For Release: October 22, 2007

WOMEN’S SOCCER PICKS UP TWO WINS

The Middlebury College women’s soccer team Middlebury had little trouble with Castleton State on Tuesday, as the Panthers outshot the Spartans 39-1 on their way to a 10-0 victory on Dragone Field.

Junior Ashley Pfaff (Charlotte, Vt.) scored the game’s first two goals, the second coming on a cross from sophomore Margaret Owen (Bozeman, Mont.) as Pfaff blasted a shot home from the right side. Senior Caitlin Parker (Seattle, Wash.) headed in a corner kick from first-year player Katie Ruymann (Medford, N.J.) at 30:07, before Ruymann scored a goal of her own 4:03 later as she quickly turned and fired a hard shot into the back of the net. First-year player Kirsten Lundquist (Boxford, Mass.) beat Castleton State keeper Micole Bellimer one-on-one for the final goal of the half at the 43:13 mark.

Rookie Gabriella Curbelo-Zeidman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added two second half goals, sophomore Anne Ford (Dexter, Mich.) scored one, while sophomore Jamie Mittelman (Dover, Mass.) and senior Elise Tarbi (Stow, Mass.) netted the first of their careers as the Panthers cruised to a 10-0 win.

First-year keeper Lauryn Torch (Bronxville, N.Y.) was forced to make no saves to earn the shutout, while Bellimer (70 min.) and Cady Kerin (20 min) combined to make 15 saves for Castleton.

Middlebury struck for five goals in the first half en route to a 7-2 NESCAC women's soccer victory over host Bates College on Saturday. Pfaff scored in the 13th minute to put the Panthers ahead for good at 2-1, and added another score 16 minutes later for her seventh goal of the season. Owen, sophomore Paola Carbonargi (Staten Island, N.Y.), Parker, junior Zoe Victor (Seattle, Wash.) and senior Carly Berger (Princeton, N.J.) all added goals for the Panthers (8-3-2, 4-3-1 NESCAC), with Parker and Berger adding one assist apiece.

Bates (2-10, 0-8 NESCAC) received a game-tying goal on a penalty kick in the 12th minute by Molly Wagner, her second goal of the season. Amy Werblin added her first goal of the season with 2:30 left in the game.

Middlebury took a 5-1 lead into halftime and didn't score again until the 85th minute, as Berger assisted Victor's goal before adding one of her own a minute later on a breakaway.

Middlebury outshot Bates by a 28-10 margin, as Bates goalkeepers Brittney French and Emily Staszak combined for eight saves, with French starting the game and Staszak working the second half.

Torch started and made three saves for the Panthers, while junior goalkeeper Adele Plunkett (Austin, Texas) played the second half and made two more saves.

A Middlebury win at Trinity on Saturday, combined with a Bowdoin loss vs. Wesleyan, would give the Panthers the fourth seed and the right to host a first-round game on Sunday. Other results would put Middlebury on the road for a Sunday contest.
• Women’s soccer record: 8-3-2
• Up next: 10/27 @ Trinity, 10/28 vs. TBA (NESCAC First-Round, site TBA) – 12:00

FOOTBALL WINS AT BATES

The Panther football team ran its record to 4-1 on the year as they picked up a 13-0 shutout win at Bates. The Panthers out-gained the Bobcats 378-189 on the afternoon, holding them to just 82 yards passing. The win is the 19^th straight for Middlebury over Bates.

After five punts to start the game, Middlebury got on the board first with 14:04 remaining in the second quarter. First-year quarterback Donald McKillop (Poway, Calif.) completed lengthy passes to first-year player Gary Cooper (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and sophomore James Millard (Greenwich, Conn.) on the drive, setting up a one-yard plunge by Cooper for the 7-0 lead.

Middlebury defensive back Brian Young (W. Bloomfield, Mich.) picked off a pass later in the quarter, returning it 48 yards to the Bates seven-yard line. One play later, senior running back David Randolph (Madison, Conn.) scored from one yard out, making it a 13-0 game after the extra point was blocked.

The closest Bates would come to scoring in the first half saw the series end on downs via a fake field goal on a fourth and two play from the Middlebury 13.

The Panthers had a great chance to add to the lead late in the half, but a long drive ended with a fumble on the Bates one-yard line following a completed pass.

