For Release: October 15, 2007
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL GOES 3-0
The Middlebury College women’s volleyball team had a big week as they hosted a NESCAC weekend in Pepin Gym. The Panthers won all three matches and are now 5-1 in NESCAC play this season.
Middlebury cruised to a 3-0 win over Bates on Friday night to start the weekend. Junior Lindsay Patterson (Aspen, Colo.) had 12 kills in the match, while senior Lexie Fisher (San Francisco, Calif.) had nine. Sophomore Natalie DuPre (Louisville, Ky.) had 19 digs in the match, while Fisher added 13.
The Panthers began Saturday with an impressive come-from-behind victory over Bowdoin. Middlebury trailed 2-0 and were down late in the third set, before coming back to win three straight. Fisher had 18 kills in the match, followed by junior Kate Heath (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) with 13 and Patterson with 10. Five players had doubles figures in digs, led by first-year player Lauren Barrett (Medfield, Mass.) with 19, DuPre with 16 and sophomore Reisa Bloch (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) with 15. Barrett had 43 assists in the win, while first-year player Whitney Bean (Waukee, Iowa) had 5.5 blocks.
In the weekend finale, Colby squeaked out a win in the fourth set, setting up a fifth and final set where Middlebury came away with a 16-14 win. Fisher was huge for Middlebury with 22 kills in the match, followed by junior Josie Keller (York, Pa.) with 10. Fisher also had 24 digs, followed by DuPre with 23 and Barrett, who had 19 along with 49 assists.
• Women’s volleyball record: 13-6
• Up next: 10/17 @ Plymouth, 10/19-20 @ Hall of Fame Classic (Smith)
MEN’S SOCCER HAS 3-0 WEEK
The Panther men’s soccer team had a great week as they picked up three wins at home, including victories over NESCAC foes Bowdoin and Williams.
Middlebury earned its sixth shutout in nine games as they improved to 8-1 with a 2-0 win over Bowdoin. A scoreless first half saw each team with three shots and few scoring opportunities. Bowdoin had a quality chance to score in the 41st minute as Nick Figueiredo fed Tim Prior in the middle. His header caromed off the cross bar to Justin Ito-Adler, who had his shot saved by Middlebury’s junior keeper Brian Bush (Madison, Wis.).
Middlebury put some pressure on five minutes into the second half with several scoring chances. Junior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) had a shot blocked in the 55th minute, with the rebound coming right to his feet as he blasted a shot just wide. Bowdoin answered with a chance on its next possession, as Dominic Fitzpatrick just missed high from 10 yards out.
The Panthers finally broke up the scoreless battle as Ftorek broke through at 74:51. Sophomore Andrew Banadda (Gaithersburg, Md.) fed the ball to Ftorek, who beat Bowdoin keeper Dan Hicks, before taking two quick steps and ripping a left-footed shot into an open net.
Middlebury added some much-needed insurance at 84:11 as senior Brandon Jackson (Syracuse, N.Y.) scored on a penalty kick with a blast to the right side.
Bush ended the day with three saves to earn his fifth shutout of the season, while Hicks made two stops for the Polar Bears.
In another tightly-contested Middlebury vs. Williams men’s soccer game, the Panthers came away with a 1-0 victory in Vermont. Junior Baer Fisher (Kenilworth, Ill.) scored at 82:29 as he took a drop pass from Ftorek, who had carried the ball down the left win. Fisher blasted a ball into the upper right corner, just inside the post, for the game’s only goal.
Bush was injured early in the game, as sophomore Jamie Wheeler (Wenham, Mass.) took over at the 2:24 mark. Wheeler would end the day with four saves in goal, while his counterpart, Andrew Graham, made six stops for the Ephs.
Williams had a nice chance in the 14th minute as Kit Fuderich’s shot was saved, before a shot from Mike Darling was cleared off the goal line. The Panthers tried to get on the board early in the second half as a header from Ftorek on a Jackson cross, just sailed over the crossbar.
Jackson just missed a goal on a restart in the 60th minute, while Daniel Curbelo-Zeidman nearly scored a header minutes later at the other end.
