For Release: February 4, 2008
SKI TEAM WINS UVM CARNIVAL
The Middlebury College ski team turned in an impressive performance as they captured the University of Vermont Carnival. The Panthers finished with 628 points, followed by UVM (624.5), Dartmouth (604) and UNH (513). Middlebury placed second in six of eight events, winning the women’s slalom and placing third in the men’s freestyle sprints, where junior Tim Reynolds (Bristol, Vt.) won the event.
First-year racer Patrick Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) placed eighth in the sprint race, followed by senior Matt Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) in 19th. Junior Simeon Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) continued to impress in the 10K classical race, finishing third overall with a time of 29:36. P. Johnson was next in seventh place (29:44), followed by Reynolds in 14th (30:27).
First-year racer Alexa Turzian (Hailey Idaho) led the Middlebury women in both races, finishing fourth in the 10K classic race (34:09) and seventh in the freestyle sprint. Rookie Sophie McClelland (Keene Valley, N.Y.) placed 11th in the 10K race (35:32), followed by junior Robyn Anderson (Stowe, Vt.) in 12th (35:36). Junior Kate Barton (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) placed 11th in the freestyle sprints, while sophomore Lauren Fritz (Chugiak, Alaska) rounded out Middlebury scorers in 12th place.
First-year racer Lindsay Kraft (Coldstream, B.C.) was Middlebury’s top finisher in the women’s GS race, placing second overall in 1:59.67. Junior Tucker Burton (Breckenridge, Colo.) finished eighth (2:01.37) in the race, followed by senior Megan Hughes (Killington, Vt.) in 14th (2:03.24). Burton led the team with a third place finish in the slalom, completing the race in 1:41.84. Junior Mattie Ford (Plymouth, N.H.) placed fifth (1:42.15), followed by Hughes in ninth (1:43.83).
Junior Andrew Wagner (Traverse City, Mich.) led the men in the GS, earning a seventh place finish with a time of 1:54.64. Senior Alec Tarberry (N. Conway, N.H.) placed ninth (1:55.13) in the race, followed by senior Joseph Swensson (Niantic, Conn.) in 11th (1:55.42). Senior Clayton Reed (Stowe, Vt.) led the pack in the slalom, placing seventh in 1:32.49. Tarberry finished just behind him in eighth (1:32.58), followed by Wagner in ninth (1:33.09).
• Ski team wins UVM Carnival
• Up next: 2/8-9 @ Dartmouth Carnival
MEN’S BASKETBALL WITH TWO MORE WINS
The Panther men’s basketball earned its first win at Williams since a 78-65 overtime victory in ’89 as the Panthers won a 63-60 hard-fought contest. The Ephs fell to 15-5, 2-3 in the league, while Middlebury improves to 15-4, 3-2 in NESCAC play.
The Ephs held a 21-16 lead with 8:50 remaining in the half. Back-to-back threes by senior Mike Walsh (Needham, Mass.) and sophomore Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) would spark a 15-2 Middlebury run and give Middlebury a 31-23 lead. Williams came back and cut the lead to 35-32 at the intermission.
Despite the Panthers opening the second half with back-to-back baskets to stretch the lead to seven, the Ephs would answer. Williams would finally tie the score at 42 with just over 14 minutes to play.
Another Snyder lay-up would give the Ephs their first lead since early in the first half at 53-52, but a three from first-year player Ashton Coghlan (New York, N.Y.) followed by a technical on the Ephs coach would result in a five-point swing and 57-53 Panther lead.
Williams regained the lead before junior Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) hit two clutch pull-up jumpers on consecutive Middlebury possessions to go up 63-60. Williams would have two chances late to tie the game, but could not get off a shot.
Rudin finished with 14 points and six assists for the Panthers, Coghlan scored 12, while sophomore Kevin Kelleher (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) added 10. Walsh grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in the game.
Earlier in the week, junior Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) poured in 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on 11 of 15 shooting to lead Middlebury to a 107-79 road win at Southern Vermont. Adding to Smith’s efforts on the night was rookie Andrew Locke (Seattle, Wash.), who came off the bench and pumped home 17 points in 15 minutes of action. Walsh scored 12 points in the win, while junior Kyle Dudley (Scarsdale, N.Y.) and Rudin (7 assists) added 10 points apiece. The Panthers shot 55 percent from the floor in the win.
The home team led 17-13 with 13 minutes left in the first half when Nick Harrington, the nation’s leading rebounder picked up his second personal foul. He would sit out for a mere 82 seconds but Middlebury scored nine points and never trailed from there. Middlebury slowly spread the gap in the second half, pushing a 48-40 halftime score to 66-49 with 11:30 left. From there, the game was never in doubt and the road team handed the Mountaineers a loss for the fourth straight game.
