For Release: April 28, 2008

WOMEN’S GOLF WINS WILLIAMS TOURNEY

The Middlebury College women’s golf team wrapped up its regular season with an impressive win at the Williams Spring Invitational. The Panthers won the two-day, nine-team event with a total of 671, followed by Williams (679) and Amherst (689). Middlebury will hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when selections are announced on Monday.

Senior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) led the team with a two-day total of 164, followed by first-year player Courtney Mazzei (Larkin Valley, Calif.) with a 166. Junior Julie Ellenberger (Concord, Mass.) was next for the Panthers with a 168, followed by rookie Jessica Bluestein (Tucson, Ariz.) with a 173, and first-year player Elizabeth Hirsch (New City, N.Y.) with a 203.
• Women’s golf competes at Williams
• Up next: TBA

MEN’S TENNIS FALLS IN NESCAC TITLE MATCH

The Panther men’s tennis team fell in the NESCAC title match as they lost a dramatic 5-4 match with Bowdoin on campus. The Polar Bears earn the league’s automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Tournament, while Middlebury will hope for an at-large bid.

The Panthers, who were looking for their fifth straight NESCAC title, found themselves trailing 2-1 after doubles play. Middlebury tied the match with a win at #3 singles by sophomore Andrew Thomson (W. Bloomfield, Mich.) over Alex Caughron, 6-1, 6-1. Bowdoin regained the lead as Stephen Sullivan was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over senior Filip Marinkovic (Toronto, Ont.) in the #2 slot. The lead extended to 4-2 as Garrett Gates earned a 6-4, 7-5 win in a tight #1 singles match over Middlebury sophomore Andrew Lee (Eden Prarie, Minn.).

Bowdoin needed just one of three singles matches remaining for the win, and had taken the first set in two of the three contests. Middlebury rookie Andrew Peters (Baltimore, Md.) defeated Jamie Neely at #4 singles 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to bring the Panthers within one at 4-3. After dropping the first set 7-6 (12), first-year player Rich Bonfiglio (Bronxville, N.Y.) of Middlebury battled back to pick up 6-2, 6-4 wins over Alex White at #6 singles to tie the match at 4-4.

The final contest between Tyler Anderson of Bowdoin and Middlebury sophomore Peter Odell (Scarsdale, N.Y.) went to a third set after Anderson took the first set 6-3, and Odell was a 7-6 (5) winner in a second set tie-breaker. The final match of the day saw back and forth play, as Anderson pulled out a 6-4 win to clinch the NESCAC title for Bowdoin.

Middlebury earned its way into the finals with a 6-2 win over Amherst in a NESCAC semifinal match on campus. The match was halted at 6-2 due to darkness with the outcome already decided.

The Panthers held a 2-1 lead after doubles play, increasing its lead to 4-1 after wins at #5 and #6 singles by Odell and Bonfiglio. Amherst kept its hopes alive as Zach Lerner won at #1, but Thomson ended the match with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win over Jeff Wan in the #3 slot.

For complete match summaries, see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/mens/tennis/
• Men’s tennis record: 15-5
• Up next: TBA

TRACK & FIELD COMPETES AT NESCAC’S

The Middlebury College track and field teams took part in the 2008 NESCAC Championships hosted by Hamilton College on Saturday. The Middlebury women placed third overall in the 10-team meet, while the men came in seventh. Four athletes took home NESCAC Championship honors, with senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.Y.) capturing the 10,000 meters on the men’s side with a time of 32:06.55. Senior Jennifer Currie (Milton, Vt.) won the hammer throw for the women with a toss of 159’10”, while rookie Nicole Dvorak (Essex, Vt.) was a winner in the pole vault (10’8 ¾”). Middlebury’s other winner was junior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley, Mass.), who captured the 5,000 meter race with a time of 17:37.64.

