For Release: October 23, 2006
WOMEN’S TENNIS ENDS FALLS SEASON
The Middlebury College women’s tennis team ended its fall season with a solid showing at the NEWITT Championships at Mt. Holyoke/Smith over the weekend.
After earning a first round bye, senior Emily Holick (Sudbury, Mass.) won four matches to capture the #4 singles title. She cruised to straight-set wins in her first three matches, before winning the final 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.
Sophomore Elizabeth Emery (McLean, Va.) advanced to the semifinals in the #6 singles bracket, winning three matches before bowing out 6-3, 6-2. Junior Amy Berkman (Shelburne, Vt.) also moved into the semifinal round, winning a pair of matches before falling 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 to the eventual champion. Sophomore Clare Burke (Summit, N.J.) had a first round bye, won a match and then fell in the quarterfinal round.
In doubles play, Emery and junior Claire Smyser (Houston, Texas) along with Holick and sophomore Chandra Kurien (Fairfield, Conn.) each won two matches before being eliminated in the quarterfinals.
• Women’s tennis ends fall season
WOMEN’S SOCCER PICKS UP A PAIR OF WINS
The Panther women’s soccer team picked up two wins last week. A Middlebury win against Trinity Saturday, or a loss by Colby or Williams, will lock up a NESCAC Tournament first-round home game for the Panthers next Sunday.
Middlebury received a four-goal performance off the bench from rookie Nora Tomlinson Weintraub (Burlingame, Calif.) and solo tallies from three other players to defeat Castleton 7-1. The four goals in a game tied the Middlebury school record.
After spending the first 15 minutes of the game getting acclimated to a very wet and sloppy playing field, senior Laura Kwoh (Pittsburgh, Pa.) rebounded her own missed shot off the post and sent it home to break the scoreless tie. Just one minute later senior Kim Walker (Ridgewood, N.J.) scored what would prove to be the game-winner after she sent home a rebound off the post. The game would remain 2-0 until the 55th minute when senior Erin Oliver (Essex Junction, Vt.) took a lead pass from senior Abby Kurtz-Phelan (Denver, Colo.) to make it 3-0. Castleton would answer in the 62nd minute when Tracy Stala scored her 13th goal of the year. After that it was all Middlebury’s Tomlinson Weintraub as she scored four consecutive goals to put the game out of reach. Sophomore Adele Plunkett (Austin, Texas) earned the win in goal.
Middlebury outshot Bates 24-7 on its way to a 5-0 NESCAC win on Dragone Field. Oliver opened the scoring at the 21:09 mark as she scored with a shot from 10 feet out on the left side. Tomlinson Weintraub made it a 2-0 game at 31:16 a she ripped a shot to the top left corner from 18 yards away. Junior Carly Berger (Princeton, N.J.) scored with a bullet from 15 yards out on the left to give the Panthers a comfortable 3-0 lead with 2:06 left in the first half.
The lead grew to 4-0 at 55:53 as sophomore Ashley Pfaff (Charlotte, Vt.) earned her second assist of the game with a crossing pass to senior Caitrin Abshere (Madison, Wis.), who scored after the pass had deflected off the goalkeeper. Pfaff scored the game’s final goal at 77:24 with a hard shot from the left side. Plunkett earned her fifth shutout of the season with five saves.
• Women’s soccer record: 8-2-1
• Up next: 10/24 @ Plattsburgh, 10/28 vs. Trinity – 1:30, 10/29 vs. TBA (NESCAC 1st Rd.) - 12:30
FOOTBALL TEAM ROLLS OVER BATES
The Middlebury College football team ran its record to 4-1 on the season as they handed Bates (0-5) a 31-7 loss on Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium. The Panthers gained 324 yards of total offense on the day, while holding the Bobcats to 196. Middlebury senior quarterback Tiger Lyon (El Paso, Texas) accounted for all four Panther touchdowns on the afternoon.
Middlebury wasted little time as Lyon found senior Stefan Hrdina (W. Redding, Conn.) on a short completion, before the running back scampered down the field for a 59-yard scoring play. The touchdown came at 13:59 of the first quarter, on the Panthers’ third play from scrimmage.
Bates would answer with a drive at the end of the first quarter, ending with a touchdown at 12:32 of the second quarter. Jamie Walker gained 31 yards on the drive, including a one-yard plunge into the end zone.
Middlebury regained the lead later in the quarter, as they took advantage of a fumble that was recovered by junior Erik Woodring (Cos Cob, Conn.). On the ensuing drive, Lyon hit sophomore Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.) for 31 yards to put Middlebury at the Bates 23. Three plays later, senior Steve Hauschka (Needham, Mass.) booted a 41-yarder to give Middlebury a 10-7 lead at the half.
Middlebury senior Matthew Morrissey (Rockville, Md.) intercepted a pass on Bates’ first drive of the second half, leading to a Panther touchdown. Junior David Randolph (Madison, Conn.) moved the ball up the field with a 19-yard rush, before catching a 19-yard touchdown pass from Lyon to cap the drive.
The Panthers added to their lead on the next drive, as a 17-yard completion to Hrdina set up a 19-yard scoring strike from Lyon to senior Christopher Schmidt (Winnetka, Ill.) to give Middlebury a 24-7 lead with 5:22 left in the third quarter.
