NCAA Regional next Saturday and Sunday on Kohn Field.

In the closest NESCAC final in the history of the tournament, Middlebury came out strong, but were unable to build a big lead early. Senior Kim Walker (Ridgewood, N.J.) put the Panthers on the board at 24:35, followed by back-to-back goals from senior Claire Edelen (Sparks, Md.) to make it a 3-0 game at the 17:43 mark.

Libba Cox put Colby on the board with 10:44 remaining, while Kate Sheridan scored with a side-arm shot to make it a 3-2 game at the 6:43 mark. Walker answered with a free position goal for the Panthers, before Courtney Drake brought the Mules within one with a transition goal.

Colby tied the game 3:43 into the second half, before taking their first lead of the game on a goal from Lauren Barrett. Middlebury tied the game at five on Walker’s third goal of the game at 22:04. Senior Liza Humes (Greenwood Village, Colo.) followed at 20:15 with an under-handed scoop shot to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead. Libba Cox answered for Colby before goals from Walker and junior Katherine Entwisle (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) gave Middlebury an 8-6 lead with 13:05 left to play.

Colby battled back once again as Sheridan scored from the right side at 12:46, followed by Cox 1:25 later to knot the game at eight. Walker scored what would eventually be the game winner as she drove from the left and fired a shot into the far side of the net at the 6:44 mark.

The Panthers slowed down the offense from there, with Walker giving them some breathing room as she cut through the middle and tied a NESCAC tournament record with her sixth goal of the game. Edelen chipped in with two goals for the Panthers, while Humes had a goal and two assists. Sophomore Blair Bowie (Washington, D.C.) ended the afternoon with 11 saves for Middlebury.

Middlebury advanced to the NESCAC title game after a 15-5 win over Williams. Middlebury came out firing once again as they scored seven of the game’s first eight goals to take a 7-1 lead with 11:19 left in the first half. Six different players scored goals, with junior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.) netting a pair and junior Amanda Smith (Greenwich, Conn.) assisting on two of the tallies during the run.

Tina Nawrocki scored for the Ephs at the 9:55 mark before Entwisle, Kim and Berrien scored to make it a 10-2 game at the half.

Elizabeth Pierce and Meighan McGowan opened the second half with a pair of goals for Williams to cut the lead to 10-4 at the 24:09 mark. The Panthers would then run off four straight goals to take a commanding 14-4 lead with 6:54 left to play. The teams exchanged the final two goals to make it a 15-5 final.

Berrien and Entwisle had three goals apiece to lead Middlebury, while Walker and rookie Dana Heritage (Cheshire, Conn.) each scored twice. Smith dished out three assists in the win. Bowie played all but 1:30 in net for Middlebury, making nine saves, while Abby Taylor made eight stops for Williams.
• Women’s lacrosse record: 14-1
• Up next: 5/12 - NCAA Regional – 11:30/2:30; 5/13 – Regional Final – 1:00

MEN’S TENNIS WINS NCAA REGIONAL

The Panther men’s tennis team will make its fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals after defeating Amherst 5-2 in an NCAA Regional Final on campus. The Panthers will take part in the championship week from May 15-20 at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in St. Louis, in an event hosted by Washington University.

Middlebury led 1-0 in doubles play as senior Kevin Bergesen (Beverly, Mass.) and rookie Andrew Thomson (W. Bloomfield, Mich.) were 8-2 winners over Geoff Schwartz/Jeffrey Wan of Amherst. The Jeffs tied the match as Zach Lerner and Tal Avarhami defeated senior Alex Scott (Mt. Kisco, N.Y.) and senior George Mayer (Merion, Pa.) by a score of 8-5. Middlebury took a 2-1 lead into singles play as junior Filip Marinkovic (Toronto, Ont.)/sophomore Conrad Olson (Waterloo, Belgium) defeated Karti Subramanian/Michael Mintz, 8-4.

The Panthers extended their lead as Marinkovic cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Daniel Kim in the #6 singles slot. Jeffrey Wan brought the Jeffs back as he defeated Bergesen 6-2, 6-1 in the #4 slot to make it a 3-2 contest.

That would be Amherst’s only win in singles play as Thomson and Mayer wrapped up their matches to clinch the 5-2 victory. Thomson defeated Subramanian 6-2, 6-2 at #5, while Mayer was a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Schwartz at #3.

