For Release: February 18, 2008
WOMEN’S HOCKEY CONTROLS ITS OWN DESTINY
The Middlebury College women’s hockey team holds a one-point lead over Amherst in the NESCAC standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season. The Panthers control their own destiny as they try to hold onto the top spot and host the semifinals and championship in two weeks in Kenyon Arena.
Middlebury saw its 17-game unbeaten streak come to an end as they suffered a 3-0 loss at Plattsburgh on Tuesday night. The game was a rematch of the past two NCAA Division III championship games and was played before 1,052 at Stafford Ice Arena. The Panthers suffer their first shutout in 134 games.
Danielle Blanchard opened the scoring midway through the game, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead at the 10:41 mark of the second period. Plattsburgh received some insurance tallies by Shay Bywater seven minutes later and Claire O’Connor in the third period. Middlebury sophomore netminder Lani Wright (Reading, Mass.) had 20 saves while Cardinals goalie Danielle Beattie stopped 23 shots for her sixth shutout of the season.
First-year player Anna McNally (St. Paul, Minn.) notched a hat-trick to lead Middlebury to a 5-1 win over Connecticut College. The rookie now leads the team with 18 goals on the season, while junior Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) assisted on each of the three, to boast a team-high 36 points.
The Camels took a 1-0 lead just 2:34 into the first period with a power play goal from Celia Medeiros. Courtney Smith and Emily Mason earned helpers on the tally. Junior Molly Vitt (Kenilworth, Ill.) netted a power play goal for the Panthers at the 16:32 mark, as she scored on a rebound after a shot from senior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) was saved. McNally gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead with 24 seconds remaining in the period, as she converted a nice feed from Cellino.
Following a scoreless second period, the duo hooked up once again at 5:48 into the third to make it a 3-1 game. McNally earned the hat-trick at the 13:22 mark, before sophomore Ashley Bairos (Van Nuys, Calif.) wrapped up the scoring with six seconds remaining. Rookie Lexi Bloom (Highland Park, Ill.) made 10 saves in goal to earn the win, while Lauren Mellen made 31 saves for the Camels.
For the second time this season, Middlebury and Amherst played 65 minutes of hockey and were unable to come up with a winner. After a 2-2 tie at Amherst on November 30th, the teams ended in a 1-1 deadlock in Kenyon Arena.
Neither team scored in the first period, with Amherst holding a slim 7-6 shots advantage. Middlebury had the better of the play in the second period, including a power play, but could not score as they held an 8-4 lead in shots.
Middlebury broke onto the board 11:50 into the third period as Levin fed junior Erika Nakamura (Boston, Mass.) in the slot. The junior made a pair of nifty moves before sliding a backhander past Krysten Elek for the 1-0 lead. Amherst answered at 14:18 with the game-tying goal after some pressure on the Panther net. Following a pair of saves by Wright, Julie Radziewicz found herself alone on the doorstep as she buried a shot from just outside the crease to tie the game at one.
Middlebury had a power play opportunity at the 15:24 mark, but were unable to score despite three quality shots on goal. Amherst controlled puck with light pressure in overtime, but neither team could net the game-winner.
Wright ended the afternoon with 17 saves for Middlebury, while Elek made 20 saves for Amherst.
• Women’s hockey record: 17-2-3
• Up next: 2/22 @ Hamilton, 2/23 @ Wesleyan
SKI TEAM EARNS SECOND PLACE FINISH AT WILLIAMS
The Panther ski team finished second for the fourth time in five carnivals as they accomplished the feat at the Williams Carnival over the weekend. Dartmouth (617) won the event, followed by Middlebury (608), UNH (587.5) and UVM (558.5).