Placing third for the men in the javelin was first-year thrower Nicholas Plugis (Bedford, Mass.) with a toss of 179’11”, while sophomore Micah Wood (Tacoma, Wash.) came in fifth in the 400 (49.81). Middlebury boast a pair of top five finishers in the pole vault event, as rookie Abhishek Sripad (Andover, Mass.) came in third (13’3”), followed by senior Patrick Sedney (Underhill, Vt.) in fourth (13’3”). Placing eighth in the 800 was senior Ian O’Reilly (Meriden, N.H.) in 1:55.55, followed by Wood, who earned a seventh place finish in the 200 (22.92). The men’s 4x400 relay team comprised of Wood, junior Ben Fowler (Bethesda, Md.) and rookies Sean Maye (Miami, Fla.) and Joseph Baisch (Williamstown, Mass.) finished fourth with a time of 3:23.51. Wood ended the day scoring in four different events for the Panthers.

Sophomore Anjuli Demers (Dracut, Mass.) scored in four events to pace the Middlebury women. Placing second in the pole vault was senior Sarah Wilson (Winchester, Mass.) (10’ 2 ¾”), junior Kelley Coughlan (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) came in second in the high jump (5’1”), while first-year athlete Elizabeth Faust (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) was fourth (4’11”). The duo also placed fourth and fifth in the triple jump, with Coughlan leaping 35’ 10.5” and Faust clearing 34’ 2 ¼”. First-year athlete Hannah Meier (Charlotte, Vt.) came in fourth for the Panthers in the 10,000 (38:40.39), junior Jen Katz (Winchester, Mass.) was fourth in the 100 (12.73), while senior Ceara Danaher (Simsbury, Conn.) placed third in the 3,000 steeplechase (11:22.02). First-year racer Grace Close (Fox Point, Wis.) finished fourth in the 400 (59.10), followed closely by Demers in fifth place (59.21). First-year runner Katie Magill (Boxford, Mass.) placed fourth in the 400 hurdles in 1:05.61, while sophomore Laura Dalton (Simsbury, Conn.) was fifth (1:05.62).

The women’s 4x100 relay team comprised of Dalton, Demers, Katz and senior Elizabeth Huntley (Coralville, Iowa) finished in third place with a time of 49.63. The 4x400 squad placed third in 4:00.43, with team members Dalton, Demers, Close and junior Simone Weisman (Newton, Mass.).
• Track& Field competes at NESCAC’s
• Up next: 5/3 @ New England’s (Coast Guard)

MEN’S LACROSSE TOPS TUFTS - WILL HOST NESCAC TOURNEY

The Panther men’s lacrosse team defeated Tufts 9-4 wrapping up the regular season for both teams. With the win, the Panthers clinched the top seed for the upcoming NESCAC tournament and will host the NESCAC semifinals and finals on May 3-4.

Tufts got on the board at the 6:14 mark in the first quarter when Connor Ginsberg fought off a double-team just outside the crease for the 1-0 lead. Middlebury retook the lead in the final minute of the first as senior Jim Cabrera (Old Greenwich, Conn.) netted the first of his game-high four goals with 30 seconds left. Chris Teves’ (Wellesley, Mass.) tally on a spinning move to the crease gave Middlebury a 2-1 advantage with just four seconds remaining. The Panthers added three more goals in the second quarter for a 5-1 lead at intermission.

Tufts cut the lead to 5-2 in the third when Ryan Molly scooped up a ground ball in front of the Middlebury crease and slipped one past Panther goalie Pete Britt (Summit, N.J.) from the doorstep. Middlebury answered with two more goals including Cabrera’s nifty dodge from the left side for a 7-2 lead. Jamie Atkins’ tally off a feed from Ginsberg cut the lead to 7-3, wrapping up the scoring in the third quarter.

Sophomore Pete Smith’s (Wilton, Conn.) fast-break goal off a feed from Cabrera opened the scoring in the fourth quarter before D.J. Hassler responded with a goal at the 9:13 mark. Just over a minute later Cabrera capped the scoring at 9-4, as he cut to the crease collecting a nice feed from junior Mike Stone (Boston, Mass.) for the tally.