Middlebury advanced to the NCAA Regional final with a 5-0 win over Southern Maine. The Panthers had little trouble with Southern Maine as they captured all three doubles matches before holding convincing leads in singles play. The Panthers won the first set of all six singles matches, losing just two games. Thompson was the first player to earn a victory for Middlebury, defeating Derek Stevenson 6-0, 6-0 in the #5 singles slot. Marinkovic sealed the win as he won his #6 singles match over Ian Carey with a pair of 6-0, 6-0 sets.
• Men’s tennis record: 20-1
• Up next: 5/15 vs. Depauw (NCAA Quarterfinals @ Washington Univ.) – 2:00

BASEBALL CLOSES WITH 10 WINS IN LAST 11 GAMES

The Middlebury College baseball team finished the season with 10 wins in its last 11 games as they had a 5-1 week. The week began as they fell at Castleton, 13-6. The Spartans plated 13 runs in the bottom of the third inning and held on to win a 13-6 non-league contest at home.

Middlebury got on the board first with three runs in the first inning. Junior Gabe Broughton (Barrington, R.I.) led off the game with a walk and was followed by a junior Nick Lefeber (Branford, Conn.) single, a walk to senior Noah Walker (Oakland, Calif.) and an RBI-single from junior John Lanahan (Jacksonville, Fla.) to start the game off. After a strikeout, senior Sam Timberg (Bethesda, Md.) delivered a two-run single to put the Panthers out in front. Middlebury would plate one more in the top of the third on a Peter Bauman (Denver, Colo.) sacrifice fly to take a 4-0 lead.

Middlebury starter, Lanahan was lights-out for the first two innings, allowing just one hit his first time through the Spartan order.

The third inning was another story as the second time through the order sparked some offense for Castleton. Travis Bass led off the inning with a triple to centerfield and was followed by a walk, a Phil Puleo RBI-single and an error. Chris Ragis then drove a three-run homerun to the opposite field to give Castleton a 5-4 lead.

Castleton sent 18 men to the plate in the decisive inning, plating 10 earned runs, nine hits and capitalizing on five Panther walks. Lanahan collected a pair of hits, while Timberg drove in three runs to lead the 14-11 Panthers.

Middlebury scored four runs in the sixth inning on its way to a 6-5 victory over Lyndon State. The visitors held a 2-0 lead after three with solo runs in the first and third innings. The run in the first was unearned, while Josh Wells singled through the left side to score Jesse Hersey in the third.

Middlebury cut the lead in half with a solo homer to left from sophomore Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.), while first-year player Alex Blair (Salem, Mass.) hit a similar shot in the fifth to tie the game at two.

The Panthers then scored four runs on three hits and two errors in the sixth inning. First-year player Danny Seymour (Weston, Conn.) drove in junior Tyler Lohman (El Cerrito, Calif.) with a single, while Lefeber hit a two-run single to left. Junior Gabe Broughton (Barrington, Ill.) scored an unearned run later in the inning on a fielding error.

Lyndon came back in the ninth as they scored three unearned runs to cut the lead to 6-5. A fielding error and throwing error on the same play allowed a pair of runs to score on a ball hit by Jordan Royer, who later scored on a ground out.

Middlebury used four pitchers on the afternoon, each of them throwing effectively. Sophomore Robert Palladino (Belmont, Mass.) got the start and threw a pair of innings, before giving way to first-year Matt Lowes (Houston, Texas), who tossed three innings. Junior Christian Hansen (Laramie, Wyo.) moved to 3-1 with two saves on the year, as he tossed a pair of shutout innings. Junior Jack Britton (Carmel, Calif.) tossed the eighth and ninth, allowing no earned runs. Broughton went 3-4, while Lefeber, Lohman and Matson each had a pair of hits. Lefeber drove in two runs, while Matson scored twice.

Middlebury won both games of a double-header against Bowdoin on Saturday, winning 6-4 in a scheduled seven inning game and 13-10 in a nine inning contest at Forbes Field. The Panthers improve to 17-11 overall, while the Polar Bears drop to 18-14 completing their regular season.

In the first inning of game one, Bowdoin’s Joe Berte lined a single to center, scoring Chris McCann from second base. The Panthers answered in the bottom of the inning, exploding for four runs on five hits, highlighted by RBI doubles by Walker and sophomore Mark Shimrock (Lansdale, Pa.), giving Middlebury a 4-1 lead.

In the third inning, Britton allowed consecutive walks to start the inning. Back-to-back RBI singles by Berte and Patrick Duchette cut the lead to 4-3. One batter later, a one-out single by John Lawrie plated Berte tie the game at four.

