For Release: December 4, 2006

WOMEN’S HOCKEY OPENS HOME SCHEDULE
The Middlebury College women's hockey team won its first two home games of the season last weekend at the Kenyon Arena. The Panthers improved to 4-1 on the season as they defeated Connecticut College 6-0. Middlebury scored three second period goals to put the game out of reach, out shooting the Camels 38-10 on the night.

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead just 1:08 into the game with a power play goal. First-year player Ashley Bairos (Van Nuys, Calif.) found the back of the net as her shot trickled through the pads of Lauren Mellen. The Panthers took a 2-0 lead at 16:50 as Bairos scored another power play goal, this one from the left point.

Senior Shannon Sylvester (Randolph, N.J.) put home a rebound after a sophomore Molly Vitt (Kenilworth, Ill.) shot 4:26 into the second period to make it a 3-0 game. Just over three minutes later, rookie Clare Zutz (Minneapolis, Minn.) found sophomore Randi Dumont (Greene, Maine) in the low slot for a goal, before sophomore Erika Nakamura (Boston, Mass.) made it a 5-0 game when she scored on her own rebound at 14:04 in the second period.

Middlebury’s first-year player Jessica Bennett (Surrey, B.C.) scored the only goal of third period as she slid a shot over the goal line after Nakamura’s shot had been saved. Junior Angie Todd (Kent, Wash.) ended the night with 10 saves to earn the win, while Lauren Mellen made 32 saves for the Camels.

Middlebury scored the game’s only goal midway through the second period as they held on for a 1-0 win over Amherst. The Panthers were out shot 28-23 on the night, but were able to come away with the win.

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead at the 10:27 mark of the first period with a power play goal. Senior Shannon Tarrant (Brookfield, Conn.) fed the puck down low to sophomore Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) who quickly found Sylvester for the goal.

The game remained scoreless through two periods, with both teams having several power play opportunities. Each team had a five-on-three advantage but could not take advantage. The best chances came for Amherst’s Anna MacLean, as she hit the post with her first shot, before her second shot was robbed by a glove save by first-year goaltender Lani Wright (Reading, Mass.). The Jeffs threatened in the third period, holding an 11-3 shots advantage, but could not tally the equalizer.

Wright was impressive in net, making 28 saves to earn the shutout, while Krystyn Elek made 22 saves for Amherst.
• Women’s hockey record: 5-1
• Up next: 12/8 vs. Neumann – 7:00

SWIM TEAMS SPLIT WITH AMHERST
The Panther men's and women's swimming and diving teams hosted Amherst on Saturday, each picking up a win. The Middlebury men were 163-135 winners, while the Jeff women were 162-136 victors.

Sophomore Zach Woods (Monroe, N.Y.) led the men’s team with three wins on the afternoon. He won the 100 back in 53.61, finished first in the 200 back with a time of 1:57.06, while capturing the 200 IM in 1:59.49.

Also winning two events on the day were seniors Robert Collier (Catonsville, Md.), Tim Lux (Sandy Hook, Conn.) and Michael Young (Leawood, Kan.). Collier won the 100 fly in 52.51 and the 200 fly in 1:57.91, while Lux won the 100 breaststroke (1:01.23) and the 200 breaststroke (2:15.83). Young won both the one-meter (245.10) and three-meter (245.63) diving competitions.

Middlebury’s other winner on the afternoon was sophomore Kevin O’Rourke (Chagrin Falls, Ohio), who finished with a time of 4:52.29 in the 500 free.

Pacing the Middlebury women was Marika Ross (Shorewood, Wis.), who won three events. The junior won the 200 fly (2:07.29), 100 free (53.26) and the 100 fly (57.46). The Panther’s other winner in swimming events was senior Barbara Van der Veer (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who won the 50 free in 25.11.

Winning both the one meter (234.15) and three-meter (230.40) diving events was junior Alanna Hanson (Golden Bridge, N.Y.).
• Women’s swim record: 0-1, men’s swim record: 1-0
• Up next: 12/9 @ Springfield

Middlebury fell behind early in the game and trailed by as many as eight points. Behind 24-16 with 7:20 to go, the Panthers went on a 13-3 run to end the first half. Junior Katie Fisher (Oakland, Calif.) led the comeback with three baskets, while sophomore Ashley Barron’s (Brockton, Mass.) three-pointer with 1:06 left gave Middlebury the 29-27 lead heading into halftime.

The Panthers never looked back, going on a 10-1 run extending their lead to 39-28 with 16:00 left in the game. Skidmore’s lone second half threat cut the lead to 43-37 at the 12:17 mark. Middlebury answered with an impressive 20-5 run building a 63-42 advantage with a little over three minutes remaining. During the decisive run, the Panthers were 12-14 from the line.

Middlebury was led by Fisher’s game-high 18 points and junior Lani Young’s (Concord, N.H.) 11. Barron chipped in eight points and equaled the game-high in rebounds with nine. Sophomore Emily Johnson (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) also had nine boards for the Panthers.

