For Release: November 12, 2007
FOOTBALL WINS NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIP
The Middlebury College football team won its first outright NESCAC Football Championship with a 21-19 win over Tufts in the season finale. The Panthers end the season with a 7-1 mark, a game ahead of 6-2 Trinity and Williams. Middlebury earned a share of the NESCAC title with a 7-1 mark back in ’00, the first year the NESCAC began awarding football championships.
Tufts fumbled the opening kickoff as Middlebury had to go just 33 yards on six plays to take a 7-0 lead. First-year quarterback Donald McKillop (Poway, Calif.) hit junior tight end Charlie Holm (Longmeadow, Mass.) for a 22 yard pass on the drive, while connecting again with Holm for a two-yard touchdown pass.
A 55-yard return on the ensuing kickoff left Tufts the ball on the Middlebury 25. Three plays later Matt Russo connected with Stephen Black for a nine-yard scoring strike. The failed extra point left Middlebury a 7-6 advantage.
Middlebury missed a 30-yard field goal later in the quarter, while Tufts could not take advantage of a Panther fumble late in the first quarter.
Middlebury took a 14-6 lead with 6:18 left in the first half on an 11-play, 67-yard drive. McKillop hit sophomore Eric Rostad (York, Maine) for 12 yards and junior Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.) for 16 before senior David Randolph (Madison, Conn.) picked up an 18-yard gain on the ground. Randolph would cap the drive with a one-yard rush to increase the lead.
Leading 14-6 at the break, Middlebury opened the second half with a 12-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 5:47 off the clock. McKillop and Holm once again hooked up, this time from 11 yards out to make it 21-6 game.
Tufts answered on its next possession, driving 46 yards after another long kickoff return. Russo hit Black for a 16-yard touchdown, to make it a 21-12 game after the extra point was blocked by sophomore Bill Greven (Winston-Salem, N.C.).
Neither team would get inside their opponent’s 25-yard line, until Tufts began a drive at its own six late in the game. The Jumbos drove 94 yards down the field and scored, as Russo hit Black for the third time in the game for a 19-yard touchdown, making it a 21-19 game with 55 seconds remaining.
The Panthers recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock over two plays to earn the NESCAC crown. Middlebury held a 149-61 edge on the ground, Tufts had a 255-150 advantage through the air, while the Panthers held a 36:22 to 23:38 lead in time of possession.
McKillop went 17 of 29 for 150 yards with two touchdowns on the afternoon, while rushing 10 times for 48 yards. Randolph led all rushers with 74 yards and a touchdown, while Holm caught six passes for 68 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Erik Woodring (Cos Cob, Conn.) led the Middlebury defense with 18 tackles, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble on the afternoon. His 106 tackles this season are just two shy of the school record, while he ends his career with 307 tackles, breaking Andy Steele’s record of 305 from ’97-’00. Senior Nathan Clancy (Elmhurst, Ill.) had nine tackles in the game, while junior Brian Marcks (Glastonbury, Conn.) made seven.
• Football final record: 7-1
• end of season
FIELD HOCKEY RETURNS TO FINAL FOUR
The Panther field hockey team will make its third trip in five years to the NCAA field hockey final four after a 2-1 win at The College of New Jersey in an NCAA Regional Final. The Panthers will meet Salisbury on Friday, November 16th at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, while Bowdoin meets Lebanon Valley in the other semifinal. The NCAA Championship will take place on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Middlebury opened the scoring 10:24 into the game as they capitalized on a penalty corner. Senior Marnie Rowe (Harwich, Mass.) inserted the ball from the far side of the field to senior Lacey Farrell (Greenwich, Conn.), who stopped the ball for junior Lindsay McBride (Old Greenwich, Conn.). McBride then sent a low shot through traffic that found its way into the net for a 1-0 Panther lead.
That combination cashed in on another penalty corner with the goal being a mirror image of the first. McBride’s second goal of the game came with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half. McBride entered the two regional games at TCNJ with one goal on the season, but scored three times in the pair of wins at Lions’ Stadium.
In the second half, TCNJ put the pressure on the Panthers and nearly got on the board as Leigh Mitchell got a shot past Middlebury junior goalie Caitlin Pentifallo (River Edge, N.J.), but senior teammate Katherine Entwisle (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) was there to make the defensive save.
TCNJ did get on the board via a penalty corner as Kelly Mitchell notched her first of the season on assists from Mary Waller and Jackie Gelinas. That goal came with 2:07 left in the game.
The Lions had several chances to get the equalizer with three more penalty corners as time ran out, but the Panthers were able to withstand that push.
TCNJ goalie Caitlin Gregory made four saves for the Lions, while Pentifallo recorded seven for the Panthers.
In the semifinals against Messiah, the Panthers netted their second straight win in the tournament as senior Reid Berrien (Westport, Conn.) scored her 21st goal of the season midway through overtime on an assist from Farrell.
Both teams had their offense clicking early as Messiah (14-5) opened the scoring 5:23 into the game as Nikki Bailey scored.
Messiah’s lead was short lived as the Panthers got the goal back just over four minutes later as Rowe tallied from Berrien.
It only took 56 seconds for the Falcons to regain the lead on a Lindsey Hunter tally, but Middlebury pulled even by the half as McBride lifted a shot into the Messiah net knotting the game at two.