Middlebury scored its final touchdown on a 12-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a one-yard run by Lyon at the 11:50 mark of the fourth quarter.
Lyon ended the day 15 of 27 for 218 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while Randolph rushed for 49 yards on the afternoon. Senior tight end Jamie Staples (Pacific Grove, Calif.) caught a team-high four passes for 27 yards, while junior Derek Polsinello (Schenectady, N.Y.) made three catches for 30 yards. Senior Scott Secor (Lake Odessa, Mich.) led the Middlebury defense with 10 tackles, while Woodring had nine. The Panther defense had nine plays for lost yardage, including senior Kevin Ryan’s (Shelton, Conn.) NESCAC-leading 10.5th sack of the season.
• Football record: 4-1
• Up next: 10/28 @ Trinity – 12:30
FIELD HOCKEY TOPS BATES
The Panther field hockey team won its only game of the week as they defeated Bates. Middlebury is now in a first place tie with Bowdoin with one game remaining. The Polar Bears hold the tiebreaker and could earn the top seed in the tournament with a win or a Middlebury loss on Saturday. If the Panthers finish in second place, they would host a NESCAC first-round game on Sunday at 1:00. Middlebury is ranked fifth in the latest (10/16) Division III national poll.
Middlebury earned its sixth shutout of the season as they defeated Bates 3-0 on Kohn Field. Senior Dana Rye (Virginia Beach, Va.) earned the hat-trick for the Panthers, taking over the team-lead with nine goals on the season.
Middlebury got on the board at the 13:25 mark as Rye converted a nice crossing pass from junior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.). The lead doubled with 6:13 left in the half, as Rye drove down the field near the end line, before scoring with a shot to the far corner. Rye completed the hat-trick with just 2:07 remaining as junior Marnie Rowe (Harwich, Mass.) made a nice crossing pass to Rye on a breakaway.
Senior goalie Meghan McGillen (Harwich, Mass.) made six saves in goal to earn her sixth shutout of the season.
• Field hockey record: 11-1
• Up next: 10/25 @ Rensselaer, 10/28 vs. Trinity – 11:00, 10/29 – NESCAC 1st Rd. (tentative) – 1:00
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL PLAYS FIVE MATCHES
The Middlebury College women’s volleyball team had a busy week as they hosted Plymouth before playing four matches at the Hall of Fame Classic hosted by Smith.
Middlebury opened the week with a 3-1 win over Plymouth State in the Pepin Gym. Junior Lexie Fisher (San Francisco, Calif.) had 19 kills in the win, while first-year player Kate Lupo (Weston, Conn.) added a dozen. Sophomore Olivia Minkhorst (Atlanta, Ga.) paced the defense with 25 digs, Fisher added 17, while senior Lacee Patterson (Aspen, Colo.) had 47 assists.
The Panthers opened their weekend at the Hall of Fame Classic with a 3-0 win over Smith. Fisher had 11 kills and six block assists, while sophomore Kate Heath (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) had 10. Minkhorst earned 19 digs, while Patterson had 14 with 33 assists.
Later on Friday night, the Panthers fell 3-0 to Williams. Fisher had 13 kills and 12 digs in the loss, while Minkhorst added 15 digs.
In their first match on Saturday, Middlebury went down to Springfield by a score of 3-1. Heath picked up 18 kills, Lupo added 12, while Fisher had 11. Minkhorst had 35 digs in the match, Fisher had 18, while sophomore Josie Keller (York, Pa.) had 3.5 blocks.
The weekend ended with a 3-0 loss to Wellesley. Lupo picked up eight kills, Heath added six, while sophomore Lindsay Patterson (Aspen, Colo.) had nine digs.
• Women’s volleyball record: 12-12
• Up next: 10/25 vs. Williams – 7:00, 10/27 vs. Amherst @ Hamilton, 10/28 @ Hamilton
MEN’S SOCCER DROPS ITS ONLY GAME OF THE WEEK
The Panther men’s soccer team dropped its only game of the week as they fell to Bates on Saturday. Middlebury is assured a spot in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament and will play a first-round road game on Sunday with its opponent to be announced.
Bates scored the game’s only goal at 66:24 as the Bobcats handed Middlebury a 1-0 loss on Dragone Field. The first half saw both teams with some chances to score, but none may have been better than a great save made by Rob Munro of Bates late in the half on an own-goal opportunity.
Middlebury slowly took control of play in the second half, including a great chance for sophomore Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.), on a crossing pass at the 57-minute mark. Bates took advantage of an opportunity 10 minutes later, as a crossing pass from 10 yards out was knocked in by Duane Pelz in a heap of traffic. That would be the game’s lone goal as the Bobcats held on for the win.
Sophomore Brian Bush (Madison, Wis.) made a pair of saves in goal for Middlebury, while Rob Munro made three stops to earn the shutout for Bates. The Panthers held a 10-0 advantage in corner kicks on the afternoon.
• Men’s soccer record: 8-4
• Up next: 10/25 vs. Keene – 2:30, 10/28 vs. Trinity – 11:00, 10/29 @ TBA (NESCAC 1st Rd.)
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