For Release: October 8, 2007
FIELD HOCKEY MOVES TO 7-2
The Middlebury College field hockey team won two more games last week to improve to 7-2 on the season. The week began as the Panthers picked up a 2-0 non-league win over Keene State on Kohn Field. The loss snaps a five-game winning streak for the Owls, who were out shot 23-3 in the contest.
Sophomore Sarah Bryan (Houston, Texas) opened the scoring at the 28:51 mark as she took a quick pass in the middle from sophomore Heather McCormack (Rowley, Mass.), and found the right side of the cage. Senior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.) appeared to have given Middlebury a 2-0 lead later in the half, but a defensive save from Keene’s Alyssa Rowell kept the ball out of the goal.
Trailing 1-0 at the intermission, Keene State came out strong early in the second half with three shots in the first two minutes of the half. Middlebury keeper Caitlin Pentifallo (River Edge, N.J.) made both of her two saves in the game during the flurry to keep it a 1-0 game.
The Panthers gained some breathing room shortly after the spurt, with three shots at the 31-minute mark. Keene’s Vikki Stossell stopped the first two, but sophomore Madeleine Macmillan (Milton, Mass.) snuck one by to give Middlebury a 2-0 lead. Middlebury controlled play for a majority of the remainder of the game, coming away with the shutout win.
Pentifallo made a pair of stops for the Panthers, while Stossell made 16 for the Owls, including 14 in the second half.
Middlebury ended the week with a 1-0 road win at Amherst. The lone goal of the game came when Rowe beat Amherst goalie Kathleen Boucher with a shot from within a pile up, following a free hit from McCormack.
Just three minutes into the second half, Amherst had a pair of consecutive corners and threatened with two close shots which were both denied. Amherst finally found the back of the net with less than a minute remaining when Catherine Calvert riffled a shot off a set play on a corner, but the score was called back.
Amherst’s final opportunity to even the score came with a trio of corners with just two seconds remaining in the game, but they could not beat Pentifallo. The goalie finished with nine saves on the day, while Boucher had a single stop for Amherst.
• Field hockey record: 7-2
• Up next: 10/13 vs. Williams – 12:00
FOOTBALL REMAINS UNBEATEN
The Panther football team improved to 3-0 for the second consecutive season with a 19-16 win at Amherst. The Panthers and this week’s opponent Williams, are now 11-2 in their last 13 games, second only to 12-1 Trinity. The visiting Panthers took a 19-9 lead into halftime, which proved to be too much for the Jeffs to overcome, as Middlebury hung on for win.
After Amherst went three-and-out on its first possession to begin the game, first-year quarterback Donald McKillop (Poway, Calif.) led his team down to the Amherst 36-yard line, where senior running back David Randolph (Madison, Conn.) took control. Randolph rushed for four yards to move the ball to the 32-yard line, and then broke free two plays later for a 32-yard scamper into the end zone. Senior Jack Britton (Carmel, Calif.) converted on the extra point to give the Panthers an early 7-0 lead.
McKillop got right back to work on the next drive and completed passes of 16 and 23 yards to march the Panthers right back into Amherst territory. Middlebury faced first-and-goal on the eight-yard line and would get as close as the two-yard line, but the Jeffs held the visitors to just a field goal, as Britton made it a 10-0 game with 3:33 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Jeffs once again went three-and-out and were forced to punt, but Keith Erzinger placed a beautiful kick deep in the Middlebury zone, as the Panthers took over on their own two-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Guy Matisis stopped Randolph well-behind the line of scrimmage, as the Jeffs put two points on the board with a safety and regained possession.
Amherst took advantage of Matisis’ great play, and used a combination of Loeffler passes and NeSmith rushes to march down to inside the Middlebury 10-yard line, setting up a nine-yard touchdown pass from Loeffler to wide receiver Brandon Bullock. Matt Eberhart nailed the extra point to complete the drive, as Amherst trailed 10-9 with 12:50 to play in the second quarter.
Four minutes later, McKillop began an impressive drive from his team’s 43-yard line. A 31-yard completion to junior Timothy Dillon (Dracut, Mass.) brought the Panthers to Amherst’s 20-yard line. Facing fourth-and-two, McKillop was able to pick up the two crucial yards using his legs, setting up a Randolph 10-yard touchdown run on the next play. After the extra point conversion, this time from the foot of first-year kicker Anthony Kuchan (Wauwatosa, Wis.), Middlebury held a 17-9 lead with 5:38 showing on the clock.
The Amherst offense once again went three-and-out on its next possession, but this time failed to send a clean snap to Erzinger, as the ball sailed over his head and into the end zone, resulting in the second safety of the game. The Panthers’ lead increased to 19-9 after the two points, which is where the game stood heading into halftime. Middlebury had another chance to score before time expired, but Kuchan’s 27-yard field goal attempt missed wide-right.
