For Release: March 10, 2008
SKI TEAM FINISHES FIFTH AT NCAA’s
The Middlebury College ski team turned in an impressive fifth place finish at the ’08 NCAA Championships hosted by Montana State. The finish tied the highest ever for Middlebury as they scored a school-best 529 points at the event. Denver won the NCAA title with 649.5 points, followed by Colorado (619), Utah (550) Dartmouth (546) and Middlebury (529). The Panthers were second only to Dartmouth among eastern schools, while ranking as the top D3 school at the races.
Leading the Middlebury women with an impressive fourth place finish in the 5K race on day one was Alexa Turzian (Hailey, Idaho). The rookie was the top eastern finisher, ending the race with a time of 17:58 to earn All-American status. Junior Cassidy Edwards (Glen Arbor, Mich.) came through with a big race, finishing 11th with a time of 18:20.7. Classmate Robyn Anderson (Stowe, Vt.) finished the race in 24th place with a time of 19:23.
On the men’s side, junior Simeon Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) was the Panthers’ top finisher, ending the 10K race in 13th place with a time of 31:58.2. First-year athlete Patrick Johnson (Anchorage, Alaska) was next for the Panthers, as he skied to a 22nd place finish with a time of 32:26. Rounding out the Middlebury racers was junior Tim Reynolds (Bristol, Vt.), who placed 25th overall in the race with a time of 32:52.
Thursday's event was the giant slalom race for both the men and women, with the men placing third overall. Senior Alec Tarberry (N. Conway, N.H.) finished the GS in fifth place to lead the Panther men. After placing eighth during his first run, Tarberry shaved nearly two seconds off his first attempt on his second run, clocking an impressive 49.40, for a combined time of 1:40.74 and All-American honors. Junior Andrew Wagner (Traverse City, Mich.) finished 16th out of the field of 33 with a two-run time of 1:41.92, while senior Joe Swensson (Niantic, Conn.) placed 20th with a total time of 1:42.22.
For the women, senior Megan Hughes (Killington, Vt.) placed ninth in the GS with an overall time of 1:48.05 to lead the Panthers. Virtually all of the 35 skiers trimmed several seconds off their initial run on their second descent. Hughes followed the trend, improving on her first run time of 57.01, by clocking an impressive 51.04 on her second run. Her combined time of 1:48.05 garnered Hughes a top 10 finish. Junior Tucker Burton (Breckenridge, Colo.) finished 24th with an overall time of 1:51.88, while senior Krissie Poehling (LaCrosse, Wis.) finished 28th with a total time of 1:53.73 to round out the Middlebury racers on the day.
On day, three Turzian led the Middlebury women with an impressive eighth place finish in the 15K race. She ended the event with a time of 57:54.2 to earn her second All-American honor during the championships. Edwards finished 19th with a time of 1:01:09, while Anderson finished the race two places back at 24th position with a time of 1:01:22.6.
On the men’s side, Hamilton was the Panthers’ top finisher, ending the 20K race in 13th place with a time of 1:05:29.4. Reynolds and Johnson completed the course in 28th and 29th place respectively. Reynolds’ time was 1:07:53.3, while Johnson finished close behind with a time of 1:07:59.9.
In the final event of the weekend, the alpine slalom race, Wagner earned All-American honors with a seventh place finish in 1:43.71, including the fastest time of the second run. Tarberry, who finished fifth in the GS, followed that up with an impressive 10th place finish in the slalom (1:44.11). Swensson was Middlebury’s third racer, placing 27th overall in 1:49.10. The men’s slalom team finished second only to Denver in the event.
On the women’s side, Burton paced the squad with a 14th place finish in 1:30.27. Next for the Panthers was Poehling, who came in 27th (1:35.51), followed by Hughes in 31st (1:58.45).
• end of season
MEN’S BASKETBALL ENDS SEASON AT NCAA’S
The Panther men’s basketball team saw its record-breaking season come to an end as they fell 56-43 at the University of Rochester in an NCAA Tournament first-round game. The Panthers, who were making their first NCAA Tournament appearance, end the season with a school-record 19 wins and eight losses. The Yellowjackets (22-5) were making their 12th NCAA Tourney appearance, winning the regional on Saturday night.