Each team would have a few more quality opportunities, but their defenses held up as the Panthers earned the 1-0 win.
Middlebury picked up its eighth shutout of the season as the 10-1 Panthers earned their second win in as many days, this time a 5-0 non-conference victory over Plymouth State.
Senior David LaRocca (Sparta, N.J.) opened the scoring just 1:19 into the game as he ripped a line drive into the top right corner from the right side. Ftorek made it a 2-0 game at 22:52 as he headed in a corner kick from senior Alex Elias (Manchester Center, Vt.). Sophomore Stephen Hart (Park City, Utah) made a nice through pass to rookie Taylor Wilkins (S. Burlington, Vt.) for the Panthers third goal of the first half with 3:19 remaining.
Elias scored his first goal of the season in the 72nd minute as he struck a beautiful shot to the top right corner on a restart from 19 yards out. Banadda scored the game’s final goal in transition, converting a pass from Hart.
Wheeler wasn’t challenged often in net for the Panthers, though he did look solid with one save to earn the shutout. Tyler Shute cleared several Middlebury scoring opportunities, while also picking up three saves on the afternoon.
• Men’s soccer record: 10-1
• Up next: 10/20 @ Bates
MEN’S TENNIS WITH IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES
The Middlebury College men’s tennis team has a busy weekend with action taking place in Maine and Alabama. After winning the ITA Regional doubles title a few weeks ago, the duo of senior Filip Marinkovic (Toronto, Ont.) and sophomore Andrew Thomson (W. Bloomfield, Mich.) qualified for the ITA Small College Tennis Championships in Alabama over the weekend. The pair were impressive, winning three matches to capture the national title. The pair were straight set victors over each of their opponents, including a 6-3, 6-4 win over Emory in the finals. They advanced to the “Super Bowl” of small college tennis, competing against the winners from Division II, NAIA and junior colleges. Marinkovic and Thomson went down in the semifinals of that bracket, 3-6, 6-3, 3-10.
The rest of the Panthers were competing in the Wallach Invitational hosted by Bates College. In singles play, sophomore Eliot Jia (Mount Desert, Maine) advanced to the finals of the “B” singles bracket, before falling 6-3, 6-2 in the finals. First-year player Ben Weitz (Elkins Parks, Pa.) also advanced to the finals, falling in the “D” singles title match, 6-0, 6-2.
Middlebury enjoyed more success in doubles play as sophomores Andrew Lee (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Chris Mason (Owings Mills, Md.) won the “A” doubles brackets, winning four matches, including an 8-3 victory in the championship.
• Men’s tennis with a busy week
• end of fall season
FIELD HOCKEY DEFEATS WILLIAMS
The Panther field hockey team won its third consecutive game by shutout as the Panthers picked up a 1-0 win over Williams on Dragone Field. Junior Caitlin Pentifallo (River Edge, N.J.) made five saves to earn the win, having allowed just one goal in her last four games.
The Panthers struck early as they scored the game’s lone goal just 2:38 into the contest. Senior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.) sent in a shot from the top of the circle, that was knocked around in the goal area. With the keeper down, sophomore Madeleine Macmillan (Milton, Mass.) pounced on the ball and found the back of the cage for a 1-0 lead.
Middlebury controlled play for most of the remainder of the first half, holding a 7-2 shots advantage at the intermission.
Williams came out in the second half with a few chances to score, but could not get past Pentifallo and the Middlebury defense. The Ephs ended the game with a penalty corner as time expired, but could not get the equalizer.
• Field hockey record: 8-2
• Up next: 10/16 @ St. Lawrence – 6:00, 10/20 @ Bates – 12:00
CROSS COUNTRY RACES AT ALBANY
The Middlebury College cross country teams were in action in huge meets at the University of Albany over the weekend, with Division I, II and III teams competing. The women placed sixth of 29 teams, while the men placed seventh among 26 teams competing.