The third quarter featured much more of a defensive battle, as neither team managed to put any points on the scoreboard. The fourth quarter was much of the same, as Amherst failed to cut its deficit and Middlebury failed to pad its lead. It wasn’t until there were two minutes and 40 seconds remaining in regulation that the Jeffs began another scoring drive, with Loeffler leading the way. The drive was highlighted by an 11-yard run by Loeffler when his team faced fourth-and-10, as he carried the ball down to Middlebury’s 46-yard line.
The Jeffs once again faced fourth-and-10 just moments later, but Loeffler connected with Jim Eckenrode for a 16-yard completion. Loeffler followed up with another 16-yard completion, this time to Bullock, and another seven yards were tacked on after a Middlebury penalty. Loeffler completed the drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Bullock, as the Jeffs found themselves trailing 19-16 with only 63 seconds to work with. Amherst’s only option was to attempt an on-side kick, but Middlebury was able to come up with the ball and run out the clock, as the Panthers held on for a nail-biting 19-16 win.
McKillop went 15-34 on the day with 168 passing yards, with Dillon accounting for 75 of those yards to lead the Middlebury wide receivers. Randolph racked up 68 rushing yards on 18 attempts to go along with his pair of touchdowns. Loeffler finished with 182 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for Amherst.
Matisis and Middlebury senior linebacker Erik Woodring (Cos Cob, Conn.) were all over the field throughout the game, as Matisis finished with 13 total tackles to lead the Jeffs and Woodring racked up 15 to lead the Panthers. Nine of Woodring’s tackles were of the solo variety, while Matisis made seven solo tackles and had three tackles-for-loss.
• Football record: 3-0
• Up next: 10/13 vs. Williams – 1:30
CROSS COUNTRY COMPETES AT OPEN N.E.’S
The Middlebury College cross country teams took part in the open New England Championships at Franklin Park in Boston, Massachusetts over the weekend. Teams from Division I, II and III competed in the event, with the Middlebury women placing ninth out of 44 teams. The men’s squad finished 21st out of 43 teams competing.
Junior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley, Mass.) led the Middlebury women with an impressive eighth place finish in 18:33 First-year racer Jessica Spar (Short Hills, N.J.) was next for the Panthers, finishing in 59th place with a time of 19:30. Sophomore Anne Sullivan (Westport, Conn.) and senior Kate Hirschboeck (Coto de Caza, Calif.) placed in 81st and 82nd place respectively, both with a time of 19:48. Rounding out the Middlebury scorers was rookie Amanda Lee (Lincoln, Neb.), who finished the race in 94th place in 19:56.
Senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.Y.) paced the men’s squad with a 53rd place finish in 26:15. Sophomore Mike Waters (Bedford, Mass.) was next in 113th (27:02), followed by first-year racer Stanis Moody-Roberts (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) in 119th place (27:09). Junior Jack Wambach (Evanston, Ill.) in 134th (27:23) and junior Peter Murphy (Wilton, Conn.) in 157th (27:48), rounded out Middlebury’s scorers.
• Cross country teams compete at Open N.E.’s
• Up next: 10/13 @ Albany Invitational
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL HAS 2-1 WEEK
The Panther women’s volleyball team played three matches last week, including a 3-1 NESCAC win at Tufts on Sunday. In that match, senior Lexie Fisher (San Francisco, Calif.) had 15 kills, 16 digs and five blocks to lead the Panthers. Juniors Lindsay Patterson (Aspen, Colo.) and Josie Keller (York, Pa.) along with first-year player Whitney Bean (Waukee, Iowa) each added 10 kills in the balanced offensive attack. Sophomore Natalie DuPre (Louisville, Ky.) had a team-high 23 digs, while first-year player Lauren Barrett (Medfield, Mass.) had 19 digs and 42 assists.
On Thursday, Middlebury earned a 3-2 win over Colby-Sawyer in a match played at Castleton State. Fisher pounded out 24 digs in the win, while Patterson added 11. DuPre was big defensively with 30 digs, Barrett had 54 assists and Bean had five blocks.
Earlier in the week, Middlebury dropped a four-set match to 13-5 Skidmore on Wednesday night in Pepin Gym. Middlebury won the first set and then dropped three straight, two of them tightly contested. Junior Kate Heath (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) paced the team with 14 kills, Patterson had 13, while Bean added 11. Fisher and DuPre each earned 18 digs, Barrett had 13 along with 52 assists. Bean added six block assists in the match.
• Women’s volleyball record: 10-6
• Up next: 10/12-13 – Host NESCAC Quad
MEN’S GOLF FINISHES THIRD AT HAMILTON
The Middlebury College men’s golf team returned to New York this past weekend as they took part in the Hamilton Fall Invitational. The Panthers placed third overall in the 12-team event with a 603. Skidmore won the match with an impressive 583, followed by SUNY-Delhi with a 602.
Junior Michael McCormick (Oak Park, Ill.) led the Panthers over the weekend with a two-day total of 148, placing him fourth with a pair of 74’s. First-year player Brian Cady (Rye, N.Y.) wasn’t far behind with a 150, placing him in a sixth place tie, while senior George Baumann (Mequon, Wis.) finished tied for 14th with a 152. Junior Harrison Bane (Marblehead, Mass.) ended the event in a 21st place tie by shooting a 52, while senior Jeff Patterson (Old Saybrook, Conn.) came in with a 161, placing him in 51st place.