On the alpine side, senior Megan Hughes (Killington, Vt.) led the women in the GS with a sixth place finish in 1:44.66. Finishing eighth in the race was first-year skier Lindsay Kraft (Coldstream, B.C.) with a time of 1:45.10, followed by senior Dorothy Muirhead (Crested Butte, Colo.) in 15th (1:46.47). Muirhead paced the team in the slalom, earning a fourth place finish with a combined time of 1:37.89. Junior Mattie Ford (Plymouth, N.H.) placed 13th in 1:41.03, followed closely by Kraft in 14th (1:41.19).
Junior Andrew Wagner (Traverse City, Mich.) paced the men in the GS, earning a ninth place finish with a time of 1:41.33. Senior Alec Tarberry (N. Conway, N.H.) came in 11th (1:41.87) for the men, while senior Joseph Swensson (Niantic, Conn.) finished 12th (1:42). First-year racer Jacob Lund (Hudson, Wis.) was the top finisher in the slalom race, earning a sixth place finish with a time of 1:34.02. Senior Clayton Reed (Stowe, Vt.) was next in seventh (1:34.05), followed by Swensson in 11th (1:34.70).
The women’s nordic team finished in a pack, as the Panthers placed skiers in 12th, 13th and 14th place in the 5K freestyle event. Junior Cassidy Edwards (Glen Arbor, Mich.) led the pack (13:25), followed by first-year racer Sophie McClelland (Keene Valley, N.Y.) with a time of 13:27.6 and sophomore Claire Luby (St. Paul, Minn.), who ended with a time of 13:27.7. McClelland, Edwards and junior Robyn Anderson (Stowe, Vt.) comprised Middlebury’s top relay team, finishing the event in third place with a time of 32:45.
Junior Tim Reynolds (Bristol, Vt.) led the men’s squad in the 10K freestyle race, completing the event in third place with a time of 23:33. Placing fifth in the race was first-year athlete Patrick Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) in 23:44, followed by senior Matt Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) in 22nd (24:25). Reynolds, Johnson and rookie Patrick Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) were the school’s top relay team, placing second with a time of 27:46.
• Ski team finishes second at Williams
•Up next: 2/22-23 – Host Middlebury Carnival (EISA Championships)
MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOST NESCAC TOURNAMENT GAME
The Middlebury College men’s basketball team will host a NESCAC Tournament game for the second consecutive season. The third-seeded Panthers will take on sixth-seeded Williams this Saturday in Pepin Gym. Middlebury enters the tourney with an impressive 18-6 mark, after going 6-3 in NESCAC play.
Middlebury set a school record with its 18th win of the season, as the Panthers picked up a 75-71 win over Wesleyan in Pepin Gym.
Leading 17-15 at the 10:03 mark of the first half, Middlebury went on a 12-2 run over the game's next 4:15 to take a 29-17 lead. Junior Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) sparked the run with a two and a three, as the Panthers led by a dozen with 5:48 remaining in the half. Wesleyan came back late in the half with a 5-0 run in the final 47 seconds to make it a 33-29 game at the intermission. Stan Grayson hit a pair of buckets during the run, as the Cardinals outscored the Panthers 8-1 from the free throw line in the first half.
Wesleyan cut the lead to one on a hoop from Jeremy Kaminer early in the second half, before an 8-0 run gave Middlebury a 46-37 lead at the 13:51 mark. The lead grew to as many as 11, but the Cardinals would not go away as they climbed back in the game each time the Panthers extended their lead. The Cardinals were aided by .552 shooting from the floor in the second half.
The advantage was cut to a pair after a bucket from Nick Pelletier at 6:13, but Middlebury answered to regain a nine-point lead at the 3:54 mark. The Cardinals fouled down the stretch, with the Panthers unable to put the game away until the waning minutes with 11 of 16 free throw shooting in the final 2:17.
Middlebury ended the night with 23 of 39 shooting from the free throw line, as they were out-rebounded 45-35. The Panthers, who lead the nation in blocked shots, ended the night with eight, behind a game-high three from rookie Andrew Locke (Seattle, Wash.).
