For Release: December 3, 2007

MEN’S SQUASH EARNS FIRST WINS IN PROGRAM HISTORY

The Middlebury College men’s squash team opened varsity play with a trip to the greater Boston area for three matches, before returning home for a Sunday match. The season opened with a hard-fought 5-4 win over Northeastern, as first-year player William Piekos (Hamden, Conn.) won the deciding match, with a 9-5 win in the fifth set.

The Panthers followed that up with a 9-0 win over M.I.T, an 8-1 loss to Tufts, before a 9-0 victory over Boston College. Middlebury returned home and hosted the University of Vermont, picking up a 9-0 win over the Catamounts.

Senior Jack Lysohir (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) and Piekos both earned 4-1 records on the weekend, while first-year player Brian Cady (Rye, N.Y.), junior J.P. Sardi (Pleasantville, N.Y.) and sophomore Micah Wood (Tacoma, Wash.) each went 3-1.

For complete results see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/mens/squash/2007-2008/news/news_633322725941553610.htm
• Men’s squash record: 4-1
•Up next: ¼-6 @ Dartmouth Invit.

MEN’S BASKETBALL HAS 3-0 WEEK

The Panther men's basketball team picked up three more wins last week to improve to 5-1 on the season. Senior Andrew Harris (Waterbury Center, Vt.) scored a game-high 26 points, including six three’s, as Middlebury picked up a 91-74 win over Castleton State. The Panthers controlled the boards in the game, holding a 54-36 advantage.

Middlebury led by one before going on an 8-0 run to take a 25-16 lead with 9:50 remaining in the first half. Junior Aaron Smith (W. Hartford, Conn.) scored five of his 17 points during the spurt. Castleton cut the lead to four before the Panthers closed the half on an 11-4 run, behind eight points from Harris, to take a 43-32 lead into the intermission.

The Spartans cut the advantage to four on a three from Joey Farley at the 15:07 mark of the second session, but that’s as close as they’d come as the Panthers held a double-digit lead for a majority of the half.

First-year player Ashton Coghlan (New York, N.Y.) netted 14 points to aid Harris and Smith’s efforts on the night. Senior Mike Walsh (Needham, Mass.) grabbed 13 rebounds, while Smith pulled down 10.

Middlebury moved to 4-1 on the season as they picked up a 63-54 win at Rensselaer. The Panthers trailed by five at the half, but out-scored the Red Hawks 45-31 in the second half to earn the win.

Harris paced the team with 18 points, Smith scored 13 on 6 of 10 shooting, while Walsh netted 11, going 5 for 8. Sophomore Tim Edwards (Greenwich, Conn.) grabbed nine boards in the game, while Smith had seven.

Coghlan’s career-high 31 points, including eight three’s, highlighted Middlebury’s 92-65 win over visiting Union at Pepin Gym. The Panthers (5-1) shot 50% from the floor, while holding the Dutchmen (1-3) to just 35%.

With the Panthers holding a 24-18 advantage with 9:19 remaining in the first half, Coghlan came alive netting the next 14 points for Middlebury, including four consecutive three’s, on a 14-6 run. The Panthers kept the pressure on for the remainder of the half, building a 47-31 advantage at the break.

In the second half, Middlebury methodically pulled away, increasing their lead to as many as 36 points, cruising to the 92-65 victory.

Coghlan’s game-high 31, on 10-15 shooting, paced the Panthers, while Walsh netted 13 and Edwards scored 10.
• Men’s basketball record: 5-1
•Up next: 12/5 vs. Norwich – 7:00, 12/8 vs. Hamilton – 4:00

WOMEN’S HOCKEY PLAYS A PAIR OF NESCAC ROAD GAMES

The second-ranked Middlebury College women’s hockey team earned a tie on the road as they battled to a 2-2 deadlock at seventh-ranked Amherst. The Panthers got on the board just five minutes into the second period, on a rebound goal from first-year player Nora Bergman (Concord, Mass.). Sophomore Ashley Bairos (Van Nuys, Calif.) picked up an assist with the initial shot.

Amherst responded nicely with a flurry of offensive pressure, which led to a pair of Middlebury penalties that overlapped by just two seconds. Just after the power plays ended, the Lord Jeffs found the equalizer on a similar goal. Megan Curry took a backhanded shot that was stopped by sophomore Lani Wright (Reading Mass.), allowing Molly Malloy to flip home the equalizer over the Panther goaltender’s shoulder.

Less than a minute later, Courtney Hanlon scored her second goal in as many games to give Amherst a 2-1 lead.