Middlebury held a 13-0 lead at the intermission, with the teams punting on their first seven combined possessions of the second half.

Following a scoreless third quarter, junior Brian Marcks (Glastonbury, Conn.) intercepted a pass at the Bates 45, setting up a Middlebury drive that would end on downs at the Bates 29 early in the fourth.

Middlebury took over possession of the ball late in the game on the Bates 20, after the Bobcats lost the ball on downs. The Panthers marched to the six-yard line, but were content to run the clock out and pick up the 13-0 road win.

Randolph ended the day with 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while McKillop completed 19 of 31 passes for 227 yards with an interception. Millard caught five passes for 80 yards, junior tight end Charles Holm (Longmeadow, Mass.) pulled down five for 59 yards, while junior Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.) earned 39 yards on four catches.

Senior Nate Clancy (Elmhurst, Ill.) had a team-high seven tackles on the afternoon, junior Michael Quinn (Hingham, Mass.) earned six, while Marcks and senior linebacker Erik Woodring (Cos Cob, Conn.) had five apiece.
• Football record: 4-1
• Up next: 10/27 vs. Trinity – 1:00

MEN’S SOCCER TOPS BATES

Sophomore Stephen Hart (Park City, Utah) scored in the 51st minute to lift Middlebury over host Bates 1-0 in a NESCAC men's soccer contest on Saturday. Middlebury raised its overall record to 11-1, 7-1 in conference play, while Bates drops to 4-8-1 overall and 0-7-1 in NESCAC play.

Hart took a crossing pass from first-year player Carson Cornbrooks (Williston, Vt.) and knocked the ball in as Bates scrambled the clear the ball from the area. It was the fourth goal of the season for Hart, second on the team.

Sophomore Jamie Wheeler (Wenham, Mass.) was required to make just one save for the shutout.

A Middlebury win at Trinity on Saturday, combined with an Amherst loss vs. Williams, would give the Panthers the top seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament. Other results would leave Middlebury as the second seed, hosting a first-round game on Sunday at 12:30.
• Men’s soccer record: 11-1
• Up next: 10/23 @ Keene, 11/27 @ Trinity, Tentative - 11/28 vs. TBA (NESCAC First-Round) – 12:30

FIELD HOCKEY HAS 1-1 WEEK

The Panther field hockey team saw its three-game winning streak come to an end as they fell at St. Lawrence. Meg Danielson scored her second goal of the game with no time left on the clock as the Saints earned a non-league win at SLU’s North Country Field Tuesday evening.

Danielson’s game winner came following a penalty corner as the Saints kept the ball alive in front of the Middlebury cage and Kristi Onzik directed it across the front of the goal mouth to Maloney, who was alone at Middlebury goalie Caitlin Pentifallo’s (River Edge, N.J.) left. Maloney slid her shot just past the goaltender’s outstretched pad for her sixth of the season as the Saints improved to 10-2 on the season.

Middlebury, now 8-3, trailed 3-1 at the half, but came back to tie it with a pair of second half goals. The Saints had a chance to retake the lead with 17:03 to go, but Jen Stetson’s penalty stroke try went just wide of the post.

The Panthers took the game’s first eight shots and scored the first goal in a scramble in front of Saint goalie Lindsey Taylor 6:37 into play. Senior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.) scored the goal, her 10th of the season.

SLU tied the game on a penalty corner at 9:50 as forward Brooke Maloney tipped Stetson’s shot at the side of the cage for her first collegiate goal.

SLU took the lead on a two-player break as Joss Elyse Smith and Danielson got behind the Middlebury defense and went in on Pentifallo. Smith made the cross-crease pass and Danielson swept it into the cage at 19:36 to give the Saints a 2-1 lead. Onzik scored her fourth of the season with a tip of Danielson’s shot at 28:57 to give the Saints their 3-1 halftime margin.

The Panthers struck back 6:45 into the second half as Berrien worked the ball into the circle and wristed a shot inside the far post from just inside the circle for her tenth of the year and senior Marnie Rowe (Harwich, Mass.) tied it with her fifth goal of the season on a redirection at the side of the net with 19:10 to play in regulation.

