For Release: November 26, 2007

MEN’S SOCCER WINS NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

The Middlebury College men’s soccer team won its first NCAA Championship with a 1-0 win over Trinity of Texas in the title match in Florida. The game finished in a scoreless tie through two overtimes, but the Panthers won the shootout, 4-3. In the title game, the shootout winner is credited with a one-goal victory. The national championship is the 28^th for the College since ’94, in eight different sports. The Panthers end the year with a school record 18 wins (18-2-2) and 17 shutouts. Trinity suffers its first loss and ends the season with a 23-1 mark.

The scoreless first half was controlled by Trinity, as the Tigers out-shot Middlebury 13-6 in the opening frame. Trinity’s leading scorer Patrick Floeck had the first major opportunity, sailing a one-touch volley over the crossbar after a long throw-in from the left corner. Floeck went airborne later in the half, trying to put a head on a cross from the left sideline, but he collided with Middlebury junior keeper Brian Bush (Madison, Wis.) and had to leave the game. Floeck would return to the field in the second half.

The Panthers kept fighting, and a surge towards the end of the half resulted in the team’s best chance; sophomore Andrew Banadda (Gaithersburg, Md.) chased down a loose ball in the box with just over a minute before halftime, and his one-touch blast rocketed off the left post and back into play. Senior Casey Ftorek (Wolfeboro, N.H.), was in position for the rebound, but his shot was off the mark to the right.

The second half was a defensive battle, as both teams found it difficult to find quality shots; Trinity attempted eight to Middlebury’s six. Midway through the half, Trinity came close to breaking the tie on a corner kick from the right side; Kyle Altman was open in the middle of the box, and his header bounced wide left.

With 15 minutes left in regulation, Middlebury found an opening to Ftorek streaking down the left side, but his shot from outside the penalty area bounced wide right.

With the clock counting down from 10 seconds, Trinity’s Joseph DeCosta received a cross from the right side and had a one-touch shot blocked by Bush, saving Middlebury from a last second defeat.

Trinity nearly won the game three minutes into the overtime period when Matt Beham sent in a cross from the right side, and Robert C’deBaca’s header was saved on the far post by a Middlebury defender.

The Tigers finished the game with a shot advantage of 23-12. Bush stopped nine shots in goal for the Panthers, while Steinberg finished with two saves for Trinity.

In the shootout, Ftorek scored with a shot to the bottom left to tie it at one. Bush made a diving save in the second round before senior Andrew Germansky (New York, N.Y.) gave Middlebury a 2-1 lead. Trinity scored to start off the third round before sophomore Stephen Hart’s (Park City, Utah) shot was saved to tie it at two. Following a Tiger conversion, senior David LaRocca (Sparta, N.J.) scored to knot it a three goals apiece. Trinity’s fourth shooter hit the crossbar before senior Brandon Jackson (Syracuse, N.Y.) scored to give the Panthers the national title.

“The foundation of a good team is defense,” Middlebury Head Coach David Saward explained. “It’s an incredible honor for us to do this, especially with the four teams that were here.”

The Middlebury defense did not allow a goal through the entire tournament, and that mindset helped prepare them for the high-powered Trinity attack. Bush ended the season with a 623 minute scoreless streak.

“It feels great; it’s a credit to our defense,” Bush remarked. “To even play to a tie against a team like Trinity is great. They’re a phenomenal team.”

“I felt that we played good enough soccer to create enough chances to win in the first half, and again in the second half and overtime,” Trinity Head Coach Paul McGinlay explained. “When it comes to penalty kicks, there’s no more coaching.”

“Over 400 teams started the year,” McGinlay continued, “and on November 24 there were two left. We came as close as you can possible come to having the perfect season.”

Germansky, junior Corey Moffat (Berkeley, Calif.) and Banadda were named to the NCAA All-Tournament, while Bush earned Tournament M.V.P. honors.

Middlebury advanced to the NCAA Championship game after a 0-0 tie with Loras in an NCAA semifinal game (Middlebury advanced 3-1 on penalty kicks).