• Men’s basketball record: 15-4
• Up next: 2/5 vs. Plattsburgh – 7:30, 2/8 @ Tufts, 2/9 @ Bates
WOMEN’S HOCKEY EXTENDS UNBEATEN STREAK TO 15
The Middlebury College women’s hockey team earned two more NESCAC road wins last week to improve to 14-1-2 on the year. After a scoreless first period, Middlebury scored three goals in the first 10 minutes of the second period to earn a 3-1 win at Colby. Junior Molly Vitt (Kenilworth, Ill.) scored 1:21 into the second period for the Panthers. Junior Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) tallied unassisted at 7:13 and first-year player Julia Ireland (Greenwich, Conn.) netted the third goal at 9:54.
The Mules cut the lead to 3-1 on a goal from Laura Anning with 3:10 left in the second period, but neither team could manage a goal in the final period. Sophomore goalie Lani Wright (Reading Mass.) had nine saves for Middlebury, while Lacey Brown stopped 32 shots for Colby.
The Panthers picked up their second win in as many days as they defeated Bowdoin 3-1 on Saturday. Middlebury sophomore Ashley Bairos (Van Nuys, Calif.) scored just 2:09 into the game and sophomore Heather McCormack (Rowley, Mass.) added a goal at 8:39 of the opening period as the Panthers chased Polar Bear netminder Samantha Schwager after the first period of play.
After a scoreless second frame, Bowdoin trimmed the lead to a single goal when Scooter Walsh took a feed on the doorstep from Shana Natelson and lofted a shot over a diving Lexi Bloom (Highland Park, Ill.) at 3:55.
The Panthers put the game away with just 5:49 remaining after a Bowdoin penalty. Junior Erika Nakamura (Boston, Mass.) scored her 10th goal of the season with a put-back goal past Emileigh Mercer to clinch the victory.
Mercer was solid in relief of Schwager, stopping 30 shots over the final two periods. Schwager made six saves for Bowdoin in 20 minutes of play. Bloom finished 31 stops for the Panthers.
• Women’s hockey record: 14-1-2
• Up next: 2/6 @ Williams, 2/9 vs. Neumann – 7:00
MEN’S SQUASH HAS 1-1 WEEK
The Panther men’s squash team took part in the NESCAC Championship at Trinity over the weekend, earning a 7-2 first-round win over Connecticut College, before falling 9-0 to eventual champion Trinity. Middlebury then headed to the consolation bracket, where they fell 8-1 to Amherst and Hamilton. Senior Jack Lysohir (Mount Vernon, N.J.) was the lone Panther with a pair of wins, going 2-1 on the weekend.
For complete results see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/mens/squash/2007-2008/news/news_633377223280635212.htm
• Men’s squash record: 11-9
• Up next: 2/9 @ Dartmouth
SWIM TEAMS FALL TO WILLIAMS
The Middlebury College swimming and diving teams were in action on Saturday as they both fell at Williams. The women suffered a 161-139 loss, while the men were handed a 208-86 set-back. Senior Marika Ross (Shorewood, Wis.) continued her impressive season, with four wins on the afternoon. Ross won the 200 free (1:54.20-B cut), 200 fly (2:04.39-A cut) and the 100 fly (56.73-A cut) on the day. She was also a part of the 200 medley relay team that won the event with a time of 1:49.47. Joining her on the winning team were junior Catherine Suppan (Burlington, Vt.), first-year swimmer Jessie Ward (Pittsford, N.Y.) and senior Pam Chatikavanij (Bangkok, Thailand).
First-year swimmer Emily McDonald (Glenwood Springs, Colo.), sophomore Katie Remington (Madison, Wis.), Suppan and Chatikavanij won the 200 free relay with a time of 1:38.34. Other winners on the day were McDonald in the 100 free (53.70), Suppan in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.43) and Chatikavanij in the 50 free (24.91).
The lone men’s winner on the day was junior Zach Woods (Monroe, N.Y.), who captured the 100 back in 54.13.
• Women’s swim record: 6-2, men’s swim record: 6-2
• Up next: 2/8-9 – Middlebury Invitational
MEN’S HOCKEY STRUGGLES ON THE ROAD
The Panther men’s hockey team extended its unbeaten streak to 11 games (10-0-1) as they earned a 2-2 tie on the road at Wesleyan. The Cardinals tied the game with just 22 seconds left on a goal from David Layne with the extra attacker, forcing the game into overtime.
Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead at the 8:31 mark of the first period on a goal from Mike Dorsey. Junior Jamie McKenna (Lake Placid, N.Y.) tied the game for Middlebury at 16:28 of the third period, while giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead just 1:22 into the third.
Following Dorsey's game tying goal late, neither team would score in overtime, leaving the game in a 2-2 tie.
Senior goaltender Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.) ended the night with 16 saves, while Mike Palladino made 31 for the Cardinals.