Middlebury took a 3-0 lead less than a minute into the game on a three from the top of the arc by senior Mike Walsh (Needham, Mass.). A three from senior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) and a three-point play by junior Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) gave Middlebury a 9-3 lead with 14:48 remaining in the first half. The Panthers led 11-5 before Rochester went on an 8-0 run to take a 13-11 lead at the 9:50 mark. Middlebury regained a 17-16 advantage on a hop from junior Kyle Dudley (Scarsdale, N.Y.) at the 5:09 mark, as the first half would feature five lead changes. The Yellowjackets would take a 21-20 lead into the intermission, despite shooting .292 from the floor. The Panthers struggled from the floor as well in the first half, shooting .258, including 2 of 11 from three-point range. The two teams combined to miss 44 shots in the first half, Middlebury owning one less turnover at 8-7.
Middlebury opened the second half with a three from junior Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) to give them a 23-21 lead. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that would be their final lead of the game as Rochester came back with a 12-0 run to take a 33-23 lead at the 15:55 mark. Middlebury continued to chip away at the lead, cutting it to six on a hoop from Aaron Smith with 9:31 remaining. The Yellowjackets regained an eight-point lead before first-year player Ashton Coghlan (New York, N.Y.) knocked down a jumper in the lane to make it a 41-37 game with 6:38 left to play. Rochester answered with an 8-0 run to lead by a dozen with 4:19 remaining, maintaining a double-digit lead for the rest of the contest.
Sophomore Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) led Middlebury with nine points on the night, while Rudin and Walsh scored seven points apiece. Walsh grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and had three blocks, Rudin had four assists, while rookie Andrew Locke (Seattle, Wash.) blocked four.
Middlebury shot just .295 from the floor in the game, 4 of 22 from three-point range. Rochester shot .370 from the floor and held a 41-36 edge in rebounds.
• Men’s basketball final record: 19-7
MEN’S HOCKEY FALLS IN NESCAC TITLE GAME
The Middlebury College men’s hockey team fell 3-2 in double overtime to Trinity in the NESCAC Championship game played at Colby. The Panthers were not selected to the NCAA Tournament, ending a 13-year streak, and finish their season at 18-7-2. Middlebury and Trinity are the only two teams to win NESCAC titles since the tournament began, with the Panthers owning seven titles and the Bantams claiming a pair.
The Bantams (15-10-2) came into the conference tournament as the sixth seed and beat seeds one, two, and three to claim their first title since 2003.
Joshua Rich scored 7:07 into the second overtime with assists from Matthew Crum and Riley Hicks. Rich came around the net and his shot was able to sneak past Middlebury senior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.) to set off a wild Trinity celebration.
Trinity goalie Wesley Vesprini was up to the task for a second straight day with 33 saves. He made a number of key stops, including two dandy glove saves in the final two minutes of regulation.
Middlebury led twice in the game and took a 1-0 lead at 7:35 of the first period when senior Scott Bartlett (Pittsford, N.Y.) ripped a blast by Vesprini after taking a pass while streaking hard up the center of the ice.
Rich got his first goal of the game at 11:56 of the opening period for Trinity. His shot from a bad angle on the right side trickled past Cherry, who had appeared to lose his stick on the play, and went over the goal line.
The Panthers went up 2-1 after the first period when junior Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) tallied at 13:16.
Vesprini kept Middlebury off the scoreboard from that point and the Bantams tied the game at 11:20 of the second period when Christopher Powers scored. Cherry also was strong in the nets with 37 saves for Middlebury.
The Panthers were going after their fifth straight NESCAC title and eighth in nine years, but Trinity's roll in the playoffs continued. The Bantams took a 4-2 victory at Middlebury in the 2003 title game when they entered as the second seed.
