For Release: October 1, 2007
Butch Varno Initiative gets a boost as SI re-runs Reilly column
The much-publicized Sports Illustrated column by Rick Reilly, “Picking Up Butch,” appeared again in SI as part of a collection of Reilly's best work. The column ran in the issue dated October 1. The best-of version includes an update with information on the current Butch Varno Initiative.
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MEN’S GOLF QUALIFIES FOR NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIP
The Middlebury College men’s golf team has qualified for the 2007 NESCAC Championship. Trinity, who won the event, along with Williams and Hamilton have also qualified. The Bantams earned the right to host the first-ever championship (in this format) in April of 2008. The winner of the four-team event receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III championships.
Middlebury recorded a team score of 613 and was led by junior Harrison Bane (Marblehead, Mass.), who carded rounds of 77 and 73 to finish in a fourth place tie. First-year player Brian Cady (Rye, N.Y.) was next for the Panthers, finishing in a 12th place tie with a 154. Finishing in a tie for 15th place was senior George Baumann (Mequon, Wis.) with a 155. Senior Jeff Patterson (Old Saybrook, Conn.), who shot a 156 and junior Michael McCormick (Oak Park, Ill.) with a 160, rounded out the Middlebury scorers.
• Men’s golf qualifies for NESCAC Championship
• Up next: 10/6-7 @ Hamilton
FOOTBALL TEAM THUMPS COLBY
The Panther football team earned its second shutout of Colby in as many years as the Panthers blanked the Mules 41-0 in Middlebury’s home-opener. The Panthers followed up last week’s 229-yard effort on the ground with 226 on Saturday, as they took advantage of five consecutive Colby turnovers in the first half.
Colby had a chance early as Middlebury fumbled a punt on the Mules’ opening drive. Colby began the drive at the Middlebury 47 and drove 20 yards before turning the ball over on downs.
Middlebury appeared to have gone three and out on its next possession, when a direct snap to sophomore Steve Hardin (Summit, N.J.) in a punt formation ended in a 66-yard touchdown run.
Colby fumbled the ensuing kick-off, leading to a 20-yard touchdown pass from first-year quarterback Donald McKillop (Poway, Calif.) to junior Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.).
The Mules fumbled again on their next possession, giving Middlebury the ball on the Mules nine-yard line. Four plays later, first-year running back Gary Cooper (Scottsdale, Ariz.) scored with a one-yard plunge to make it a 21-0 game.
Colby turned the ball over on its third straight possession, as junior Brian Marcks (Glastonbury, Conn.) intercepted a pass at the Middlebury six after the Mules had put together a decent drive.
Senior Nate Shreve (Elkins, W. Va.) intercepted a pass early in the second quarter, leading to a 31-yard strike from McKillop to Matson to make it a 27-0 game after a blocked extra-point.
Colby drove to the Middlebury two midway through the second quarter, but junior David Ellis (Wellesley, Mass.) earned a sack on a fourth and goal play to end the drive.
Leading 27-0 at the half, the Panthers added to their advantage on their first drive of the third quarter. A 22-yard rush from sophomore Erik Rostad (York, Maine) set up the third connection of the day from McKillop to Matson, this one from 35-yards out for the touchdown.
Following a Colby punt on its next possession, Middlebury scored its final touchdown of the day on a seven-play, 70 yard drive. McKillop hit junior Timothy Dillon (Dracut, Mass.) for 13 yards and junior Charlie Holm (Longmeadow, Mass.) for 24 before an 18-yard rush of his own. The rookie QB capped the drive with a three-yard rush to make it a 41-0 game with 10:54 left in the third quarter.
Neither team would score for the remainder of the game, with Middlebury taking almost seven minutes off the clock on its final possession.
McKillop connected on 11 of 14 passes for 172 yards with three touchdown passes on the day. Matson caught all three TD passes for 86 yards, while Dillon had three receptions for 43 yards. Six different players had 20 or more yards rushing for the Panthers, led by Hardin’s 66 yards on the fake punt play. Sophomore Ryan Bohling (Westport, Conn.) gained 48 yards on 10 carries, while rookie Andrew Plumley (Burlington, Vt.) rushed nine times for 40 yards. Senior Erik Woodring (Cos Cob, Conn.) had a big day on defense with 15 tackles, 4.5 for lost yardage including a sack. Junior Bradley Atkinson (Oakland, N.J.) added 10 tackles, while senior Nathan Clancy (Elmhurst, Ill.) recovered a pair of fumbles.