Cabrera’s four goals and an assist led the Panthers, as five others added goals and Stone added two assists. Ginsberg had a goal and an assist for Tufts, while three other Jumbos collected a goal. Britt made 11 stops in goal for Middlebury, allowing just four goals. His counterpart from Tufts, Matt Harrigan allowed nine goals and made 14 saves.
• Men’s lacrosse record: 12-1
• Up next: 5/2 vs. Williams – 12:00, Wesleyan vs. Bowdoin – 3:00, 5/3 – Championship – 12:00

MEN’S GOLF FINISHES TIED FOR SECOND AT NESCAC’S

The Middlebury College men’s golf team finished in a second place tie at the 2008 NESCAC Men's Golf Championship hosted by Trinity. Williams won the event with a 590, followed by Middlebury (603), Hamilton (603) and Trinity (619). Just four teams competed in the event after earning their way into the tournament.

Senior George Baumann (Mequon, Wis.) captured individual honors, firing a 69 on day one, followed by a 75 for a two-day total of 144. First-year player Brian Cady (Rye, N.Y.) was next for the Panthers with a 152, followed closely by classmate Jim Levins (Rutland, Vt.) with a 153. Junior Harrison Bane (Marblehead, Mass.) came in with a 154, while junior Michael McCormick (Oak Park, Ill.) rounded out Middlebury’s golfers with a 160.
• end of season

WOMEN’S TENNIS FALLS IN NESCAC TOURNEY

The Panther women’s tennis team dropped a tight 5-4 match to Bowdoin in the first-round of the NESCAC Tournament hosted by Middlebury. The Panthers will hope for an at-large bid when the selections are announced on Monday.

Middlebury took a 2-1 lead early after winning a pair of doubles matches. The third and final doubles contest saw Middlebury junior Clare Burke (Summit, N.J.) and sophomore Jamie Haar (Alpine, N.J.) come from 6-1 down to pick up a 9-7 win.

With the match tied at 3-3, junior Elizabeth Stone (Cohasset, Mass.) of Middlebury picked up a 6-2, 1-6, 6-0 win over Elizabeth Pedowitz of Bowdoin at #6 singles to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead.

Bowdoin answered at #3 singles as Sarah D'Elia defeated junior Elizabeth Emery (McLean, Va.) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to tie the match at 4-4. Rachel Waldman of Bowdoin already led Haar 3-0 in the third set at #5 singles, as she went on to a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-0 victory.

For complete match summaries: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/womens/tennis/
• Women’s tennis final record: 10-5
• Up next: TBA

BASEBALL WITH ANOTHER BUSY WEEK

The Middlebury College baseball team had another busy week of games, including a three-game NESCAC West set at Hamilton. The week began as they dropped a 6-4 non-conference game at Plattsburgh on Wednesday afternoon. The Cardinals improve to 12-16 overall, while the Panthers fall to 10-13.

Zack Welch, Kyle Kowalowski, Joe Curcio and Brandon Humphrey each had two hits for Plattsburgh, which generated 10 off six Panther pitchers.

Corey Johnston (1-1) pitched 7-2/3 innings for his first collegiate win in a Cardinals uniform. He allowed four runs and 12 hits while walking none. Billy Davis earned his second save in dramatic fashion, relieving Joey Painter and inheriting three base runners. Davis was able to induce senior Gabe Broughton (Barrington, R.I.) hitting a ground ball back to the mound, where Davis fired to Humphrey at home plate for the second out and then on to Kowalowski at first base to complete the double play.

Middlebury pounded out 12 hits, led by juniors Mark Shimrock (Lansdale, Pa.) and Tim Dillon (Dracut, Mass.) with two apiece. Shimrock belted a two-run homer over the right field fence in the eighth inning to pull within 5-4.

The Cardinals got an insurance run in the bottom half when John Campbell and Kevin Gent pulled off a successful double-steal of second and home, respectively.

