For Release: January 28, 2008
BEANEY WINS 500TH AS MEN’S HOCKEY TAKES TWO
The Middlebury College men’s hockey team improved its winning streak to 10 games as they picked up a 6-3 road win at New England College. The win was the 500th of his career for Middlebury coach Bill Beaney, who earned his first 86 victories at N.E.C. ('79-'86). Beaney is just the 18th coach in college hockey history to amass 500 wins, sporting a career record of 500-291-45 (28 years), 414-115-28 (21 years at Middlebury). He is currently second among active Division III coaches in wins, while ranking fourth all-time in victories.
The two teams battled evenly through the opening minutes of play but Middlebury rookie Chaz Svoboda (Verdun, Que.) would net his fourth goal of the season at the 5:13 mark to put the Panthers up 1-0. Middlebury wouldn’t waste much time adding to their lead with senior Scott Bartlett (Pittsford, N.Y.) scoring a power-play goal just a minute later putting the Panther up 2-0. Middlebury would add a goal by senior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) late in the period scoring their second power-play goal of the game with just under two minutes remaining in the period to head into the first intermission up 3-0.
NEC would strike early in the second period with Pilgrim’s leading scorer Mark Ehl netting a power-play goal at the 1:02 mark. Ehl would strike again scoring his second power-play goal of the game and his 16th goal of the season at the 9:09 mark to cut the Panther lead to 3-2.
Middlebury would answer in the third period with junior Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) scoring on a break away just 3:17 into the period as the Panthers would regain the two goal lead. Bartlett would net his second goal of the afternoon to give the Panthers a 5-2 cushion with just 10 minutes remaining in the game. Ehl would score his third power-play goal of the night with just under 2:30 remaining but Middlebury would tack on an empty netter from junior Jamie McKenna (Lake Placid, N.Y.) late to capture the 6-3 victory. Junior goaltender Doug Raeder (Needham, Mass.) finished the afternoon with 31 saves.
The previous night, Middlebury earned a 2-1 road win at St. Anselm. The Panthers lit up the scoreboard first, as senior Tom Maldonado (Bronx, N.Y.) scored on the power play at the 13:11 mark in the first period. The Panthers held a commanding 13-4 lead in shots on goal, but Jason Zuck came through with a handful of big saves in the first to keep the Hawks in the game, down just 1-0 after the first frame.
The Panthers scored again at the 12:01 mark in the second giving them a 2-0 lead, with senior Jed McDonald (Hingham, Mass.) firing a wrist-shot from the top of the right face-off circle, getting past Zuck's right pad. The Hawks responded when Matt Grazioso picked up a loose rebound and scored at the 13:43 mark, cutting the lead down to 2-1. Zuck made a spectacular save with just under a minute to play, stacking the pads for the save, keeping the Hawks within one heading into the second intermission.
With no scoring in the third period, the Hawks pulled Zuck with 1:12 left to play in the game. After a Brian Hartigan slapshot from the point, Grazioso collected the rebound and had an empty net, but the shot never reached the net with traffic in front of the net. The Hawks never got another chance, and Middlebury collected the 2-1 victory. Senior goaltender Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.) made 16 saves in goal for the Panthers, while Zuck ended the night with 28.
• Men’s hockey record: 13-2-1
•Up next: 2/1 @ Wesleyan, 2/2 @ Trinity
SWIM TEAMS PICK UP ANOTHER WIN
The Panther swimming and diving teams continued to roll as they both improved to 6-1 with wins over Union. The men were 200.5-93.5 winners, while the women earned a 198-102 victory.
Marika Ross (Shorewood, Wis.) continued her winning ways with three more victories in the meet. The senior made NCAA “B” cuts with wins in the 200 IM (2:08.63) and 100 free (53.04). She also earned a victory in the 100 IM with a time of 1:00.88. Other dual event winners were junior Catherine Suppan (Burlington, Vt.) in the 50 (31.55) and 100 (1:10.08) breaststroke, and first-year swimmer Emily McDonald (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) in the 200 free (1:59.15) and 50 fly (27.65).
Juniors Kevin O’Rourke (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Zach Woods (Monroe, N.Y.) earned three wins on the afternoon to pace the men’s squad. O’Rourke picked up wins in the 100 fly (52.90), 100 free (48.58) and the 50 fly (23.87), while Woods earned wins in the 200 IM (2:01.79), 100 back (53.94) and the 100 IM (55.71). Senior Peter Bell (Deerfield, Mass.) won the 50 (27.60) and 100 (1:00.53) breaststroke, while rookie Ryan Marklewitz (Charlotte, N.C.) earned wins in the 200 (1:46.23) and 500 (4:47.96) free.
• Women’s swim record: 6-1, men’s swim record: 6-1
• Up next: 2/2 @ Williams
WOMEN’S HOCKEY WINS ONLY GAME OF THE WEEK
The Middlebury College women’s hockey team handed Saint Anselm its first loss of the season as the 12-1-2 Panthers defeated the Hawks (14-1), 4-1. The loss snaps Saint Anselm's 18-game unbeaten streak dating back to last season, while it increases Middlebury’s to 13.