The Saints had three penalty corners in the final two minutes of the game and finally cashed in for the game winner on a play which started just as the clock ran out. Pentifallo made 10 saves for the Panthers, while Taylor stopped seven for the Saints.

Sophomore Heather McCormack (Rowley, Mass.) registered a hat trick in the second half to help Middlebury pull away for a 7-1 victory at Bates.

Bates was strong early, earning five first half corners to Middlebury’s two. Middlebury scored first 18 minutes into the first half when Berrien received a pass in the circle from senior Lacey Farrell (Greenwich, Conn.) with her back facing the goal. Berrien pulled the ball to her right and took a reverse stick shot that beat Bates goaltender Katie McEnroe just inside the far post.

Bates responded just 50 seconds later with a goal from Rachel Greenwood to tie the game 1-1. Greenwood’s goal came off a penalty corner in which Sammy Rothkopf took a direct shot on goal from the top of the circle. Rothkopf’s shot rebounded off Pentifallo as she quickly flicked in the rebound for her fourth goal of the season.

With six minutes left in the half, Middlebury’s first-year player Chase Delano (Greenwich, Conn.) scored her first collegiate goal and what would turn out to be the game-winner to put the Panthers up 2-1.

In the second half, Middlebury opened it up by scoring five unanswered goals despite some impressive saves from McEnroe. The Panthers scored four of those five goals in a seven-minute span. Berrien scored her team leading 13th goal of the season and her second goal of the game on a penalty corner six minutes into the second half to put the Panthers up 3-1. McCormack stole the show for the rest of the game, scoring three of the last four goals while sophomore Mullery Doar (Winnetka, Ill.) tallied two assists in the second half. Sophomore Madeleine Macmillan (Milton, Mass.) also scored in the second half.

Middlebury out-shot Bates 34-22, but Bates retained the edge in penalty corners 9-6. McEnroe made 15 saves in net for the Bobcats, while Pentifallo made six saves for the Panthers.
• Field hockey record: 9-3
• Up next: 10/24 vs. RPI – 3:30, 10/27 @ Trinity, 10/28 host TBA (NESCAC First-Round) – 1:00

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL HAS A BUSY WEEK

The Middlebury College women’s volleyball team took part in the Hall of Fame Classic hosted by Smith and Mt. Holyoke over the weekend, after a mid-week road match.

The Panthers opened with a tight 3-0 loss to Wellesley at Smith. Junior Lindsay Patterson (Aspen, Colo.) had nine kills in the match, while senior Lexie Fisher (San Francisco, Calif.) earned eight. Patterson paced the defense with 15 digs, sophomore Reisa Bloch (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) had eight, while first-year player Whitney Bean (Waukee, Iowa) picked up 5.5 blocks.

Middlebury bounced back later that night with a 3-0 win over Smith. Patterson had 14 kills and 17 digs in the match, while Fisher added nine kills. Junior Olivia Minkhorst (Atlanta, Ga.) had a team-high 24 digs, while first-year player Lauren Barrett (Medfield, Mass.) dished out 31 assists.

The Panthers won their second straight as they were 3-0 winners over Bridgewater State at Mt. Holyoke on Saturday. Fisher led a balanced attack with eight kills, while junior Josie Keller (York, Pa.) picked up six. Minkhorst paced the defense with 11 digs, Bean picked up 4.5 blocks, while Keller had four.

Middlebury fell to Gordon 3-0 in the weekend finale for both teams. Keller and Fisher had 10 kills apiece, while Barrett earned 31 assists and a team-high 14 digs.

Earlier in the week, the Panthers dropped a 3-0 match at Plymouth State. Fisher led the squad with 13 kills, while sophomore Natalie DuPre (Louisville, Ky.) had 21 digs.
• Women’s volleyball record: 15-9
• Up next: 10/24 @ Williams, 10/26-27 @ NESCAC Quad (Conn. College)

WOMEN’S TENNIS ENDS FALLS SEASON

The Panther women’s tennis team wrapped up its fall season at the NEWITT Championships. In singles play, sophomore Jamie Haar (Alpine, N.J.) and first-year player Whitney Hanson (Wayne, Pa.) each won a first round match in their respective brackets. In doubles play, Hanson and senior Amy Berkman (Shelburne, Vt.) drew a bye and earned a win before falling in the quarterfinal round of the tourney.
• end of fall season

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