Junior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley, Mass.) turned in an impressive performance for the women, placing sixth overall in the race with a time of 17:44. Next for the Panthers was first-year racer Amanda Lee (Lincoln, Neb.) in 30th place (18:36), followed by classmate Kaitlynn Saldanha (Scarborough, Maine) in 42nd (18:48). Senior Kate Hirschboeck (Coto de Caza, Calif.) in 50th (18:53) and rookie Erin Toner (New Providence, N.J.) in 57th (18:59) rounded out Middlebury’s scorers.
On the men’s side, senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.Y.) led the squad with a 14th place finish in 25:37. Sophomore Mike Waters (Bedford, Mass.) was solid in 30th place (26:14), followed by junior Jack Wambach (Evanston, Ill.) in 44th (26:28). First-year racer Stanis Moody-Roberts (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) finished the race in 49th (26:32), followed by junior Rainey Johnson (St. Louis, Mo.) in 58th (26:48).
• Cross country teams race at Albany Invitational
• Up next: 10/27 @ NESCAC Championship (Williams)
FOOTBALL SUFFERS FIRST LOSS OF THE SEASON
The Panther football team took its first loss of the season last week, after opening at 3-0. Williams’ Brian Morrissey rushed for 137 yards on 27 carries with three touchdowns to lead the Ephs (2-2) to a 30-22 win at Middlebury (3-1). Both teams amassed over 400 yards of offense on the day, with the Panthers throwing five interceptions. Williams was unable to score on any of the five turnovers, with the Middlebury defense standing its ground.
Williams had great field position on its first drive as a poor snap on a Middlebury punt led to a 10-yard boot. One play later, Morrissey broke away for a 34-yard touchdown run to give Williams an early lead.
Middlebury’s first-year quarterback Donald McKillop (Poway, Calif.) was intercepted on each of Middlebury’s next two possessions, but Williams could not capitalize.
The Panthers began their first scoring drive at their own 25 after a long punt return was called back due to a penalty. Ten plays and 75 yards later, McKillop hit junior Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.) for a 23-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at seven.
Middlebury took the lead on its next drive, as senior running back David Randolph (Madison, Conn.) broke away for an 83-yard run that left the Panthers at the Williams’ two-yard line. Rookie Gary Cooper (Scottsdale, Ariz.) broke through a small hole for the touchdown run that gave Middlebury a 14-7 lead.
Williams answered on its next possession as they drove 73 yards in 11 plays, as Morrissey scored with a three-yard run. Middlebury senior linebacker Erik Woodring (Cos Cob, Conn.) blocked the extra point, as the Panthers held a 14-13 advantage.
McKillop would be picked off on Middlebury’s next two drives, but the Panthers maintained the 14-13 lead. The Ephs drove to the Middlebury 19 following the second interception, but senior Nate Clancy (Elmhurst, Ill.) forced a fumble that was recovered by Woodring at the Middlebury 15.
Williams took its first lead of the game in the third quarter as a lengthy 5:22 drive covered 77 yards on 11 plays. Brian Egan scored on a two-yard rush that made it a 20-14 game with 4:04 left in the third quarter.
The Panthers drove to the Williams’ 23 on their next possession, but turned the ball over on a fumble at the 23 on a fourth and one play. The Ephs marched down the field as Scott Sobolewski kicked a 20-yard field goal to extend their lead to 23-14.
The Middlebury offense could not get much going on its next two possessions, as the Ephs added to their lead with a one-yard run from Morrissey with 3:43 remaining.
The Panthers marched down the field in the final minutes, as McKillop hit Matson for a two-yard strike with 1:10 remaining. The two-point conversion was good, making it a 30-22 game, but Williams recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock for the win.
Randolph rushed 14 times for 124 yards on the day for Middlebury, while Matson caught 11 passes for 123 yards with two touchdowns. McKillop ended the day 26 of 45 for 223 yards with two touchdowns and five picks. Woodring was a force on defense, racking up 19 tackles on the afternoon, followed by junior Brian Marcks (Glastonbury, Conn.) with a dozen.