The top of the fifth saw Britton in another jam, as he struck out the side with runners on first and second. Middlebury took a 6-4 lead on back-to-back solo home runs by Walker and Lanahan.

In the sixth, with runners on second and third and two outs, Britton intentionally walked Berte to face Duchette, who lined out to end the inning. Britton put the Polar Bears down in order in the seventh and final inning for the win.

Walker went 2-3 with a double and a homer to go with his two RBI, as Broughton and Lefeber added a pair of hits for the Panthers. Berte was 3-3 with two RBI, while McCann collected two hits and scored two runs for Bowdoin.

Britton went all seven innings, matching a career-high with 11 strikeouts, improving his record to 4-1 on the year. Bowdoin’s starting pitcher Luke Potter dropped to 1-3, allowing all six earned runs over five innings of work. Carter Butland pitched one inning of relief in the sixth for the Polar Bears.

In game two, trailing 2-0 after one inning, the Panthers tied it up in the bottom of the second with RBI singles by Seymour and Blair. An RBI double by Shimrock in the third inning gave Middlebury a 3-2 lead.

Bowdoin regained the lead in the fourth on a two-out single by McCann. Butland relieved Polar Bear starter Ryan Turgeon in the fourth inning and was greeted with six runs on just two hits as the Polar Bear committed three errors in the inning. A bases-loaded three-run double by Broughton highlighted the scoring as Middlebury built a 9-4 advantage.

The Panthers tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth when Lanahan and Shimrock connected with RBI singles for an 11-4 lead.

Hansen relieved junior Justin Wright (W. Simsbury, Conn.) in the seventh, giving up three runs, including a two-run homer to left by Reid Auger. Joe Pace followed Auger with a homer to centerfield, cutting the lead to 11-7.

Bowdoin’s Ian Merry started the seventh in relief of Butland, allowing a pair of runs on RBI singles by Lefeber and Shimrock. Trailing 13-7 in the ninth, Bowdoin led off the inning with four consecutive hits, including doubles by Jon Koperniak and Nick Lawler, cutting the lead to 13-10. After hitting Jason Koperniak with a pitch, Hansen was pulled for sophomore Steve Shortle (Rutland, Vt.). With runners on first and second and no outs, Shortle struck out Lawrie and enticed McCann into a game-ending 1-6-3 double play to earn the save.

Six Panthers had multiple hits in game two, led by Shimrock’s 3-5, 4 RBI performance, while Lefeber added three hits and scored four runs. Jon Koperniak and Pace each had three hits to lead the Polar Bears.

Wright collected the win for the Panthers, allowing four earned runs and striking out six over six innings, improving his record to 4-1, as Shortle earned his first save of the season. Bowdoin starter Ryan Turgeon took the loss, giving up seven earned runs over three innings, dropping his record to 5-2.

Middlebury ended their baseball season beating Bates 12-1 and 10-5 on Sunday at Forbes Field. The Panthers complete their season winning 10 of their final 11 games for a 19-11 record. Bates drops to 6-21 and will finish their season with a pair of games against Fisher on Monday.

In game one, the Panthers struck early, scoring three runs in the first inning highlighted by an RBI double by Walker. Middlebury added four more in the second, building a 7-0 advantage.

A third inning solo homer run to left center by Timberg added to the lead. Bates scored their lone run in the fourth on a two-out single by Tom Beaton, setting the score at 8-1.

The Panthers added three runs in the fifth inning with Lanahan’s two-run single down the left field line. One batter later, Dillon laced an RBI single up the middle for an 11-1 lead. Blair capped the scoring in the sixth, with a towering solo homer to deep left center.

The Panthers had five players with multiple hits, as Lefeber went 3-4 and Lanahan went 3-4 with three RBI. Walker went 2-3 with a double and two RBI, while Timberg had a pair of hits, including his round-tripper, for the Panthers. Bates’ Brian Buckley was 2-3, while Alex Egelson’s double was the lone extra base hit for the Bobcats.

Palladino went all seven innings, giving up one earned run and scattered seven hits to improve to 4-1. Bates starter Benjamin Shwartz took the loss, going an inning and a third, allowing six earned runs.

Bates was declared the home team in game two. In the bottom of the first, Bates scored three runs on just two hits. With the bases-loaded, Panther starter Lowes walked in the first run. A sacrifice fly by Egelson plated another, while an RBI single from Alex Maulucci scored the third run.