In the semifinals, junior Jamie McKenna (Lake Placid, N.Y.) scored with just 3:06 left in the game to give Middlebury a 2-1 win over Amherst.
After a turnover near the blue line by fourth-seeded Amherst (14-9-3), McKenna blasted home a point-blank shot for his eighth goal with assists from senior Justin Gaines (Mequon, Wis.) and senior Mickey Gilchrist (Ottawa, Ont.), who notched his 14th assist of the season.
The Lord Jeffs had tied the game at 1-1 at 9:14 of the third period when Kyle Schoppel came around the net on a stuff shot and poked home a second effort for his 15th goal of the season.
Middlebury opened the scoring at 9:13 of the first period when Graddock got his fourth goal of the year off a feed from sophomore Charlie Townsend (Pennington, N.J.).
Cherry stopped 22 shots for the Panthers, while Jonathan LaRose made 36 saves for Amherst.
• Men’s hockey final record: 18-7-2
WOMEN’S HOCKEY FALLS IN NESCAC SEMIFINALS – EARNS NCAA BID
The Panther women’s hockey team has earned an NCAA at-large bid after an impressive 19-3-3 regular season. Middlebury will host Manhattanville in an NCAA Quarterfinal game this Saturday, March 15th.
Liz Osgood scored a five-on-three power play goal 13:16 into overtime to lift Colby to a 3-2 upset victory over top-seeded Middlebury in the NESCAC semifinals. The Panthers held a sizeable 48-17 shots advantage in the game, but it wasn’t enough as Lacey Brown made 46 saves on the afternoon for Colby.
Laura Anning set a NESCAC Tournament record with the fastest goal to start a game as she found the back of the net just 15 seconds in. After a shot by Amanda Comeau, the puck came free to Anning, who poked home a loose puck. The Mules made it a 2-0 game just 1:14 later as Dana Yerigan’s shot deflected in off the pads of first-year player Lexi Bloom (Highland Park, Ill.) (14 saves) for an unassisted goal.
Middlebury cut the lead in half late in the period as junior Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) scored on a backhander after a shot from first-year player Anna McNally (St. Paul, Minn.) was saved. The Panthers tied the game just 4:37 into the second period as junior Randi Dumont (Greene, Maine) earned the goal with an assist from senior Tania Kenny (Toronto, Ont.). Neither team would score for the next 28:39, when Osgood scored the game-winner in OT. Rebecca Julian’s original shot was saved before Osgood pounced on the puck in the crease and buried it to send Colby to the finals.
Both teams went 1/7 on the power play, with the Panthers holding a 12-1 shots advantage in the third period.
• Women’s hockey record: 19-3-3
• Up next: 3/15 vs. Manhattanville (NCAA Quarterfinals) – TBA
INDOOR TRACK COMPETES AT ECAC’S
Two members of the Middlebury College women’s indoor track teams competed at the ECAC Championships hosted by Harvard over the weekend. Senior Sarah Wilson (Winchester, Mass.) set a new personal record by clearing 10’6.75” in the pole vault, placing 10th overall. Senior Jennifer Currie (Milton, Vt.) finished 11th in the hammer, with a toss of 47’1.5”.
• Two compete at ECAC’s
• Up next: 3/14-15 @ NCAA’s (Ohio Northern Univ.)
MEN’S TENNIS OPENS SPRING SEASON
The Panther men’s tennis team opened up the spring season with four home matches played on indoor courts. Middlebury did not lose a game over the weekend, defeating Brandeis, Union and Bates 9-0, earning a 6-0 win over N.Y.U. in a shortened match.
First-year player Rich Bonfiglio (Bronxville, N.Y.), sophomore Andrew Lee (Eden Prairie, Minn.), sophomore Peter Odell (Scarsdale, N.Y.) and rookie Andrew Peters (Baltimore, Md.) each earned 3-0 marks over the weekend for the Panthers.
Sophomore Eliot Jia (Mount Desert, Maine), senior Filip Marinkovic (Toronto, Ont.), sophomore Chris Mason (Owings Mills, Md.), first-year player Jeronimo Riefkohl (Munich, Germany) and sophomore Andrew Thomson (W. Bloomfield, Mich.) were also undefeated at 2-0.