Middlebury played its second game in as many days as they fell 71-58 at Union. The Panthers came out strong, jumping out to a 15-5 lead behind a pair of three's from Johnson. Union came back to take the lead and eventually trail by one, 27-26 at the half.

The Dutchwomen took a 31-29 lead with 18:01 remaining in the second half and never trailed again. A quick 6-0 spurt gave them a 39-30 lead at the 15:15 mark, as they held a double-digit lead for most of the second half. Johnson ended the game with 16 points, while Barron added 15.
• Women’s basketball record: 4-2
• Up next: 12/5 vs. Plymouth – 5:30, 12/7 vs. G. Mountain –7:00, 12/9 @ Smith

WOMEN’S SQUASH GOES 1-3 AT WESLEYAN INVITATIONAL
The Panther women’s squash team had a busy weekend as they played four matches at the Wesleyan Invitational. Middlebury dropped a tight 5-4 match to Colby before falling 6-3 to Bates on Friday night. The Panthers then fell to Bowdoin 8-1 before rolling over Smith, 9-0 on Saturday.

Four different Middlebury players had 3-1 records on the weekend, while first-year player Brooke Beatt (W. Hartford, Conn.) went 2-2. Seniors Hannah Baker (New York, N.Y.) and Elizabeth Parker (Greenwich, Conn.), along with sophomore Sarah Hatfield (Barrington, R.I.) and first-year player Elisabeth McMorris (New York, N.Y.) each earned 3-1 marks.
• Women’s squash record: 2-3
• Up next: 1/12-14 @ Yale Invit.

MEN’S BASKETBALL HAS 1-1 WEEK
Rensselaer went on a decisive 8-0 run late in the game as the Red Hawks spoiled Middlebury’s home-opener with a 69-64 win over the Panthers in Pepin Gym. The Panthers shot just 9 of 28 (.321) from the free throw line as they moved to 2-3 on the season.

Middlebury jumped out to a 10-2 lead early, holding Rensselaer scoreless for the game’s first 4:53 of play. The Red Hawks battled back to tie the game at 24 on a hoop from Sam Simmons with 5:03 remaining in the first half. Rensselaer later took its first lead of the game before back-to-back three’s from Middlebury’s junior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) gave the Panthers a 33-28 lead at the halftime break.

The game remained tight until late in the game when the Red Hawk’s spurt gave them some breathing room as Ricky Philatre hit a pair of shots during the decisive run. Middlebury battled back and cut the lead to four on a hoop from sophomore Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) with 35 seconds remaining, but that’s as close as they’d come.

Harris led the Panthers with a game-high 21 points, including four three’s, while sophomore Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) scored 11 and grabbed six boards. Rudin scored 10 points with four assists, while senior Evan Thompson (New York, N.Y.) had eight points and 10 rebounds.

The Panthers bounced back from the loss with a 76-70 win at Union on Saturday. Middlebury placed five players in double figures, while shooting .593 from the floor in the second half.

Thompson led the balanced scoring attack with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Rudin scored 14 points, first-year player Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) netted 13, while Smith and Harris had 10 points apiece.
• Men’s basketball record: 3-3
• Up next: 12/5 vs. S. Vermont – 7:30, 12/9 @ Hamilton

MEN’S HOCKEY SPLITS A WEEKEND ROADTRIP
The Middlebury College men’s hockey team mustered up a win and a loss in a pair of NESCAC/ECAC East games over the weekend. The Panthers fell 2-0 at Southern Maine in a game shortened by 12 minutes due to a power failure. The Panthers trailed 2-0 with 11:59 remaining in the third period when the power went out in the arena and on much of the campus. The coaches agreed to make the game a 2-0 final.

The Huskies got the only goal in the opening period at 13:19 when Mike Stevens' shot from the blue line was redirected by Bobby Siers past Middlebury sophomore goaltender Doug Reader (Needham, Mass.) for his first goal of the season. Mark Carragher added a man-advantage goal early in the second period set up by Dane Marshall and Chris Helms. Middlebury ended the game with a slim 19-16 advantage in shots, with Raeder making 14 saves in the loss.

Middlebury bounced back with a solid defensive effort as junior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.) made 18 saves en route to a 5-0 shutout at Salem State. The Panthers out shot the Vikings 56-18 on the afternoon.

Sophomore Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead 7:39 into the first period. Junior Mickey Gilchrist (Ottawa, Ont.) scored the lone goal of the second period on the power play at 17:23 to give Middlebury a 2-0 lead.

The Panthers scored three third period goals to seal the win. Gilchrist netted the first, shorthanded, rookie John Sullivan (Delmar, N.Y.) then found the back of the net on the power play, before Gilchrist earned the hat trick. Junior Robert MacIntyre (Calgary, Alberta) added three assists in the game.
• Men’s hockey record: 4-2
• Up next: 12/8 @ Plattsburgh

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