Junior Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) led Middlebury with a game-high 21 points on 8 of 9 shooting, to go along with nine boards. Rudin added 17 points in the win, first-year player Ashton Coghlan (New York, N.Y.) scored 14, while senior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) added nine.
Middlebury wrapped up its regular season with a 93-86 loss to Connecticut College. The Camels shot a remarkable 82 percent from the floor in the second half.
Both teams shot well in the first half, with Connecticut College holding a .538 to .480 edge. The Panthers jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Camels battled back to an 8-6 early advantage on a hoop from Christian Mosley. The first half would feature nine ties before Connecticut College went on an 9-0 run at the 4:16 mark to take a 37-29 lead with 2:28 remaining. Four different players scored during the run, including a three from Billy Karis. The Camels took a 39-31 lead into the break, behind eight points and four boards from Charles Stone. Smith netted 14 points with five boards on 6 of 6 first half shooting for the Panthers.
Connecticut College hit nine of its first 10 shots to start the second half, highlighted by Jeff Young’s three treys on a 21-4 run for a 60-35 advantage by the 14:02 mark. Trailing 65-44, the Panthers went on an 8-0 run, sparked by six points by Harris, cutting the lead to 13 with 10:22 remaining. The Camels increased their lead to 78-60 before another 8-0 Middlebury run, keyed by three’s from sophomore Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) and Coghlan, to cut the lead to 10 with 3:32 on the clock. The Panthers got within nine points on an Edwards free throw with 3:00 left, before Young answered for Connecticut College with his sixth three-pointer of the game for a 83-71 advantage. The Camels shot 10 for 13 down the stretch from the line to maintain a lead which hovered near 10 points. A three by Middlebury junior Kyle Dudley (Scarsdale, N.Y.) in the final seconds ended the scoring at 93-86.
Four Panthers hit the double figure mark in scoring, including Smith’s 17 points on 7 of 8 shooting. Dudley scored 16 with four three’s, Harris netted 15, while Edwards chipped in with 10.
• Men’s basketball record: 18-6
• Up next: 2/23 vs. Williams (NESCAC Tournament first-round) – 2:00 or 3:00
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEADED TO NESCAC TOURNEY
The Panther women’s basketball team has earned the seventh seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament and will visit second-seeded Tufts this Saturday for a first-round game at 3:00 p.m. Middlebury ended the regular season with a 13-11 record, going 4-5 in NESCAC play.
Last weekend, Middlebury earned a 36-32 win at Wesleyan in a low-scoring affair. Both teams struggled from the floor on the night, as the Cardinals shot just 21 percent, with Middlebury connecting on 29 percent of its shots. Wesleyan went 1-12 from behind the arc, while Middlebury was 4-16 from three-point land and 2-10 from the line.
Middlebury slowly took an early lead, holding a 12-4 advantage on a three from first-year player Lauren Sanchez (Seattle, Wash.) at the 10:17 mark. Wesleyan cut the lead to a pair before Middlebury took an 18-12 lead into the halftime break.
The lead grew to as many as 16 for Middlebury in the second half before Wesleyan made an 11-0 run at the 11:06 mark to cut the lead to five. The Panthers had several chances to seal the game down the stretch, but made just 1 of 7 shots from the free throw line. The Cardinals had a few chances to tie the game as well, but were unsuccessful as the Panthers came away with the 36-32 win.
Senior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) led Middlebury with eight points and 13 rebounds, while junior Ashley Barron (Brockton, Mass.) and junior Aylie Baker (Yarmouth, Maine) each scored six.
Middlebury ended its regular season with a 68-58 loss at Connecticut College. Lindsay Michel poured in a game-high 19 points, leading the Camels to the win. Baker and Barron netted 11 points apiece for the Panthers. Junior Emily Johnson (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) finished with 10 points and five assists for Middlebury. Young corralled a team-high nine rebounds to go with her six points.