At the 13:25 mark of the first period, Middlebury took advantage of a Saint Anselm turnover at the blue line and junior Erika Nakamura (Boston, Mass.) took it the distance and fired a shot into the upper right corner for a 1-0 lead on the shorthanded score. That was how the opening period ended as the Panthers held a 7-6 advantage on shots on goal in the period.
Nakamura extended the lead to 2-0 just 3:40 into the second period with a goal that was assisted on by sophomore Heather McCormack (Rowley, Mass.) and senior Lacey Farrell (Greenwich, Conn.). Just 4:27 later, Middlebury first-year player Anna McNally (St. Paul, Minn.) used a nifty move in front of the net to slide the puck past Saint Anselm netminder Andrea Berlin for her team-leading 12th goal of the season and the 3-0 advantage. The Hawks outshot the Panthers by a 14-10 margin in the period, but couldn't get the puck past sophomore goalie Lani Wright (Reading Mass.), who turned aside 20 shots through the first two periods.
The Hawks got on the board just 1:09 into the third period when Arianna Rigano took a shot that was redirected off a defender's skate and past Wright to cut the lead to 3-1. The goal is the ninth of the season for Rigano. Bianca DeSantis assisted on the score for the Hawks. Middlebury answered right back though with a power-play score at the six-minute mark as senior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) fired a shot from just inside the blue line and past Berlin for the 4-1 edge. A number of skaters were in front of net to block Berlin's view of the puck as Levin notched her fourth goal of the season.
Wright made 25 saves in the victory, while Berlin turned aside 28 shots and falls to 9-1-0 on the season.
• Women’s hockey record: 12-1-2
•Up next: 2/1 @ Colby, 2/2 @ Bowdoin
MEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS A PAIR
Amherst shot 49 percent from the floor and put four players in double-figures as they earned an 83-66 NESCAC road win at Middlebury. The defending national champions entered the game ranked third nationally, as they topped the Panthers before a crowd of 955 in Pepin Gym.
Amherst came out strong early in the first half, connecting on 10 of its first 16 shots to hold a 26-13 lead with 9:36 left in the first half. Andrew Olson sparked the Jeffs run, with seven points in the early going. Middlebury answered with a 9-0 run to cut the advantage to 26-20 at the 7:09 mark. The teams exchanged hoops before Amherst went on a 9-0 run of its own to claim a 38-22 lead with 2:42 left in the first half. First-year player Ryan Wholey (Pelham, N.H.) came off the bench to spark Middlebury late in the half, hitting a pair of three’s with an assist and steal to make it a 40-30 game at the intermission.
The Panthers came within seven early in the second half on a hoop from sophomore Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.), but Amherst continued its hot shooting. The Jeffs led by a dozen midway through the half, before connecting on three straight from behind the arc, a pair by Steven Wheeler, to take a 60-43 lead with 10:12 left to play. Middlebury made a few short runs in the final 10 minutes, but Amherst answered each time and maintained a double-digit lead.
First-year player Ashton Coghlan (New York, N.Y.) led Middlebury with 11 points, while junior Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) had nine points and 11 boards. Junior Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) dished out seven assists in the game for the Panthers.
Trinity held off a last minute charge by Middlebury to escape with a 74-71 win in Pepin Gym. The Panthers connected on just 32 percent of their shots in the second half and went 4 of 16 from behind the arc in the game. The Bantams overcame 18 turnovers forced by the Middlebury defense and converted 15 of 19 free throws on the afternoon.
Trinity led early, with Middlebury taking a 16-15 lead on a hoop from rookie Andrew Locke (Seattle, Wash.) at the 11:07 mark. The Bantams regained the lead, holding a six-point advantage on two different occasions. Middlebury cut the margin to one on a lay-up from Rudin with 1:41 remaining in the half, only to see Patrick Hasiuk hit a three and Aaron Westbrooks convert at the buzzer to give the Bantams a 38-32 lead at the break. The Panthers forced 10 first half turnovers, but were out-rebounded 25-16 in the first 20 minutes.
Trinity extended its lead to 10 points at 47-37 on a three from Brian Ford with 15:56 left to play. Middlebury chipped away on a 12-2 run and tied the game at 49 on a three from junior Kyle Dudley (Scarsdale, N.Y.) at the 10:07 mark. With the game tied at 55, Trinity went on a 6-0 spurt, sparked by a three from Hasiuk to take a 66-51 lead. The Bantams would lead by as many as seven, with the Panthers battling back in the final minute. Six of seven free throw shooting by Middlebury left them trailing 73-68 with six seconds remaining. Coghlan hit a three from the left baseline to make it a 73-71 game with just three seconds left. Following a foul, Russ Martin went to the line for Trinity and hit the first of two shots, with the rebound squirting loose as the buzzer sounded.
Smith led the Panthers with 23 points and 12 rebounds on 9 of 14 shooting from the floor. Coghlan scored 14 points, while senior Mike Walsh (Needham, Mass.) had 11 points and a dozen boards.