• Football record: 3-1
• Up next: 10/20 @ Bates – 1:00
WOMEN’S GOLF WRAPS UP FALL SEASON
The Middlebury College women’s golf team ended its fall season at the two-day Wellesley Golf Invitational. The Panthers placed fifth (712) in the nine-team event, with the host school capturing the match with a 667.
First-year player Courtney Mazzei (Larkin Valley, Calif.) led Middlebury with a two-day total of 158, finishing in a fourth place tie. First-year player Jessica Bluestein (Tucson, Ariz.) was next for the team in a 16th place tie with a 175, followed closely by senior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.), who finished in a tie for 18th place with a 176. First-year golfer Elizabeth Hirsch (New City, N.Y.) shot a 203, while senior Alison Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) came in with a 233.
• Women’s golf competes at Wellesley
• end of fall season
WOMEN’S SOCCER HAS 1-1 WEEK
The Panther women’s soccer team picked up a win and a loss last week, with both games taking place on campus. Middlebury scored five unanswered goals in the first half on its way to a 5-0 win over Plymouth State on Dragone Field. The shutout is the fifth of the season for the Panthers, who have allowed eight goals in nine games.
Middlebury struck early as junior Ashley Pfaff (Charlotte, Vt.) scored on a crossing pass from sophomore Nora Tomlinson-Weintraub (Burlingame, Calif.) just 4:11 into the contest. Tomlinson-Weintraub scored a similar goal at 7:29, with a feed from Pfaff.
Senior Carly Berger (Princeton, N.J.) gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead at 12:31 as she scored on a header with a feed from senior Caitlin Parker (Seattle, Wash.).
Pfaff scored her second of the game with 12:50 left in the half on a rebound, after a shot from first-year player Kirsten Lundquist (Boxford, Mass.) deflected off the Plymouth keeper. Sophomore Lindsay Walker (Ridgewood, N.J.) scored the game’s final goal just 4:16 later as she converted a crossing pass from sophomore Jenny Galgano (Wyckoff, N.J.).
The Panthers kept up the pressure in the second half, but Plymouth’s Ashley Riberdy was solid in goal, making nine of her 16 saves in the second stanza.
Williams scored four goals in a 14:23 span in the second half on its way to a 4-0 win over Middlebury on Dragone Field. The Ephs improved to a perfect 12-0 on the season, while the Panthers drop to 6-3-2.
Both teams had some chances in the first half, with the Ephs unable to capitalize on six corner kicks. Middlebury had a great chance midway through the half, but Walker’s header just missed the goal to the left.
Williams broke through at the 54:19 mark of the second half as Brianna Wolfson took a feed from Jessie Freeman and quickly turned and scored. The Ephs doubled the lead 5:20 later as Sarah Walmsley converted a pass from Kaolin McEvoy.
Williams kept up the pressure as Gabrielle Woodson scored her team-leading 10th goal of the season at 64:50 after a feed from Wolfson. Clare Gallagher scored the game’s final goal at 69:42, with Annelise Snyder assisting.
Middlebury junior goalkeeper Adele Plunkett (Austin, Texas) made four saves in goal for Middlebury, while Lauren Sinnenberg made a pair of stops for Williams.
• Women’s soccer record: 6-3-2
• Up next: 10/16 vs. Castleton St. – 4:00, 10/20 @ Bates – 11:00
WOMEN’S TENNIS COMPETES AT LEHIGH
The Middlebury College women’s tennis was in action at Lehigh over the weekend with some round-robin scheduling. The Panthers played singles and doubles play against Farleigh Dickson and Marist, while taking on Lehigh in doubles action.
First-year player Whitney Hanson (Wayne, Pa.) and sophomore Annie Weinberg (Greenwich, Conn.) were both singles winners against Farleigh Dickinson, while Hanson and senior Claire Smyser (Houston, Texas) won singles contests against Marist.
In doubles play, Smyser and sophomore Jamie Haar (Alpine, N.J.) along with Hanson and senior Amy Berkman (Shelburne, Vt.) both earned wins against Lehigh, while Berkman/Hanson defeated Marist.
• Women’s tennis in action at Lehigh
• Up next: 10/19-21 @ NEWITT (Amherst)
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