In the shootout, neither team scored in the first round, with Bush making a diving save to his left. Germansky scored for the Panthers, as did Loras to make it 1-1 after two rounds. Hart converted, while Bush made a diving save to his right to leave Middlebury with a 2-1 advantage after three rounds. LaRocca netted a low shot to the right, while Loras' shot skimmed off the left post as the Panthers came away with the 3-1 win. Loras’ season ends despite the team not losing a game during the season.

The scoreless first half was a defensive battle, as neither team was able to mount a significant attack. Middlebury received two good chances from Ftorek midway through the half; the first came 20 minutes into the game on a shot wide left of the goal, and five minutes later he had a header bounce wide right off a serve into the box.

Loras fought back with two solid chances of their own towards the end of the period. Miguel Bonilla had an open shot from straight away from outside the penalty area, but the ball curved wide left. Mike Richter had an opportunity from the right side two minutes later, but he knocked it just wide left. Each team finished the half with two shots on goal, and physical play ended in 23 combined fouls combined between the teams.

The first significant attack of the second half came 10 minutes into the period on a corner kick by Loras; Matt Splittgerber found an opening in the box, and his header was saved by Bush. Nick Rizzo then had a chance two minutes later on a diving header off a cross from the left side, but he directed it straight to the keeper. With 16 minutes left in regulation, Middlebury was awarded a free kick from just outside the penalty area on the right side, but Jackson’s strike was right at Loras goalkeeper Nate DuBois. With nearly an identical free kick, a header by Moffat almost snuck inside the far post, but DuBois chased it down before it could.

The only chance for either team in the first overtime period came five minutes in when Jackson sent in a one-touch volley for Middlebury that sailed high and wide right. In the second overtime, Middlebury attempted four more shots but could not break through. Richter fired a shot off for Loras with three minutes left in the second overtime, but it sailed high from the right wing.

Middlebury finished the game was a 16-12 shot advantage, with DuBois saving six shots for Loras and Bush saving four for Middlebury.
• Men’s soccer final record: 18-2-2

WOMEN’S HOCKEY WINS TWO

The Panther women’s hockey team outshot Wesleyan 49-9 as the Panthers came away with a 4-0 win over the Cardinals in Kenyon Arena. First-year goaltender Lexi Bloom (Highland Park, Ill.) made nine saves in goal for Middlebury to pick up her first career win and shutout.

Middlebury opened the scoring 5:04 into the game as junior Molly Vitt (Kenilworth, Ill.) tipped in a shot from the outside by senior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) for a power play goal. The Panthers made it a 2-0 game at 9:31 as first-year player Anna McNally (St. Paul, Minn.) scored a short handed goal.

Middlebury dominated the second period, out-shooting Wesleyan 26-1, but netting just one goal. Junior Randi Dumont (Greene, Maine) scored midway through the period with a shot through the five-hole.

Sophomore Jessica Bennett (Surrey, B.C.) scored the game’s final goal with 1:34 left in the second period as she put home her own rebound to make it a 4-0 contest.

Rachel Stemerman made 45 saves in goal for the Cardinals on the afternoon.

McNally and junior Annmarie Cellino (W. Seneca, N.Y.) combined for five goals and six assists as Middlebury cruised to a 9-0 win over Hamilton. The Panthers outshot the Continentals 33-11 on the afternoon as they picked up the shutout victory.

Dumont opened the scoring 6:06 into the game with a power play goal. McNally scored her first of the game with a snap shot to the top right corner just 41 seconds later, while Cellino skated across the crease and scored with a backhander at the 9:25 mark. Vitt made it a 4-0 game just 44 seconds later as she scored on a rebound. McNally scored the final goal of the period with 32 seconds remaining, as she put home a rebound on the doorstep.

McNally earned her hat-trick at the 11:14 mark of the second period, before Levin made it a 7-0 game after two.

Cellino added her second of the game, while rookie Kristin Wilson (Vancouver, B.C.) scored a power play goal to make it a 9-0 final.

Sophomore Lani Wright (Reading Mass.) and first-year player Emma Lennon (Marshfield, Mass.) combined to make 11 saves in goal for Middlebury, while Meg Shine and Kat Manning made 24 stops for the Continentals.
• Women’s hockey record: 3-1
•Up next: 11/30 @ Amherst, 12/1 @ Conn.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOPS NORWICH

The Middlebury College women’s basketball team won its only game of the week as junior Aylie Baker (Yarmouth, Maine) scored a game-high 18 points, and senior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) notched 14 points and 14 rebounds as Middlebury defeated Norwich, 63-50.