• Men’s basketball record: 13-4
•Up next: 1/29 @ S. Vermont, 2/2 @ Williams
MEN’S SQUASH HAS 1-1 WEEK
The Middlebury College men’s squash team defeated Vassar 9-0 on Saturday, before falling by the same score to Williams later in the day.
For complete results see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/mens/squash/2007-2008/news/news_633371188906372997.htm
• Men’s squash record: 10-6
•Up next: 2/1-3 @ NESCAC Championship (Trinity)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HAS THREE-GAME WEEK
The Panther women’s basketball team had a busy week as they played three games on the road. The week began with a 66-55 non-league loss at Hamilton, where the Continentals scored the first eight points and led, 36-27, at halftime. Middlebury never held the lead and the score was tied once, 10-10, early in the first half.
The Panthers made it a five-point game at 54-49 with 5:16 left in the second half, but Jess Barrows' fourth three-pointer with 4:08 remaining started a 5-0 run that put the Continentals up by 10 points. Hamilton iced the game by going 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the last 2:50.
Senior Katie Fisher (Oakland, Calif.) scored 14 points to lead Middlebury, while junior Ashley Barron (Brockton, Mass.) dropped in 12 points. Senior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) led all players with nine rebounds.
Middlebury hung tough but fell 68-59 on the road at 16th-ranked Amherst. The Jeffs took an early lead and led by as many as 12 in the first half. The Panthers cut the lead to six with 3:05 remaining, but found themselves trailing 36-29 at the half.
Middlebury cut the lead to five twice in the second half, but Amherst battled back each time to regain a double-digit lead. The advantage grew to as many as 15 before Middlebury cut the lead to nine on a pair of late free throws from Fisher.
Junior Aylie Baker (Yarmouth, Maine) led Middlebury with 18 points on 9 of 15 shooting, including seven rebounds and five blocks. Barron scored 11, Fisher netted 10, while Young had nine points and 11 boards.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Fallon (Swarthmore, Pa.) came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points, making six out of nine shots from the field, and added six rebounds to lead visiting Middlebury to a 60-59 win over Trinity. The Bantams drop to 8-7 overall and 0-4 in the NESCAC with its fifth consecutive loss, while the Panthers improve to 10-7 overall and 2-2 in the league with their first win in four games.
With the game tied at 51-51 at the seven-minute mark of the second half, the Panthers scored five points in a row and held on down the stretch to hand the Bantams their second one-point loss in the league in as many days. Fisher made a put-back and Barron connected on a three-pointer from the right wing to give Middlebury a 56-51 lead with just under five minutes on the clock.
Trinity’s Claire Arnstein answered with a trey from the right corner and the teams traded baskets after that to make the score, 58-65, in favor of Middlebury with 2:39 remaining. Neither team scored for the next 2:33 until Baron calmly sank a pair of free throws to put the Panthers up by four at 60-56 with six ticks left. Bantam Kathleen Conlon banked in a long three-pointer from the top of key at the buzzer to account for the final score.
Trinity had led for most of the first half, before Middlebury scored the last eight points before the break to cut a 32-23 Bantam lead to one.
Trinity’s Jessica Sims led all rebounders with nine, but Middlebury held the edge on the glass, 51-44, including a 27-19 advantage in the first half. Baker totaled nine points, eight rebounds, and five blocks, while Fisher finished with nine points, five rebounds, and six assists.
• Women’s basketball record: 10-7
•Up next: 1/31 @ Keene, 2/2 vs. Williams – 2:00
WOMEN’S SQUASH EARNS A WIN, SUFFERS A LOSS
The Middlebury College women’s squash team defeated Vassar 5-4 on Saturday, before falling by the same score to Williams later in the day.
For complete results, see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/womens/squash/2007-2008/news/news_633371190433863221.htm
• Women’s squash record: 6-6
•Up next: 2/1-3 @ NESCAC Championship (Trinity)
INDOOR TRACK IN ACTION
The Middlebury College indoor track teams competed at Army last weekend, with meets at UVM and Dartmouth prior to the event. Following the season-opener at Dartmouth, first-year jumper Allison Astolfi (Merrimack, N.H.) earned a win in the long jump with a leap of 15’9.5” at UVM. Junior Benjamin Fowler (Bethesda, Md.) was a winner in the 600 meters in 1:26.72, while rookie Kristoffer Williams (Fairport, N.Y.) cleared 14’10.75” to win the pole vault.
At Army, rookie Grace Close (Fox Point, Wis.) was a winner in the 400 (1:02.85), while classmate Kaitlynn Saldanha (Scarborough, Maine) won the 800 (2:23.32). Junior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley, Mass.) was the other women’s victor, capturing the 5000 with a time of 17:39.92.
Senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.Y.) won the 5000 on the men’s side with a time of 15:17.55, while senior Ian O’Reilly (Meriden, N.H.) earned a win in the 800 (2:00.49).
• Indoor track in action
•Up next: 2/2 @ Dartmouth Classic
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