In doubles play, Marinkovic/Thomson, Mason/Lee and Peters/Jia all went 3-0.
For complete results, see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/mens/tennis/2007-2008/news/news_633407440926793046.htm
• Men’s tennis record: 4-0
• Up next: 3/22-28 @ Spring Trip (California)
WOMEN’S TENNIS IS 4-0
The Middlebury College women’s tennis team started the season off with four wins as they hosted matches this weekend indoors on campus. The Panthers lost just one game on the weekend as they earned four convincing victories. Middlebury defeated Babson, Bates and Skidmore 9-0, while defeating Brandeis 8-1.
Juniors Clare Burke (Summit, N.J.) and Elizabeth Stone (Cohasset, Mass.) both earned perfect 4-0 marks for Middlebury over the two-day event. Senior Claire Smyser (Houston, Texas.), junior Chandra Kurien (Fairfield, Conn.), sophomore Jamie Haar (Alpine, N.J.) and first-year player Whitney Hanson (Wayne, Pa.) all went 4-0 for the Panthers, while junior Elizabeth Emery (McLean, Va.) was 2-1.
In doubles play, Smyser/Emery and Stone/Haar went 2-0.
For complete results, see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/womens/tennis/2007-2008/news/news_633407442913499081.htm
• Women’s tennis record: 4-0
• Up next: 3/23-27 @ Spring Trip (California)
MEN’S LACROSSE TOPS BATES TO OPEN SEASON
The Panther men’s lacrosse team held off a late comeback by Bates as the Panthers opened the year with a 14-12 road win in Maine. Middlebury jumped out to a 5-0 lead behind a pair of goals from junior Matt Ferrer (Darien, Conn.). Bates scored three of the next four goals to cut the lead to 6-3 with 10:43 left in the second quarter.
Middlebury closed the quarter with three of four goals to lead 9-4 at the intermission. The teams exchanged the next six goals, leaving Middlebury with a 12-7 lead after three quarters of play. The Panthers took a 14-10 lead with 10:28 left on a goal from senior Rory Sanborn (Glyndon, Md.), before the Bobcats scored the final three goals of the game.
Ferrer led the Panthers with five goals, while junior Tom Petty (Newburyport, Conn.) and Sanborn added two goals apiece. Sophomore Pete Smith (Wilton, Conn.) had a goal and two assists in the game, while senior Jim Cabrera (Old Greenwich, Conn.) had a goal and an assist.
Bates keeper Will Paddock made 10 saves in goal, while junior Peter Britt (Summit, N.J.) made 11 saves for the Panthers.
• Men’s lacrosse record: 1-0
• Up next: 3/15 @ Conn. College
WOMEN’S LACROSSE EARNS WIN AT BATES
The Middlebury College women’s lacrosse team overcame an early 3-1 deficit en route to a 16-12 victory over Bates in the season-opener for both teams on Friday night in Lewiston, Maine. The third-ranked and seven-time NESCAC champions start their season 1-0 and return home to face Connecticut College next Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 3-1 early, Middlebury scored nine of the next 10 goals to take a 10-4 lead. Bates then ran off the next four goals before Middlebury answered with a pair to hold a 12-10 lead. The teams scored the next six goals in pairs, leaving Middlebury with a 16-12 victory.
Senior Mimi Schatz (Baltimore, Md.) led the team with four goals and four assists, while senior Amanda Smith (Greenwich, Conn.) netted three with three helpers. Senior Katherine Entwisle (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) scored four goals in the win, while junior Caroline Kirkendoll (Telluride, Colo.) added a pair. Caroline Thomas led Bates with four goals and two assists.
Junior Blair Bowie (Washington, D.C.) made a dozen saves in goal for Middlebury, while Katie Nickerson made 10 stops for Bates.
• Women’s lacrosse record: 1-0
• Up next: 3/15 vs. Conn. College – 1:00
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