Middlebury (3-0) erased an eight-point halftime deficit, and outscored Norwich, 35-14, after the break. After shooting just 35.3 percent in the first half, the Panthers shot a blistering 48.6 percent in the second stanza to pull away from the Cadets.

Norwich (0-3) used a 22-5 first half run to turn an early 15-4 deficit into a 27-20 lead with 5:24 to play in the half. NU’s accuracy from behind the three-point line helped the Cadets to the lead as they hit six triples in the opening 20 minutes.

After Middlebury trimmed Norwich’s lead to 27-22, the Cadets reeled off a 9-6 spurt to end the half and take a 36-28 lead into the intermission.

Middlebury used a 14-0 run to start the second half, turning the 36-28 halftime deficit into a 42-36 lead at the 12:49 mark. Norwich finally scored its first points of the half at the 12:29 mark to cut Middlebury’s lead to 42-38, but the Cadets got no closer the rest of the way.
• Women’s basketball record: 3-0
•Up next: 11/27 vs. Castleton – 5:30, 12/1 vs. Union – 1:00

MEN’S BASKETBALL WINS HOME-OPENER

The Panther men's basketball team Middlebury placed five players in double figures as they picked up an 86-67 win over St. Lawrence in their home-opener. The Panthers shot 50% from the floor and forced 17 turnovers on the night.

Middlebury led by as many as eight in the first half before an 8-0 run by St. Lawrence tied the game at 22 with 10:03 left to play. The Panthers grew their lead back to 10 before heading into the intermission with a 40-33 advantage.

Middlebury opened the second half on a 9-0 run, sparked by five points from senior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) and four from senior Albert Handy (Westbury, N.Y.), to take a 51-33 lead at the 16:06. The Saints chipped away and cut the lead to nine on a lay-up from Josh Sharlow at the 9:10 mark. The Panthers led by as many as 21 from that point, ending the game with the 86-67 win.

Harris paced the team with 16 points and four three’s, while Handy netted a career-high 15 with seven boards. Junior Ben Rudin (Scarsdale, N.Y.) scored 14 points, dished out nine assists and had six rebounds, while sophomore Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) netted 14. Senior Mike Walsh (Needham, Mass.) scored six points on two three’s, the first from behind the arc in his career.
• Men’s basketball record: 2-1
•Up next: 11/27 vs. Castleton – 7:30, 11/29 @ Rensselaer, 12/1 vs. Union – 3:00

MEN’S HOCKEY GOES 1-1 AT PRIMELINK TOURNAMENT

The Middlebury College men’s hockey team gave up four power play goals as they fell 5-2 to Norwich in the first round of the PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout at Plattsburgh.

The Cadets led 3-0 in the first period before sophomore Charlie Townsend (Pennington, N.J.) put the Panthers on the board at the 16:37 mark. Rick Cleaver gave Norwich a 4-1 lead early in the second period, before first-year player Michael Kretschmer (Indianapolis, Ind.) answered for Middlebury 1:46 later. Cleaver notched his hat-trick later in the period to make it a 5-2 final.

Junior Doug Raeder (Needham, Mass.) made 27 saves in goal as the Panthers were out shot 32-26 on the day.

Middlebury led 3-0 and held off a late surge by St. John's as the Panthers picked up a 4-3 win in the consolation game of the tourney.

Middlebury came out strong, out-shooting St. John's 17-5 in the first period. Townsend got things going with a power play goal just 2:09 into the game. Junior Jamie McKenna (Lake Placid, N.Y.) made it a 2-0 game at 12:16, while junior Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) added a power play tally just 2:04 later.

An even second period saw St. John's score twice, 1:12 apart, to make it a one-goal game.

The Johnnies tied the game just 3:34 into the third period. Senior Mickey Gilchrist (Ottawa, Ont.) scored the game-winner at the 6:47 mark to give the Panthers a 4-3 win.

Townsend and Graddock ended the night with a goal and an assist apiece, while senior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.) made 20 saves in goal.
• Men’s hockey record: 2-1-1
•Up next: 11/30 vs. Salem St. – 7:00, 12/1 vs. S. Maine – 4:00

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