The Panthers opened the game with a 5-0 run, but the Camels responded by reeling off eight straight points of their own, building an 8-5 lead on put back from Michel with 15:26 remaining. The Camels led by as many as eight points in the half but Baker was able to force the second tie a of the half with just 40 seconds remaining, converting a field goal on a feed from Johnson. On the ensuing Camel possession, Serafin was able to follow her own missed shot and the hosts carried a 32-30 lead into the intermission.
The Panthers pulled ahead in the early stages of the second half, building a 42-37 advantage after sophomore Alanna Wall (Honolulu, Hawaii) put in two of her six points with 12:45 to play. The Camels utilized their frontcourt strength to hold a 46-to-32 advantage on the backboards in this contest. The hosts went on a 17-4 run over a span of 5:35 to open up a 54-46 lead on Middlebury. Cummings drained two triples during the stretch and Amy Towne capped the rally with an offensive rebound and lay-in with 7:10 remaining.
The Panthers were able to reduce the Camel lead to six points but could not get any closer. Connecticut College converted 12-of-15 free throw attempts in the second half to put the game away.
• Women’s basketball record: 13-11
• Up next: 2/23 @ Tufts (NESCAC Tournament first-round) – 3:00
INDOOR TRACK COMPETES AT BOWDOIN
The Middlebury College indoor track teams competed at Bowdoin over the weekend with three others schools. Six different women won events on the weekend, with some impressive men’s finishes as well.
Junior Jennifer Brenes (Lawrence, Mass.) earned a win in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.97 seconds, while first-year racer Katy Magill (Boxford, Mass.) won the 200 in 27.82. Other winners for the women were rookie Grace Close (Fox Point, Wis.) in the 600 (1:42.08), classmate Kaitlynn Saldanha (Scarborough, Maine) in the 1000 (3:01.96), senior Jennifer Currie (Milton, Vt.), who won the 20-pound weight throw (46’8”), and first-year runner Sophia Spring (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) in the one mile (5:17.77).
Senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.Y.) finished second in the mile for the men with a time of 4:24.06, while senior Ian O’Reilly (Meriden, N.H.) was third in the 600 (1:23.40). First-year athlete Kristoffer Williams (Fairport, N.Y.) placed third in the pole vault, clearing 14’2.75”, while junior Joel Valverde (Tucson, Ariz.) finished second in the triple jump (41’6”).
• Indoor track competes at Bowdoin
• Up next: 2/22-23 @ D3 New England’s
MEN’S SQUASH COMPETES AT NATIONALS
The Panther men’s squash team took part in the nationals for the first time as a varsity sport. The event took place at Harvard over weekend with 55 teams taking part. Middlebury was ranked 21st and was the fifth seed in the eight-team "C" flight. The Panthers took on fourth-seeded Hamilton in a first-round match-up on Friday and came away with a 6-3 loss. Middlebury then went to the back-draw, where they were defeated 5-4 by Wesleyan and Denison.
Sophomore Micah Wood (Tacoma, Wash.) went 3-0 on the weekend to lead the men’s team. Seniors Gordon McMorris (New York, N.Y.), Will Carroll (Ossining, N.Y.) and Jesse Davidson (Roanoke, Va.) each earned 2-1 marks.
Complete results can be found on the Middlebury Athletics website at: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/mens/squash/2007-2008/news/news_633389265740581133.htm
• Men’s squash final record: 11-13
• Up next: 2/29-3/2 @ nationals (men @ Naval Academy), 2/22-24 @ Howe Cup (w @ Princeton)
MEN’S HOCKEY DROPS A PAIR
The Middlebury College men’s hockey team dropped two more game last week, falling into a third place tie in the NESCAC standings. The Panthers have assured themselves a NESCAC Tournament quarterfinal game at home on March 1st, but are now battling for the top seed entering the last weekend of the regular season.