In the third inning, the visiting Panthers erupted for five runs, including a towering three-run homer to deep left field by Lanahan. Middlebury added two more in the fourth before Timberg clobbered his second home run of the day in the fifth, building an 8-3 lead.

Bates cut the lead to 8-4 on an RBI double by Tyler Maxwell in the sixth. Middlebury answered with two more runs in the seventh on RBI hits by Timberg and Blair. In the bottom of the seventh, Walker made his first pitching appearance of the season, striking out the first batter he faced before allowing consecutive singles. A sacrifice fly by Erik Hood scored Brian Mahoney to complete the scoring as Walker struck out the final batter to end the game.

Middlebury was led by Broughton’s 3-5 game with a double and two runs scored, as Lanahan went 2-4 with the homer and a double to go with his three RBI. Timberg had a pair of hits including his homer for the Panthers, while Walker added a triple. Denis Hogan and Brian Buckley went 2-4 to pace the Bobcats.

Lowes pitched four innings for the Panthers, giving up three hits and no earned runs to go 1-0 on the year. Larry Hinkle got the loss, going two-and-one-third innings for the Bobcats.

Walker ends his career as one of the best players in Middlebury history. He tied for first in these categories: doubles (32), triples (8), walks (61) and is in first all alone in runs scored (101). Walker is tied for second all-time with a sparkling .393 batting average and is second in hits with 135.
• Baseball final record: 19-11

MEN’S GOLF COMPETES AT WILLIAMS

The Panther men's golf team played its final regular season match of the year as they took part in the Williams Quad. Senior Chad Bellmare (Bedford, N.Y.) led the team with a 78, followed by junior George Baumann (Mequon, Wis.) and sophomore Harrison Bane (Marblehead, Mass.), who each shot an 80. Sophomore Mike McCormick (Oak Park, Ill.) followed with an 82, while sophomore Ashley Miller (Williston, Vt.) came in with an 87.
• Men’s golf competes at Williams
• Up next: 5/15 @ NCAA Championship

TRACK & FIELD COMPETES AT NEW ENGLANDS

The Panther track & field team competed at the New England Championships hosted by Springfield last weekend. Senior Claire Schultz (W. Barnstable, Mass.) won the 800, capturing the event with a time of 2:16.9. Schultz, along with sophomore Simone Weisman (Newton, Mass.) and first-year racers Claire Zutz (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Anjuli Demers (Dracut, Mass.) placed second in the 4x400 in 4:01.47.

Finishing third in the pole vault was sophomore Emer Feighery (Westborough, Mass.), clearing 10’2”, while senior Meira Lifson (Edina, Minn.) also cleared the same height, placing fifth. Earning a third place finish in the discus was senior Bobby Marcoux (Campbell Hall, N.Y.), with a toss of 146’3”.

Sophomore Kelley Coughlan (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) came in fourth in the triple jump (35’7.25”), while sophomore Jennifer Brenes (Lawrence, Mass.) placed fifth in the 100 hurdles (15.08).
• Track teams race at N.E.’s
• Up next: 5/11 @ Open N.E.’s (Dartmouth)

WOMEN’S GOLF HEADED TO NCAA’S

The Middlebury College women's golf team will make its first appearance in the NCAA Championships after an impressive season. The Panthers will take part in the four-round event, beginning on Tuesday, May 8th.

The championship will be held at the El Campeon Golf Course at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. The event is hosted by Oglethorpe University and the Central Florida Sports Commission.
• Women’s golf @ NCAA’s (5/8-11)

SOFTBALL ENDS SEASON

The Panther softball team wrapped up its season with a 4-2 win at Norwich. Middlebury broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the fifth and sixth innings for a 4-2 victory over the Cadets.

The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning when Middlebury's Lily Hamburger (Silver Spring, Md.) crossed the plate on a Carolyn Davis (Sparta, N.J.) RBI single. Senior Colleen Sullivan (Concord, Mass.) added a run off an Amelia Magistrali (Torrington, Conn.) RBI single.

Norwich answered in the bottom of the fourth with runs by Whitney Grennon and Christine Carroll. Both Whitney and Carroll went 2-3 at the plate with Grennon recording her second triple of the season.

The Panthers moved ahead 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning when senior Ellen Sargent (St. Albans, Vt.) doubled and scored on Hamburger's RBI single. Senior Maura Casey (Garden City, N.Y.) scored on a single from Sargent in the seventh to seal the 4-2 win.

Sargent went 3-4 in the game, while Casey and Hamburger each had two hits. Jennifer Williams earned the win in relief.
• Softball final record: 21-12

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