For Release: October 29, 2007

FOOTBALL WITH BIG WIN OVER TRINITY

The Middlebury College football team (5-1) picked up its first win over Trinity (4-2) in the last six years as the Panthers earned a key 23-14 NESCAC win over the Bantams. The Panthers entered the game ranked fourth in New England, while the Bantams sat in the second spot. The game took over 3:30 as it was delayed twice by lightning, on a rain-soaked Youngman Field. The Bantams had lost just three times in their last 46 contest entering the game. Middlebury now sits atop the NESCAC standings with Tufts, both boasting 5-1 records.

Trinity jumped out early as Eric McGrath hit Joe Clark with a 68-yard bomb down the left sideline, just five plays into the game.

Following a three-and-out by Middlebury, Trinity did the same, but a bad snap on a punt left Middlebury the ball on the Trinity 17. Senior running back David Randolph (Madison, Conn.) took advantage of the good field position as he scored from three yards out to tie the game at seven.

Trinity answered on its next drive, as they marched 62 yards on eight plays, capped by a 14-yard screen pass from McGrath to Matt Stafford for the touchdown.

A 63-yard punt by Middlebury senior Jack Britton (Carmel, Calif.) gave the Panthers good field position on their next possession as the Bantams went three-and-out. Middlebury drove from the Trinity 31 to the 7, before fumbling the ball away on a third-and-one play.

The Panthers tied the game with 8:37 left in the second quarter as first-year quarterback Donald McKillop (Poway, Calif.) hit junior Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.), who eluded a pair of defenders on his way to the end zone for his sixth touchdown catch of the season.

With the game tied at 14 at the intermission, the teams opened the second half with four straight punts. Middlebury was driving on its third possession, but McKillop was picked off by Nile Lundgren at the Trinity 21.

The Panthers were unable to take advantage of a Trinity fumble early in the third quarter, but Britton belted a 44-yard punt that sat just outside the end zone. The Middlebury defense took over as senior linebacker Erik Woodring (Cos Cob, Conn.) was credited with a safety on the first play from scrimmage as he tackled McGrath in the end zone for a 16-14 Middlebury lead.

Middlebury had a chance to add to the lead on its next possession, but Britton’s 23-yard field goal was blocked by Jared Boyd.

The Bantams fumbled away their next possession, as the Panthers gained some breathing room with a short 25-yard scoring drive. McKillop hit junior Timothy Dillon (Dracut, Mass.) in the corner of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown that left Middlebury with a 23-14 lead at the 4:20 mark. Trinity had a pair of possessions late in the game, but could not cut into the lead.

Middlebury controlled the fourth quarter in the game, holding the ball for 10:54 of the 15-minute quarter. McKillop ended the day 14 of 22 for 145 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Dillon caught six passes for 64 yards with a TD, while Matson had three receptions for 45 yards with a score. Randolph was steady on the ground, rushing the ball 32 times for 70 yards with a touchdown.

Woodring paced the defense with 14 tackles, 3.5 for lost yardage, while senior Nathan Clancy (Elmhurst, Ill.) made 10 stops. Sophomore Eric Kamback (Mahwah, N.J.) had eight tackles with two fumble recoveries, while senior Alex Buggy (Stamford, Conn.) had eight stops with one fumble recovery. Junior Brian Marcks (Glastonbury, Conn.) ended the day with five tackles, a forced fumble, three pass break-ups and one interception.
• Football record: 5-1
• Up next: 11/3 vs. Hamilton – 1:00

FIELD HOCKEY WINS THREE, HEADED TO NESCAC SEMI’S

The Panther field hockey team advanced to the NESCAC semifinals with a 4-2 win over Trinity. The Panthers will take on Tufts next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Bowdoin, while the host school will play Williams at 1:30. The winners meet for the NESCAC Championship at 12:00 on Sunday. The Bantams end their season at 8-7, while Middlebury improves to 12-3 on the year.