• Football record: 2-0
• Up next: 10/6 @ Amherst – 1:30
MEN’S SOCCER EARNS TWO MORE WINS
The Middlebury College men’s soccer team won two more games last week to improve to 6-0 on the season.
The Panthers picked up their fifth consecutive shutout in as many games to start the season, as they earned a 5-0 victory over Colby-Sawyer. The feat matches the ’03 squad, who also opened the season with five straight blankings.
Middlebury had a chance early as junior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) was hauled down in the penalty area. He ripped a shot to the bottom right corner on a penalty kick, but Chris Feltes made a diving save for Colby-Sawyer to keep the Panthers off the board.
Middlebury broke through minutes later as junior Baer Fisher (Kenilworth, Ill.) scored with a diving header after a great crossing pass from junior Nathaan Demers (Dracut, Mass.). The Panthers then struck twice in 1:01 to take a 3-0 lead later in the half. Sophomore Stephen Hart (Park City, Utah) made a short crossing pass to first-year player Taylor Wilkins (S. Burlington, Vt.), who finished the first goal, while Hart scored one of his own as he slipped a shot past Feltes after carrying the ball in from the right side.
Demers set up Ftorek for the Panthers’ fourth goal in the second half, as Ftorek beat the keeper before firing into an open net. Sophomore Andrew Banadda (Gaithersburg, Md.) capped the scoring as he took a feed from Fisher and found the back of the net.
Junior Brian Bush (Madison, Wis.) made four saves in 67 minutes, while sophomore Jamie Wheeler (Wenham, Mass.) was forced to make no saves in 23 minutes as they combined for the shutout.
Middlebury moved to 6-0 on the season with five shutouts as the Panthers picked up a 3-1 win over Colby in NESCAC men’s soccer action. Middlebury’s allowed its first goal in over 454 minutes this season, as the Mule broke through early on.
Nate Seiberling scored the goal for Colby at the 4:34 mark, as he headed in a crossing pass from Logan King after a restart.
Middlebury answered less than four minutes later, as quick passing from senior David LaRocca (Sparta, N.J.) and Fisher set up a nice one-touch from Ftorek for the goal.
The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the 53rd minute as LaRocca carried the ball to the middle of the field and blasted a shot past a diving Dan Marden.
Senior Andrew Germansky (New York, N.Y.) tried to increase the lead in the 61st minute, but his blast deflected off the crossbar after a corner.
The game remained at 2-1 until the 72:24 mark when Fisher headed in a crossing pass from senior Alex Elias (Manchester Center, Vt.) to make it a 3-1 final.
Bush ended the day with six saves for Middlebury, while Marden made a dozen for Colby.
• Men’s soccer record: 6-0
• Up next: 10/3 @ Norwich – 3:00, 10/6 @ Amherst – 1:00
MEN’S TENNIS COMPETES AT ITA REGIONAL
The Panther men’s tennis team was in action at Williams over the weekend at the ITA Regional. The doubles team of senior Filip Marinkovic (Toronto, Ont.) and sophomore Andrew Thomson (W. Bloomfield, Mich.) turned in an impressive run as they won five matches to capture the ITA doubles title, 8-6.
The doubles team of sophomore Eliot Jia (Mount Desert, Maine) and first-year player Andrew Peters (Baltimore, Md.) won a pair of doubles contests, before falling in the quarterfinal round.
Thomson and Marinkovic were also impressive in singles play, advancing to the quarterfinals of the 56-man bracket. Thomson won two matches after a first-round bye, while Marinkovic picked up three wins.
Peters and sophomore Andrew Lee (Eden Prairie, Minn.) both advanced to the round of 16 before being eliminated.
• Men’s tennis competes at ITA Regional
• Up next: 10/13-14 @ Bates Invitational
CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS WIN STATE TITLES
The Middlebury College cross country teams both cruised to victories at the State Meet hosted by Lyndon State College. The men won the seven-team race with nine of the top 10 finishers, while the women placed eight of the top 10 in the eight-team race.