After Plattsburgh struck first with a run in the opening frame, Middlebury made it 2-1 in the second when sophomore Erich Enns (Lansdale, Pa.) tripled home first-year player Donald McKillop (Poway, Calif.) and Dillon added an RBI single.

The Cardinals reclaimed the lead for good in their home half, 3-2. Campbell knocked in a run when he reached on a fielder's choice and Kowalowski followed with a RBI single.

Middlebury dropped game one of a three-game set at Hamilton as the Panthers fell 8-7. Hamilton’s Justin Atwood hit two home runs and picked up his third save to lead Hamilton to the win.

Atwood finished with three runs batted in for Hamilton. Joe Buicko hit the eventual game-winning home run with two outs in the eighth. Buicko's two-run shot to right-center gave the Continentals an 8-6 lead. Dan Hood and Ryan Calabrese both went 2-for-3. Hood scored two runs. Gideon Clark singled to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Max Foster pitched the first six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out five and walked four. Brendan Rafalski picked up the win as he recorded the last out in the top of the eighth inning. Atwood gave up one run in the ninth.

Enns hit a two-run homer for Middlebury, walked three times, stole a base and scored two runs. Shimrock went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Senior Jack Britton (Carmel, Calif.) pitched the first 7.2 innings and was saddled with the loss. Britton surrendered eight runs on 10 hits, struck out six and walked three.

Hamilton led, 5-0, after Atwood's first homer -- a two-run blast to left field -- with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Middlebury answered with Enns' homer to left with nobody out in the sixth. The Panthers added a run in the seventh and took a 6-5 lead with three more in the eighth.

With two outs in the eighth, Shimrock laced a double down the right field line to score senior Frazier Stowers (Lynchburg, Va.), who was on third after walking earlier in the inning. On the same play, Dillon, who also walked, scored all the way from first after the Continentals' defense threw the ball away.

Atwood homered to left with one out in the ninth to tie the score at 6-6. Calabrese walked with two outs, and Buicko followed with his two-run homer.

Atwood moved from first base to pitcher in the top of the ninth and got the final three outs. The Panthers made it interesting after Broughton hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Enns. Atwood retired the last batter on a called third strike to end the game.

Middlebury College exploded for 32 runs as the visiting Panthers swept a NESCAC West Division baseball doubleheader from Hamilton on Saturday. Enns hit four homers and drove in 10 runs in the two games, while going 5-6 with a program-record three round-trippers and a team-record eight RBI in the second game alone.

First-year starter Nick Angstman (Williston, Vt.) pitched a complete game five-hitter in the seven-inning opener. He struck out four, walked one and allowed two earned runs as he improved his record to 4-0. Senior Justin Wright (W. Simsbury, Conn.), picked up the victory in game two. Wright -- in his first start this season -- allowed eight hits, four runs, walked one and struck out one in five innings.

Six Panthers had two hits each in the first game. Stowers singled, homered and drove in three runs. Junior Dave Miranowski (St. Paul, Minn.) singled, homered and knocked in two runs. Shimrock went 4-for-4 with a home run, five runs scored and six RBI in the nightcap. Dillon also collected four hits. Dillon doubled and scored four times. Senior John Lanahan (Jacksonville, Fla.) cracked a double and drove in three runs. Middlebury hit nine home runs in the doubleheader.

Middlebury won its final home game of the season on Sunday, as they picked up an 11-6 win over Castleton. Senior Christian Hansen (Laramie, Wyo.) earned the win for the Panthers, allowing three earned runs over five innings of work.

Trailing 1-0 after a half inning, Middlebury scored four in the first on three hits, including a two-run double to left center by Shimrock. A two-run shot to left by Castleton’s Marlin Froese made it a 4-3 game in the second inning, before the Panthers took a 5-3 lead on a SAC fly by Lanahan in the bottom of the frame.