Sophomore Heather McCormack (Rowley, Mass.) and senior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.) each scored two goals apiece to bolster the Panther offense. McCormack opened the scoring at the 20:49 mark as she put in a rebound off the pads of Trinity keeper Payden Sra. Berrien scored a similar goal at 12:32, before McCormack scored her second of the game just 1:20 later on a rebound.

The Panthers held a 3-0 lead at the break, with Berrien making it a 4-0 game with a blast from the outside just 2:24 into the second half.

Trinity battled back late in the game, as Emily Skipp put the Bantams on the board with a feed from Katie Curran at the 12:24 mark. Kathleen Conlon tipped in a shot from Skipp on a penalty to corner to make it a 4-2 game with 7:19 remaining. That would be the game’s final goal as Middlebury hung on for the win. Junior Caitlin Pentifallo (River Edge, N.J.) made three saves in goal for Middlebury, while Sra made four saves for Trinity.

Berrien had a goal and an assist to lead visiting Middlebury to a 5-1 win over Trinity in the NESCAC regular season finale for both teams. With the game tied at the break, Middlebury rookie Sally Ryan (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) netted an unassisted goal 2:08 into the second half and three different Panthers added additional scores in the second stanza. Bantam Karli Del Rossi opened the game with a goal 2:38 into the contest, but was answered 56 seconds later by first-year player Chase Delano (Greenwich, Conn.). Trinity’s Payden Sra and Pentifallo each made eight saves in goal.

Earlier in the week, Rensselaer scored the first and last goals of the game, but Middlebury netted 10 in between as the Panthers picked up a 10-2 win over the Red Hawks on Kohn Field. Middlebury earns its seventh straight 10-win season, moving to 10-3 on the year, while Rensselaer (5-9) drops its sixth straight contest.

Rensselaer jumped out early as Sara Stylinski scored with a reverse sweeping shot just 2:56 into the contest. Middlebury tied the game at 28:42 as sophomore Madeleine Macmillan (Milton, Mass.) tipped in a shot from Delano. Macmillan struck again as she scored at 24:19 after a shot had been blocked by a defender.

Junior Lindsay McBride (Old Greenwich, Conn.) converted a nice play on a penalty corner, before sophomore Sarah Bryan (Houston, Texas) finished up a scramble in front of the goal to make it 4-1. Ryan put home her own rebound with 2:39 left in the half, as Middlebury went into the intermission with a 5-1 advantage.

The Panthers didn’t let up in the second half as Delano scored following a penalty corner just 2:28 into the half. Rookie Allison Grant (Louisville, Ky.) added two goals, while McCormack and junior Sophie Thompson (Greenwich, Conn.) each scored to round out the Middlebury scoring.

Michelle Clement scored for the Red Hawks with 2:09 remaining to break up the 10-goal run. Pentifallo made four saves in goal to earn the win for Middlebury, while Lauren Fernandes and Kate Williams each played a half, combining for a dozen saves for the Red Hawks.
• Field hockey record: 12-3
• Up next: 11/3 vs. Tufts @ Bowdoin (NESCAC semifinals) – 1:30, 11/4 – Championship – 12:00

MEN’S SOCCER HEADED TO NESCAC SEMIFINALS

The Middlebury College men’s soccer team advanced to the NESCAC semifinal round with a 3-0 win over Connecticut College. The Panthers will take on Williams next Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Amherst, while the host school will play Bowdoin at 1:30. The winners meet for the NESCAC title at noon on Sunday. The Camels end their season at 3-9-3, while Middlebury improves to 13-2, its most wins since the ’98-’00 teams won 13 games each season.

Middlebury opened the scoring at the 25:51 mark as junior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) took a nice feed from junior Baer Fisher (Kenilworth, Ill.) before beating Connecticut College goalkeeper Ted Lane, one-on-one.

The Panthers increased their lead 2:37 before the half as rookie Carson Cornbrooks (Williston, Vt.) buried a feed from the left wing by Ftorek to make it a 2-0 contest.

Middlebury built a comfortable 3-0 lead 2:52 into the second half when Ftorek converted a penalty kick for his team-leading 11^th goal of the season.