Winning the men’s race was Middlebury’s first-year racer Stanis Moody-Roberts (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), who captured the event with a time of 28:54. Next for the Panthers was junior Max MacKinnon (Norwich, Vt.) in second place in 29:08, followed by junior Rainey Johnson (St. Louis, Mo.) in third place (29:09). First-year racer Nat Nelson (Concord, N.H.) finished the day in fourth place (29:10), followed by classmate Jack Terrett (Sherborn, Mass.) in fifth (29:17).
Senior Kate Hirschboeck (Cota de Caza, Calif.) led the Middlebury women in second place with a time of 21:21. First-year racer Erin Toner (New Providence, N.J.) came in third place in 21:29, followed by sophomore Anne Sullivan (Westport, Conn.) in fourth (21:47). Rookie Jessica Spar (Short Hills, N.J.) finished the event in fifth place with a time of 21:50, followed by senior Sarah Norton (Denver, Colo.) in sixth (21:56).
• Cross country teams win State Meet
• Up next: 10/6 @ New England’s (Boston)
WOMEN’S SOCCER HAS A THREE-GAME WEEK
The Panther women’s soccer team was busy last week, hosting three games on Dragone Field. The Panthers won two of three, including a NESCAC win over Colby.
In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Middlebury ended Worcester State’s four-game winning streak and handed the Lancers a 5-0 loss on Dragone Field.
Sophomore Margaret Owen (Bozeman, Mont.) opened the scoring just 49 seconds in as she headed in a crossing pass from senior Carly Berger (Princeton, N.J.). The lead doubled in the 36th minute as sophomore Valerie Christy’s (LaJolla, Calif.) high lofting shot from the right side went in off the hand of Worcester State keeper Erin Doherty and into the back of the net. The Panthers entered the half with a 2-0 lead and a 12-0 shots advantage.
Sophomore Nora Tomlinson-Weintraub (Burlingame, Calif.) scored on a throw-in from senior Elise Tarbi (Stow, Mass.), before first-year player Gabriella Curbelo-Zeidman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) put in a rebound after a shot from Owen was saved to make it a 4-0 game. Junior Ashley Pfaff (Charlotte, Vt.) scored the game’s final goal at 78:48 as she won a race to the ball with Doherty and then found an open net.
Junior Adele Plunkett (Austin, Texas) made no saves in the first half for Middlebury, while first-year player Lauren Torch (Bronxville, N.Y.) made three in the second half. Doherty ended the game with seven saves in goal for the Lancers.
Middlebury earns its fourth shutout of the season as the Panthers picked up a 2-0 win over Colby in a NESCAC women’s soccer contest on Dragone Field.
Middlebury threatened early with a pair of attempts from close-range, but Colby’s Loni Pisani denied the shots. The Panthers broke through at 16:58 with a pair of nice passes to set up the goal. Tomlinson-Weintraub sent a ball in to sophomore Jenny Galgano (Wyckoff, N.J.), who quickly fed sophomore Lindsay Walker (Ridgewood, N.J.) for the one-touch goal.
The Panthers added to the lead just 2:29 later as Walker took a feed from Tomlinson-Weintraub, took two quick steps, and then found the back of the net. The pair of goals would be all Middlebury needed as the defense held tough for the next 70 minutes to preserve the shutout.
Plunkett made three saves in goal to earn the win, while Pisani ended the day with seven stops.
Middlebury saw its four-game winning streak come to an end as they dropped a 4-2 contest to Bowdoin on Dragone Field. The win snaps a two-game skid for the Polar Bears, who had dropped games to Williams and Amherst following a 4-0 start.
Bowdoin struck early with a goal following a re-start at the 6:54 mark. Roberta Dennison sent in a shot from the right side that was challenged for by several players including Middlebury keeper Plunkett. The ball bounced free to Tiernan Cutler, who finished into an open net.
Middlebury answered at 11:09 as sophomore Anne Ford (Dexter, Mich.) converted a crossing pass from senior Caitlin Parker (Seattle, Wash.). The Polar Bears took a lead they would not relinquish following a corner kick in the 17th minute. Ann Zeigler found Christine Aceto after the initial free kick, as Aceto scored with a hard shot to the bottom right corner of the net.
Dana Riker made it a 3-1 game just 1:21 later, as she put home a goal after a scramble in the penalty area. Riker struck again early in the second half as her shot from 25 yards out on the left side lofted just over the head of Plunkett.