Middlebury led 7-6 in the eighth inning, before opening up the game with four runs on five hits. Shimrock singled to lead off the inning, followed by a ground-rule double to left by Lanahan. Enns followed with an RBI single through the left side, while junior Peter Bourdon (Simsbury, Conn.) did the same. A SAC fly to right by Stowers and an RBI single to center by Miranowski made it an 11-6 game after eight innings.

Lanahan went 4-4 with a double, three runs scored and two RBI for Middlebury, while Shimrock was 3-5 with a double, two scored and two driven in. Bourdon and Broughton each added two hits on the afternoon.
• Baseball record: 13-14
• Up next: 5/2 @ Bates, 5/3 @ Bowdoin (2)

SOFTBALL WRAPS UP SEASON

The Panther softball team ended its season with another week of games, playing seven contests in five days. The week began as the Panthers won both games against visiting Green Mountain by scores of 8-0 and 14-1, both contests were shortened to five innings due to score differential. The fourth inning was key for the Panthers in each game, scoring all eight runs in game one and 11 runs in game two.

In the first game, a pitching duel kept the game scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when the Panthers exploded for eight runs on seven hits. Senior Brittany Burke (Medfield, Mass.) led off the inning with a double and was driven in by senior Allison Bard’s (Jenkintown, Pa.) RBI double for a 1-0 lead. Six more Panthers reached safely, building a 5-0 lead. With two outs, rookie Leslie Crawford (Mount Vernon, Wash.) scored on a wild pitch before Bard slapped a single to right field for two more RBI. Burke, the starting pitcher, shut down the Eagles in the top of the fifth to secure the win.

Bard went 2-3 with a triple and three RBI for Middlebury, while Burke added a double on her 2-3 performance. Burke picked up the win, tossing a three-hitter over five shutout innings, improving to 5-6 on the season.

In game two, the Panthers built a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth when they lit up the scoreboard with 11 runs. A bases-loaded, three RBI double by first-year player Megan Margel (Ridgewood, N.J.) began the onslaught. During a two out rally, Middlebury tacked on six more runs, sending nine batters to the plate. The Panthers knocked out four hits during the rally, highlighted by two-RBI doubles by Margel and classmate Kelsey Chisholm (Lynnfield, Mass.) for the 14-0 lead.

First-year pitcher Ali McAnaney (Northbrook, Ill.) took a no-hitter into the fifth for the Panthers before the Eagles’ Nancy Laughlin dropped in a one out single to right field. With two outs, Hilary Dernier laced an RBI single to centerfield, plating Laughlin for Green Mountain’s only run.

Margel led the Panthers going 3-4 with two doubles and five RBI, while L. Crawford went 2-2 and scored three runs. McAnaney chipped in with two RBI, while holding the Eagles to one run on two hits and striking out five, improving to 3-4 on the season.

Middlebury saw Plymouth State come from behind to capture both ends of a non-conference softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, sweeping the twinbill, 7-4 and 5-2, at D&M Park.

Rookie Emily Burbridge (E. Greenwich, R.I.) led off both games with a solo home run for Middlebury, her first and second home runs of the season. Sophomore Sophie Dorot (Potomac, Md.) added an RBI single in the opener to give the visitors a 2-0 first inning lead.

PSU bounced right back with four runs in the bottom of the first. Leanne Barry had an RBI single, Andrea Pydynkowski added a two-run double and Melissa Caiazzo followed with an RBI single.

Middlebury came back to tie the game at 4-4 on run-scoring singles by Bard in the third inning and junior Amelia Magistrali (Torrington, Conn.) in the fifth. Plymouth State regained the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run home run by Kortney Nedeau, her third of the season, and added an insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice bunt by Kay LaBrie.

After Burbridge led of the second game with a home run, Middlebury made it 2-0 in the first inning on an RBI single by classmates Geena Constantin (Pelham, N.H.). Those ended up as the only two runs off PSU starter Beth Moretti, who earned the complete-game victory after giving up six hits and a walk.