Junior Brian Bush (Madison, Wis.) made a pair of saves in goal for his seventh shutout in 12 games, while Ted Lane made a save for the Camels.

Ftorek scored the game’s only goal in the 73rd minute to give visiting Middlebury a 1-0 win over Trinity in the final game of the regular season for both teams. Ftorek netted the clincher from senior Alex Elias (Manchester Center, Vt.), while Bush included several spectacular saves among his 12 stops in the game.

Spencer Durland and Zac Trudeau also combined for 12 saves in goal for Trinity, as both teams applied significant offensive pressure throughout the 90 minutes.

The men’s soccer team saw its four-game winning streak come to an end earlier in the week as they suffered just their second loss of the season, a 2-1 double overtime game at Keene State. Jeremy Kelsey’s goal at the 7:27 mark of the second overtime gave the Owls the 2-1 upset win.

Undefeated in its last nine games (7-0-2), Keene State, ranked 10th in New England, improved to 9-4-4. Middlebury entered the game ranked fifth nationally and first in the region.

Ryan Farnsworth headed a through ball past two Panther defenders to sprinting Kelsey. Kelsey one-timed the ball past Middlebury sophomore Jamie Wheeler (Wenham, Mass.) into the right top corner of the net.

Middlebury jumped out to a 1-0 lead 3:14 into the game. Ftorek was able to get control of a lose ball in the box and beat KSC goalie KSC goalie Cal Mintz .

With the rain intensifying in the second half, the Owls were able to tie the game at the 75:49 mark on a blast from just beyond the 18-yard line by Mike Cooley, who took a couple of dribbles to set himself then let go the drive for his seventh goal of the season.

Mintz, who turned aside six shots, saved the day for the Owls with a great save in the first overtime. The senior goalie got his body in front of a screaming line-drive shot by Fisher. The ball deflected off his shoulder and over the cross bar. Wheeler finished the game with six saves for the Panthers.
• Men’s soccer record: 13-2
• Up next: 11/3 vs. Williams @ Amherst (NESCAC semifinals) – 11:00, 11/4 –Championship – 12:00

WOMEN’S SOCCER ADVANCES TO NESCAC SEMI’S

The Panther women’s soccer team has advanced to the NESCAC semifinals with a 1-0 win at Amherst. The Panthers visit Williams on Saturday at 11:00 a.m., while Bowdoin plays Tufts at 1:30. The winners meet for the NESCAC Championship at 12:00 on Sunday. The Jeffs end their season at 5-6-4, while Middlebury improves to 9-4-2 on the year.

Amherst came out strong and earned the first corner kick of the game after 12 minutes of action, but a header by junior Stephanie Yesnik that appeared to be traveling to the back of the net was blocked and cleared away by a Middlebury defender.

With 16 minutes and 30 seconds on the clock, Middlebury sophomore Anne Ford (Dexter, Mich.) received a cross from the corner and sent a one-timer toward the goal, but Amherst keeper Lili Ferguson played the cross perfectly. Middlebury had another close-range shot just three minutes later, but Ferguson was once again in the right place at the right time.

The Jeffs came back with a pair of corner kicks within one minute of each other, but first-year keeper Lauryn Torch (Bronxville, N.Y.) came up big when she smothered a loose ball to end the flurry of Amherst offense.

The Middlebury offense began a stretch of dominance with 37 minutes remaining in the second half, when an Amherst defender cleared a ball right to rookie Katie Ruymann (Medford, N.J.), who settled herself and ripped a close-range shot, but Ferguson was able to knock the ball out of bounds.

Just three minutes later, senior Caitlin Parker (Seattle, Wash.) took the ball along the right wing and then headed toward the goal, setting up a right-footed shot from 20 yards out. Parker placed a beautiful shot just inside the far post to give Middlebury a 1-0 lead with 33:19 remaining in regulation.