• Men’s golf finished third at Hamilton
• Up next: 10/21-23 @ NEIGA
MEN’S SOCCER HAS 1-1 WEEK
The Panther men’s soccer team suffered their first loss of the season last week after opening a perfect 7-0. The week began with the team’s sixth victory as they picked up a 2-1 win over in-state foe Norwich.
Middlebury took a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when sophomore Stephen Hart (Park City, Utah) tallied a goal off a pass from senior Brandon Jackson (Syracuse, N.Y.).
Norwich (9-2-0), which trailed 1-0 at the half, came out reenergized after the intermission and the Cadets netted the equalizer in the 50th minute when Kyle Przekaza headed the ball into the net.
Junior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) scored the game-winning goal for Middlebury in the 84th minute when he found the back of the net off a direct kick from junior Baer Fisher (Kenilworth, Ill.). Norwich held a 9-5 edge in corner kicks, but Middlebury outshot NU, 24-10.
Middlebury suffered its first loss of the season as they fell to NESCAC rival Amherst 3-1. The Panthers move to 7-1 on the season, while the Lord Jeffs remain undefeated at 9-0.
Amherst got on the board first when on a corner kick, winger Nick Lynch played a short ball back out to John Kneeland. As the Panther defense rushed Kneeland to defend a shot, the midfielder slotted a pass through to Lynch breaking in on goal. Lynch hit a low hard shot from a tough angle, which was pumped home by defender Grayson Holland.
Later in the half, Middlebury was on the attack and was awarded a penalty kick for a foul in the box. Jackson stepped to the spot for the attempt, but Amherst goalie Jeff Grover made the save, diving to his left. Less than three minutes later, at the 16:36 mark of the first half, Jake Duker and Taylor Downs combined for Amherst’s second goal of the game.
In the second half, Downs notched his second goal of the game when he laced a hard shot past Panther junior goalie Brian Bush (Madison, Wis.) into the far upper corner of the net.
Middlebury would not go easily, as they pressured the Amherst defense until the final whistle. With 11:15 left in the game, Hart beat Grover with a flicked shot in a footrace to a bouncing ball. The shot looked destined for the back of the net, but trickled just wide.
With less than five minutes remaining, Middlebury’s junior Nolan Lincoln (E. Thetford, Vt.) put home a rebound after junior Allen Bourdon (Lyme, N.H.) put his head on the end of a long free kick, and forced an initial save from Grover.
• Men’s soccer record: 7-1
• Up next: 10/9 vs. Bowdoin – 3:00, 10/13 vs. Williams – 1:30, 10/14 vs. Plymouth – 3:00
WOMEN’S GOLF IN ACTION AT WILLIAMS
The Middlebury College women’s golf team was back in action this week at the Williams Fall Classic. Wellesley won the event with a two-day total of 659, while Middlebury placed seventh overall in the 10-team event with a 690.
First-year player Courtney Mazzei (Larkin Valley, Calif.) led the Panthers with a two-day total of 164 with a pair of 82’s. Just one stroke behind was first-year player Jessica Bluestein (Tucson, Ariz.) with a 165, followed by senior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) with a 170. First-year golfer Elizabeth Hirsch (New City, N.Y.) shot a 191, while senior Alison Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) came in with a 246.
• Women’s golf plays at Williams Fall Classic
• Up next: 10/13 @ Wellesley
WOMEN’S SOCCER FALLS AT AMHERST
The Panther women’s soccer team played just one game last week as they moved to 5-2-2 on the season with a scoreless tie at Amherst.
Neither team could find the back of the net in the first frame, as the clock whittled down on the re-match of last season’s NESCAC Championship match. Less than a year ago, these same sides battled to a scoreless tie at the end of regulation. Both sides emerged from halftime hoping to end the scoring draught.
In the second half, Amherst’s Stephanie Yesnik had a scoring opportunity at 18:49 when after beating a defender on the right side of the box, the striker’s shot was tipped off the crossbar by Middlebury junior goalkeeper Adele Plunkett (Austin, Texas). The ball caromed back into play, but was sent out of danger by a Panther defender.
In the first overtime session, Middlebury sophomore Jenny Galgano (Wyckoff, N.J.) had a chance to score in a one-one-one with Amherst keeper Lili Ferguson. Galgano hit a screamer towards the Amherst net, but Ferguson tipped the shot over the crossbar.
Middlebury had the last real scoring chance of the game in the final seconds of the first overtime period on a free kick on the edge of the Amherst goal box. The shot snuck through the Amherst wall, but Ferguson smothered the ball to end the period.
Plunkett ended the game with a season-high 11 saves.
• Women’s soccer record: 5-2-1
• Up next: 10/9 vs. Plymouth – 4:00, 10/13 vs. Williams – 12:00
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