Plymouth State provided the offense in the middle innings. Nedeau, who went 3-for-3 in the game, knocked in a run with a third-inning single and scored a run on a wild pitch after a fifth inning triple. Sammi Romano cracked a two-run homer in the fourth inning, her third long ball of the season, and LaBrie added a solo shot leading off the fifth, her fourth of the year.

Middlebury’s two out, three run rally in the bottom of the seventh wasn’t enough to catch visiting Hamilton, as the Continentals held on to win 9-8 on Friday evening. Leading 2-1 after four innings, Hamilton erupted in the top of the fifth scoring seven runs on five hits and were aided by four errors by Middlebury for a 9-1 lead. Liz Farrington began the inning with a single, later moving to third on a failed pickoff attempt. An illegal pitch by Burke scored Farrington for a 3-1 lead. Later in the inning Burke allowed a run on a wild pitch while another scored on an errant throw to third base. Leading 5-1 the Continentals added RBI by Elizabeth Reid, Leigh Sherrow and Erin Hoener before Burke tossed another wild pitch plating another Continental runner. Trailing 9-1 with two outs, Burke was pulled for Constantin who struck out the first batter she faced to end the frame.

In the bottom of the inning, first-year player Carlie Crawford (Mount Vernon, Wash.) hit a two-out single and was driven in by Margel’s triple to right. Constantin singled in Margel, cutting the lead to 9-3. Constantin held the Hamilton bats in check in the sixth as Middlebury added two more runs including an RBI double by sophomore Kristin Maletsky (Kinnelon, N.J.).

The Continentals went down quietly in the seventh inning, setting up another two-out rally in the home half of the final inning of play. With runners on first and second, Magistrali cut the lead to 9-6 with an RBI single up the middle. Maletsky followed up with her second double on the day, driving in two more runs, trimming the lead to 9-8. With Maletsky on second, Hamilton’s starting pitcher Megan Coughlin enticed Chisholm into a foul pop-out sealing the win.

Maletsky led Middlebury going 3-4 with three RBI and two doubles, while four other Panthers collected a pair of hits. Three Continentals went 2-4, including Amber O’Connor who added a single and a two-RBI double, while Farrington went 2-2 with a double.

Coughlin got the win for Hamilton, going all seven innings, giving up eight runs, three earned, to improve her record to 8-9 on the year. Burke took the loss, going 4.2 innings, allowing all nine runs, four of which were earned, to drop her record to 6-7. Constantin pitched 2.1 innings, giving up no hits and walking just one in relief.

The Middlebury and Hamilton softball teams ended their seasons as they each picked up a win in a doubleheader. The Panthers earned a come-from-behind 4-3 win in game one, while the Continentals came back with an 8-1 win in the second contest. Middlebury ends its season at 14-20, while Hamilton finishes with a 12-15 record.

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead in the third inning of game one as L. Crawford singled down the left field line and was bunted to second by Burbridge. Crawford advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a single through the right side by Margel.

Hamilton struck for three unearned runs on two hits to take a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning. Ashley White scored on a wild pitch, while a pair of runs scored on an outfield error.

Middlebury rallied in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs on four hits. Burbridge and C. Crawford reached on singles with one out, before Margel plated Burbridge with a single to make it a 3-2 game. Bard reached on an error to load the bases for Burke, who singled up the middle to plate Margel and C. Crawford and give Middlebury a 4-3 win.

Constantin earned the win, allowing no earned runs over seven innings of work, while going 3-4. C. Crawford had a 3-4 game, while Margel went 2-4 with a pair of RBI.

Hamilton struck for a pair in the first inning of game two, as an RBI single to left by Liz Farrington and an RBI ground out by Elizabeth Reid plated the two runs.

The Continentals broke the game open in the fourth, with six unearned runs on six hits, courtesy of a pair of Middlebury errors. O’Connor, Farrington and Jen Sadowsky each doubled in the inning for Hamilton, each earning an RBI with Sadowsky driving in a pair.