The Panthers took their first lead of the game 2:21 into the second half when Rowe notched her second of the game putting back a rebound, but Messiah forced overtime when Elizabeth Ziegler scored with 11:32 left in regulation.
Messiah goalie Ashley Mowery finished with 14 saves, while Pentifallo collected three.
Earlier in the week, Middlebury outshot UMaine-Farmington 40-4 as the Panthers picked up a 5-1 win over the Beavers in an NCAA Tournament first-round game on Kohn Field.
Middlebury opened the scoring at the 27:28 mark as Berrien carried the ball down the middle before winding up and blasting a shot into the right side of the cage from the outside. The goal was her team-leading 19th of the season.
The Panthers threatened again later in the half, but a defensive save by Ashley Weeks and then a pair from Renee Trafton kept it a 1-0 game.
Farrell gave Middlebury a 2-0 lead at 15:41 as she put home her own rebound. After several penalty corners, the Panthers finally broke through at 8:35 as sophomore Heather McCormack (Rowley, Mass.) deflected an outside shot from first-year player Chase Delano (Greenwich, Conn.) to give Middlebury a 3-0 lead at the intermission.
UMaine-Farmington got on the board just 1:46 into the second half as Erika Lucas put home a shot down low that was sent in by Andrea Tyler.
Berrien scored her second of the game from a tough angle near the end line at 22:28, while she made a nice crossing pass to Farrell for her second tally of the contest with 19:32 remaining.
Pentifallo ended the day with a pair of saves to earn the win, while Kaeleigh Barker made 14 saves for the Beavers.
• Field hockey record: 16-4
• Up next: 11/16 vs. Salisbury – 2:00 (NCAA Semifinals at Ursinus), 11/17 –Championship – 1:00
MEN’S SOCCER TO HOST NCAA SECTIONAL
The Middlebury College men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA sectionals after a convincing 5-0 win over Wheaton in a second-round game in Vermont. The Panthers will host Williams in one sectional match-up, while Amherst meets York in the other match-up on Saturday. The winners meet on Sunday with a trip to the final four on the line.
Middlebury (15-2-1) improves on its school-record with its 15th win and 13th shutout of the season, while Wheaton ends the year at 13-7-2. The Panthers are now 9-0 at home in ’07 with just one goal allowed.
Middlebury dominated the game from start to finish, out-shooting their opponent 31-6 on the day. Junior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.) opened the scoring, as he took a centering pass from sophomore Colin Nangle (Westport, Conn.) and blasted a one-timer into the right side of the net just 4:21 into the contest.
Ftorek struck again at 19:12 after senior Brandon Jackson (Syracuse, N.Y.) won an impressive battle with a defender. Jackson then quickly slid a crossing pass to Ftorek who banged it home from eight yards out. The Panthers had four other quality scoring chances in the first half, entering the intermission with a 2-0 lead.
Ftorek earned his hat-trick just 2:46 into the second half after a free kick. Senior Alex Elias’ (Manchester Center, Vt.) shot hit the Wheaton wall and then bounced around loose in the penalty area. Ftorek got a foot on the ball for a shot, which was partially saved by Wheaton’s Cole Davidson before it went over his head and into the net.
The lead grew to 4-0 at the 58:34 mark as Jackson drove along the goal line before taking a tough angle shot that was finished by senior David LaRocca (Sparta, N.J.).
First-year player Jake Edwards (Easton, Conn.) ended the scoring at 71:17, as he scored from close-range after a feed from junior Baer Fisher (Kenilworth, Ill.).
Junior Brian Bush (Madison, Wis.) was forced to make only one save in goal, earning his ninth shutout of the season. Despite giving up five goals, Davidson was impressive for the Lyons, ending the day with nine saves.
Ftorek’s three goals give him 15 on the season, tying Middlebury’s single-season record held by Michael Walker in ’92.
• Men’s soccer record: 15-2-1
• Up next: 11/17 vs. Williams – 11:00, Amherst vs. York – 1:30, 11/18 – Sectional Final – 1:00
CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS RACE AT REGIONALS
The Panther cross country teams were in action at the 2007 NCAA Regionals hosted by Connecticut College on Saturday. The women finished the 47-team race in fifth place, while the men placed 12th overall. Based on their fifth place finish, the women have qualified for next week's NCAA Championship.
Junior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley, Mass.) had another impressive performance as she finished the race third overall with a time of 21:31. First-year runner Amanda Lee (Lincoln, Neb.) was next for Middlebury in 31st place in 22:39, followed by senior Ceara Danaher (W. Hartford, Conn.), who placed 34th in 22:41. Rookie Sophia Spring (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) finished 41st (22:46), while senior Kate Hirschboeck (Coto de Caza, Calif.) placed 60th (23:10) to round out the Panther scorers.
Senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.Y.) was solid on the men’s side once again, placing 10th overall at the regional meet, earning a time of 25:10. His time qualified him for next weekend’s NCAA Championship race. Junior Peter Murphy (Wilton, Conn.) was next for the men in 52nd place (25:50), followed by sophomore Mike Waters (Bedford, Mass.) in 66th (26:01), sophomore Peter Hoffman (Rochester, Minn.) in 93rd (26:30) and junior Jack Wambach (Evanston, Ill.) in 94th (26:31).
• Cross country teams race at NCAA Regionals
• Up next: 11/17 – NCAA Championship (St. Olaf)
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