Tomlinson-Weintraub scored for Middlebury at 70:52 as she took a feed from Walker and finished with a shot that just tipped the hand of Bowdoin keeper Katherine Popoff. That would be the game’s final tally as Bowdoin held on for the 4-2 win.
Plunkett made three saves in 58 minutes, while Torch made a stop in 32 minutes of action for the Panthers. Popoff made five saves in net to earn the win.
• Women’s soccer record: 5-2-1
• Up next: 10/6 @ Amherst – 1:00
FIELD HOCKEY SPLITS A PAIR OF NESCAC GAMES
The Middlebury College field hockey team won its third straight game as the Panthers topped Colby 2-1 in a NESCAC field hockey game played on Kohn Field.
The Panthers grabbed a 1-0 lead at the 15:04 mark, as senior Lacey Farrell (Greenwich, Conn.) took a feed from first-year player Chase Delano (Greenwich, Conn.) on a penalty corner and found the back of the cage. The Panthers would hold a 4-0 shots advantage as they entered the halftime intermission.
The lead doubled at 25:46 of the second half as Farrell sent in a shot that was poked in by senior Marnie Rowe (Harwich, Mass.) in traffic.
Colby answered with 18:49 remaining as Amy Campbell scored with Middlebury’s junior keeper Caitlin Pentifallo (River Edge, N.J.) down after a scramble in front of the net. The goal cut the lead to 2-1, but that’s as close as the Mules would come as Middlebury held on for the win.
Pentifallo ended the day with a pair of saves for Middlebury, while Jamie Enos made eight stops for Colby.
The Panthers saw their three-game winning streak snapped as second-ranked Bowdoin handed the Panthers a 1-0 loss on Kohn Field. The Polar Bears move to 8-0 on the season and have yet to allow a goal in ‘07. Tenth-ranked Middlebury falls to 5-2 on the year.
Following a scoreless first half, Bowdoin had a great chance to score just seconds into the second half. Ingrid Oelschlager carried the ball down the field into open space, but was stopped in the circle by the Middlebury defense.
The Polar Bears threatened again with 20 minutes left as Middlebury senior Katherine Entwisle (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) broke up a transition play just before Lindsay McNamara was attempting a shot.
The game’s lone goal came with 18:35 left in the second half as Hillary Hoffman gathered a loose ball sent in from outside the circle, and found the back of the cage.
Pentifallo made five saves in goal for Middlebury, while Emlieigh Mercer made one stop for Bowdoin.
• Field hockey record: 5-2
• Up next: 10/4 vs. Keene – 4:00, 10/6 @ Amherst – 1:00
WOMEN’S TENNIS HOSTS DOUBLES TOURNEY
The Panther women’s tennis team hosted a doubles tournament this weekend on campus, with teams from several schools, as well as “open” players. The Middlebury duo of sophomore Jamie Haar (Alpine, N.J.) and senior Claire Smyser (Houston, Texas) went 5-0 to win the tournament, with a 6-2, 6-2 victory in the finals.
Senior Amy Berkman (Shelburne, Vt.) and first-year player Whitney Hanson (Wayne, Pa.) also took part in the tourney, winning two of three matches in their bracket.
• Women’s tennis hosts doubles tourney
• Up next: 10/13-14 @ Lehigh Invitational
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL GOES 1-1
The Middlebury College women’s volleyball team played a pair of matches last week before enjoying a weekend off. The week began with a lengthy match at Union, as the Panthers fell 3-2 on Tuesday night. The match was tied at two before Union picked up a 15-12 win in the third and final set.
Junior Lindsay Patterson (Aspen, Colo.) and junior Kate Heath (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) led the offense with 12 kills apiece. Patterson also had 21 digs, sophomore Natalie DuPre (Louisville, Ky.) earned 20, while first-year player Lauren Barrett (Medfield, Mass.) had 45 assists.
Middlebury picked up a 3-0 win over Norwich on Thursday night in Pepin Gym. Patterson had seven kills and 11 digs in the match, while Heath earned nine kills. Senior Lexie Fisher (San Francisco, Calif.) led all Panthers with a dozen kills, DuPre had four service aces, while Barrett dished out 23 assists.
• Women’s volleyball record: 8-5
• Up next: 10/3 vs. Skidmore – 7:00, 10/5 vs. C-Sawyer @ Castleton – 7:00 , 10/7 @ Tufts – 2:00
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