Middlebury extended the game with a run in the fourth as Burke singled and later scored on a double to left center by L. Crawford.

Hoener earned the win in relief, allowing no runs and two hits over 3 2/3 innings of work. Farrington went 2-4 with a double and two RBI for Hamilton, while O’Connor was 2-4 with a double and two runs scored.

McAnaney took the loss for Middlebury, despite allowing just one earned run over 3 2/3 innings. L. Crawford was 2-3 in the game with a double.
• Softball final record: 14-20

WOMEN’S LACROSSE FALLS TO TUFTS – WILL HOST NESCAC TOURNEY

The Middlebury College women's lacrosse team ended its regular season with a 15-7 loss at #16 Tufts on Saturday. The loss snaps a 76-game NESCAC winning streak for the Panthers, dating back to a 4/8/00 loss to Amherst. #7 Middlebury remains the top seed in the tournament and will host the NESCAC semifinals and finals on Mary 3rd and 4th.

The win over the Panthers is the first for the Tufts program since 1982. With it the Jumbos secured a home-field berth into tomorrow’s first round of the NESCAC Tournament for the first time in team history. The Jumbos finished the regular season at 10-4 and 5-4 in NESCAC, while Middlebury fell to 10-3 and 8-1. The Panthers had already locked up first place in the league entering the game.

Jenna Abelli scored four goals to lead the Jumbos on Saturday. Courtney Thomas had three goals and two assists for Tufts, while goalie Sara Bloom made a career-high 15 saves.

Middlebury, held to its lowest goal total of the season, was led by two scores from sophomore Dana Heritage (Cheshire, Conn.). Junior goalie Blair Bowie (Washington, D.C.) played the majority of the game in goal for the Panthers and made 12 stops.

Visiting Middlebury started the game strong with three goals by senior Katherine Entwisle (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.), Heritage and senior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.) within a 39-second span. The tally was the 100th of her career for Entwisle. Tufts quickly responded by scoring eight consecutive goals in the first half. Abelli, Emily Johnson and Thomas each had two goals during the run, while Maya Shoham and Sarah Williams contributed one apiece to give the Jumbos an 8-3 lead. Middlebury got back on the board with 37 seconds remaining in the first half and it was 8-4 at halftime.

Tufts opened the second half with a goal from Thomas and Middlebury answered with a Caroline Kirkendoll (Telluride, Colo.) strike for a 9-5 score. Williams of Tufts set up Chrissie Attura and minutes later Attura set up Williams to put the Jumbos ahead 12-6 with 15:26 remaining. Middlebury scored its last goal of the day by Heritage at 12:24 of the second half. Tufts’ Abelli and Williams finished out the scoring for the 15-7 final.

Earlier in the week, Middlebury won its seventh straight game as the Panthers cruised to a 19-1 win over Skidmore. The Panthers wasted little time as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the game’s first 7:44 behind a pair of goals from junior Lindsay McBride (Old Greenwich, Conn.). Middlebury then scored six goals in a 3:10 span to extend the lead to 9-0. Skidmore broke up the run with a goal from Abbie Klaus with an assist from Allie Vogel at the 14:47 mark. The Panthers answered with a 5-0 run to take a 14-1 lead at the intermission

Middlebury slowed down the pace significantly in the second half, but continued to slowly add to the lead as five players had multiple-goal games. McBride and Heritage led the team with five goals apiece, Entwisle netted three, while sophomore Lindsay Winstead (Chevy Chase, Md.) and Berrien each scored twice.

Senior Whitney Wildrick (Flourtown, Pa.) made her first career start on senior day, making four saves to record her first career win in 30 minutes of action. Bowie made one stop in the second half for the Panthers.
• Women’s lacrosse record: 10-3
• Up next: 5/3 vs. Colby – 12:00, Amherst vs. Trinity – 2:30, 5/4 – Championship – 12:00

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE SPORTS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: www.gomidd.com