Trailing 2-1 after two periods of play, Babson scored three unanswered goals in a five-minute stretch in the third. The Beavers tied the game at 2-2 when Chris Wood shook off a big hit at the Middlebury blue line and dumped a perfect feed to Jason Schneider, who raced past a defender and beat junior goaltender Doug Raeder (Needham, Mass.) inside the right post at 11:59. Less than four minutes later, Gabriel Chenard-Poirier intercepted a pass at center ice and rushed up the left side, where he crossed the puck to Pat McLaughlin cutting across the crease. McLaughlin followed with a beautiful fake to the right before backhanding a shot past Raeder on the stick side to put Babson in front, 3-2, with 4:21 to play.
Just over a minute after McLaughlin’s go-ahead score, great defense once again led to a key goal for the Beavers as a poke-check at center ice sent Schneider streaking down the right side. The sophomore forward then fired a centering pass to Wood, who tipped the puck over Raeder’s left shoulder with a spectacular diving effort to make it 4-2 with just 3:13 left in the game. The Panthers pulled the goalie for an extra skater over the final 2:05, including the last 17 seconds on a power play, but Babson allowed just one shot on net during that span en route to the 4-2 victory.
Middlebury took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, as junior Jack Kinder (Shaker Heights, Ohio) hit a screen shot from the blue line that found its way past goalie Skylar Nipps at 9:39. Babson tied the game with a power play goal at 15:07 of the second, as Alex DiPietro’s slapper from the blue line caromed out to John Geverd, who lifted a shot over Raeder from a tough angle on the right side of the crease. The Beavers' momentum would be short-lived, however, as Middlebury regained the lead when Rookie Chaz Svoboda (Verdun, Que.) took a feed from junior Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) behind the net and backhanded a shot into the lower left corner at 16:18.
Nipps was solid in goal for Babson, finishing with 24 saves while playing all 60 minutes. Raeder played all but two minutes in net for Middlebury, stopping 21 shots.
The Middlebury men's hockey team dropped its third straight game as the Panthers dropped a 4-3 decision at UMass.-Boston. Middlebury out shot its opponent 45-25 on the afternoon, but it wasn’t enough as they went 2/8 on the power play.
Eric Tufman netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 1:39 left to play in the game to lead UMB an upset over Middlebury. The Beacons last win against the Panthers came on December 10, 1991 in Middlebury, as they had lost 15 straight times before today’s win.
Senior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) netted his seventh goal of the season at 17:58 of the third period for the Panthers, to deflate an anxious arena, on an assist from Kinder and junior Mack Cummins (SW Ranches, Fla.) to tie the contest at 3-3. Tufman scored the game-winner just 23 seconds later when he collected a rebound and slipped a shot into the right corner of the net from the crease at 18:21 of the final period to give UMB the win.
Steve Ebbole took a feed from Atsoff at 7:04 of the first period and fired a shot from between the circles for his second goal of the season to open the scoring and give the Beacons a 1-0 lead before Devin Hutchinson found the back of the net for his first collegiate goal at 11:39 of the opening period for a 2-0 UMB lead.
First-year player Michael Kretschmer (Indianapolis, Ind.) put Middlebury on the board with a power play goal for his fifth tally of the year at 7:06 of the second period, but the Beacons wasted no time in answering when Kranzky and Atsoff combined to find Tufman just 83 seconds later for a power play score and a 3-1 lead at 8:29 of the middle period. Senior Robert MacIntyre (Calgary, Alberta) pulled the Panthers to within 3-2 with his first goal of the season on an assist for senior defenseman Tom Maldonado (Bronx, N.Y.), his 100th career point, and sophomore John Sullivan (Delmar, N.Y.) at 14:20 of the third period.
Ryan Donovan turned away 42 shots to earn the win for UMass Boston, while senior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.) made 21 saves for Middlebury.
• Men’s hockey record: 14-6-2
• Up next: 2/22 vs. Amherst – 7:00, 2/23 vs. Hamilton – 4:00
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