The Panthers were relentless for a majority of the second half, as they hit the crossbar twice in a span of two minutes and 10 seconds, while sophomore Lindsay Walker (Ridgewood, N.J.) put serious pressure on the Amherst defense with a pair of hard shots that forced Ferguson to once again come through for her team.

Ferguson made eight saves in a solid effort for the Jeffs, while Torch stopped a pair of shots to earn the shutout.

Devin Nwanagu scored the game’s only goal in the 60th minute and goalie Emily Weedon set a new Bantam record with her seventh shutout of the season to give Trinity a 1-0 victory over Middlebury in the regular season finale.

The game was scoreless with neither team gaining a decided advantage in pressure on a muddy field, until Trinity’s Katie O’Brien headed the ball from midfield up to Lauren Olsen, who threaded the ball up the right wing to a streaking Nwanagu. Nwanagu beat her Panther defender and shot past Torch into the lower left corner of the goal. The Panthers outshot the Bantams, 8-6, and made Weedon leave her feet twice in the first half for two of her seven saves in the game. Torch had three saves in the match.
• Women’s soccer record: 9-4-2
• Up next: 11/3 @ Williams (NESCAC semifinals) – 11:00, 11/4 – Championship – 12:00

CROSS COUNTRY RACE AT NESCAC’S

The were in action at the NESCAC Championships hosted by Williams on Saturday. The women placed fourth in the 11-team race, while the men came in sixth place.

Junior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley, Mass.) led the Middlebury women with a fifth place finish in 22:26. First-year racer Amanda Lee (Lincoln, Neb.) was next for the Panthers in 26th place with a time of 23:47, followed by senior Ceara Danaher (W. Hartford, Conn.) in 31st place (23:55). Senior Kate Hirschboeck (Coto de Caza, Calif.) in 36th (23:58) and rookie Sophia Spring (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) in 40th (24:00) rounded out the Panther scorers.

Senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.Y.) led the Panther men, finishing seventh overall with a time of 26:39. Junior Rainey Johnson (St. Louis, Mo.) (27:46) and sophomore Mike Waters (Bedford, Mass.) (27:46) finished 43rd and 44th respectively, followed by junior Jack Wambach (Evanston, Ill.) in 48th (27:50) and junior Peter Murphy (Wilton, Conn.) in 54th (28:00).
• Cross country teams compete at NESCAC Championship
• Up next: 11/3 @ ECAC Championships (Williams)

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL HEADED TO NESCAC TOURNEY

The Panther women’s volleyball team had a rough week as they dropped four NESCAC matches on the road. Based on their success earlier in the season, Middlebury finished NESCAC play with a 5-5 record and have earned the seventh seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament at Williams.

Middlebury opened the NESCAC Quad with a 3-2 loss to the host school at Connecticut College. Junior Lindsay Patterson (Aspen, Colo.) led the team with 14 kills, while junior Josie Keller (York, Pa.) had 11. Sophomore Natalie DuPre (Louisville, Ky.) had 26 digs, Patterson earned 23, while sophomore Reisa Bloch (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) had 20.

The next day, Middlebury fell 3-0 to Wesleyan with two sets being decided by less than three points. Senior Lexie Fisher (San Francisco, Calif.) had eight kills, Patterson had seven, while DuPre earned 15 digs.

In the regular season finale, Middlebury dropped another five-set match, this one to Trinity. Fisher had a big match with 19 kills, while Patterson added 13. First-year player Lauren Barrett (Medfield, Mass.) had 45 assists, while DuPre (30) and Patterson (27) led the team in assists.

Earlier in the week, Middlebury lost a tough road NESCAC match, falling to Williams 3-1. The Panthers won the first set, before dropping a tight 33-31 second set. The Ephs were then 30-26 and 30-19 winners to wrap up the contest. Fisher paced the team with 15 kills, while Keller added 10. DuPre had a team-high 27 digs, while Barrett earned 42 assists.
• Women’s volleyball record: 15-13
• Up next: 11/2 vs. Williams @ Amherst – 6:00 (NESCAC Qtr.)
11/3-4 – Semifinals/Championship @ Amherst

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