Middlebury outshot Trinity 33-21 but it wasn’t enough as the Panthers dropped a 4-1 decision on the road at Trinity. Adam Houli scored two goals, including the game-winning goal to lead Trinity. Senior Jed McDonald (Hingham, Mass.) opened the scoring for Middlebury early, at 1:13 of the first period. The goal was answered by Riley Hicks with an unassisted shorthand goal at 10:19.
Early in the second period, Houli broke the tie, scoring his first of the night to make it a 2-1 Trinity lead. Less than five minutes into the third period, Houli struck again to give the Bantams a 3-1 lead. Matt Crum put in the final goal of the game at 5:49 of the period.
Trinity’s Wesley Vesprini had a strong showing in net turning away 32 shots, while junior goaltender Doug Raeder (Needham, Mass.) made 17 saves on the night.
• Men’s hockey record: 13-3-2
• Up next: 2/8 vs. St. Michael’s – 7:00, 2/9 vs. Norwich – 4:00
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS TWICE
The Middlebury College women’s basketball team dropped a non-conference game on Thursday night as the Panthers fell 65-59 at Keene State. The Owls jumped out to an early lead, going up 14-2 on a lay-up by Michele Boudreau. The Panthers came back to cut the deficit to five points (25-20) on a driving basket by senior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) with 2:31 to play. Kristen Degou hit a spinning left-handed lay-up in the closing seconds to give KSC a 31-22 halftime lead.
Consecutive three-pointers by Degou, Danielle Graveley and Degou again, enabled the Owls to pull ahead 47-32 with 12:09 remaining.
The Panthers made several runs at the Owls. A pair of free throws by first-year player Lauren Sanchez (Seattle, Wash.) cut the lead to six (61-55) with 1:04 remaining. Keene hit 16 of its 18 attempts from the line in the game to hold on for the victory.
Junior Ashley Barron (Brockton, Mass.) and sophomore Kaitlyn Fallon (Swarthmore, Pa.) had 12 points each for the Panthers (10-8), while Young had nine points and a game high 12 rebounds for Middlebury.
Williams held Middlebury to just 21 percent shooting from the floor as the Ephs came away with a 68-49 road win in Vermont. Williams shot 56 percent in the second half and were able to overcome 21 turnovers en route to the win.
Middlebury jumped out quick, with a three from Barron and hoops from Fallon and senior Katie Fisher (Oakland, Calif.) to take a 7-0 lead. Williams answered with a 9-1 run, behind a two and three from Mika Peterman to take a 10-8 lead with 13:29 left in the half. The Panthers led by a pair at the 7:40 mark, before the Ephs went on an 11-0 run to take a 29-20 lead, behind seven of eight free throw shooting.
Leading 35-24 at the half, Williams slowly extended its lead, including an 8-1 run to take a 51-31 lead with 11:10 left to play. The Ephs would lead by as many as 26, with the Panthers cutting the final margin to 19 behind solid free throw shooting late.
Sanchez led Middlebury with 11 points on 9 of 12 free throw shooting, while Barron added eight. Young scored seven with a game-high 11 rebounds, while Fallon netted seven with nine boards.
• Women’s basketball record: 10-9
•Up next: 2/5 vs. Plattsburgh – 5:30, 2/8 vs. Tufts – 7:00, 2/9 vs. Bates – 3:00
WOMEN’S SQUASH IN ACTION AT NESCAC’S
The Middlebury College women’s squash team competed in the NESCAC Championship hosted by Trinity over the weekend. The Panthers fell to Amherst 5-4 in the first round before heading to the consolation bracket. Middlebury then bounced back with a 7-2 wins over Wesleyan and Connecticut College.
Junior Sarah Hatfield (Barrington, R.I.), senior Olivia Kerr (Beverly Farms, Mass.) and sophomore Lee McKenna (Weybridge, Vt.) and Ashley Panichelli (New Castle, Del.) each had perfect 3-0 marks on the weekend.
For complete results, see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/womens/squash/2007-2008/news/news_633377282922753500.htm
• Women’s squash record: 8-7
• Up next: 2/9 @ Dartmouth
INDOOR TRACK COMPETES AT DARTMOUTH
The Panther indoor track teams were in action once again this weekend as they took part in the Dartmouth Classic. Senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.Y.) won the 3000 meters and qualified for the NCAA’s, setting a new school record with a time of 8:40.14. Junior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley, Mass.) also qualified, winning the 3000 in 10:15.76, while senior Ian O’Reilly (Meriden, N.H.) was a qualifier with a time of 1:58.80 in the 800, placing second.
• Indoor track competes Dartmouth Classic
• Up next: 2/16 @ Bowdoin
MIDDLEBURY
COLLEGE
SPORTS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: www.gomidd.com