Middlebury tied the game early in the third with a goal from senior Tania Kenny (Toronto, Ont.) on a slap shot from the point less than three minutes into the frame.

The game would end in a 2-2 tie, with neither team able to earn the game-winner in the overtime.

Middlebury out-shot Connecticut College 39-20 as the Panthers earned a 2-1 road win. Junior Erika Nakamura (Boston, Mass.) scored the lone goal of the first period with an assist from junior Randi Dumont (Greene, Maine). The Camels tied the game with a power play goal from Caroline Jeffery 12:52 into the second period, while Nakamura netted the game-winner at the 16:11 mark of the period. First-year netminder Lexi Bloom (Highland Park, Ill.) stopped 19 shots for the Panthers, while Lauren Mellen made 37 stops for the Camels.
• Women’s hockey record: 4-1-1
• Up next: 12/8 vs. UMass.-Boston – 1:00

WOMEN’S SQUASH OPENS SEASON

The Panthers women’s squash team opened up its season by splitting a pair of matches in the Boston area over the weekend. Middlebury opened the season with a 6-3 win over Northeastern, before falling to Tufts, 8-1. Junior Sarah Hatfield (Barrington, R.I.) went 2-0 on the weekend to lead the team.

For complete results, see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/womens/squash/2007-2008/news/news_633322746043254085.htm
• Women’s squash record: 1-1
• Up next: 1/4 – 6 @ Williams Tournament

SWIM TEAMS COMPETE AT AMHERST

The Middlebury College swimming and diving teams were in action on Saturday as they competed at Amherst. The men were defeated 193-98, while the women were defeated 169-129. Senior Marika Ross (Shorewood, Wis.) made two NCAA “B” cuts, while winning an event. Ross won the 100 fly in 58.45, while earning a second place finish in the 200 free (1:55.40), earning a “B” cut.

Senior Alanna Hanson (Golden Bridge, N.Y.) won both diving events, capturing the 1M with 220 points and the 3M with 237.82. Also earning a win at the meet was sophomore Katie Soja (Sudbury, Mass.), with a time of 10:38.38 in the 1000 free.

On the men’s side, both senior Peter Bell (Deerfield, Mass) and sophomore John Dillon (Wellesley, Mass.) were dual event winners. Bell won the 100 breaststroke (1:01.14) and the 200 breaststroke (2:16.74), while Dillon captured the 100 fly (52.82) and 200 fly (1:57.46).
• Women’s swim record: 1-1, men’s swim record: 1-1
• Up next: 1/12 @ Colby, 1/13 @ Bates

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HAS 1-1 WEEK

The Panther women’s basketball team improved to 4-0 on the season as they defeated in-state foe Castleton State 76-55 in Pepin Gym.

Middlebury came out strong, jumping out to a 14-5 lead in the game’s first 7:15, with seven different players scoring. Castleton battled back and cut the lead to one at the 6:11 mark on a hoop from Jess Banks. Middlebury answered with a 10-0 run behind three’s from junior Emily Johnson (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) and junior Ashley Barron (Brockton, Mass.) to grab a 30-19 lead late in the first half.

Leading 35-21 at the break, Middlebury slowly increased its lead in the second half, extending it to 27 points with 9:32 remaining. Castleton would come within 19, but the Panthers pulled away for the 76-55 win.

Johnson led the team with 16 points, senior Katie Fisher (Oakland, Calif.) scored 14, while senior Lani Young (Concord, N.H.) added 10. Junior Aylie Baker (Yarmouth, Maine) had eight points and eight rebounds in the win, while Barron added eight points and seven boards.

Union handed Middlebury its first lost of the season as the Dutchwomen picked up a 73-57 win over the Panthers in Pepin Gym. Union controlled the boards in the game, holding a 47-28 advantage, while shooting 50% from the floor.

An evenly-played first half saw five ties, with Middlebury holding a 26-25 lead with 2:37 remaining. Union closed the half on a 9-2 run to take a 34-28 lead into the halftime break. The Dutchwomen turned the ball over 18 times in the first half, while the Panthers had 10 of their own.

Union increased its lead to as many as 14 in the second half, with Middlebury making a run at the 9:20 mark. The Panthers went on a quick 5-0 spurt to cut the lead to 53-48 with 8:42 left on a hoop from Katie Fisher.

Union answered with an 8-0 run, led by four of her game-high 22 points from Michelle Rogers. The Panthers would make a few runs in the remainder of the half, but the Dutchwomen answered on each occasion.

Baker paced Middlebury with 14 points, Barron added 11, while Fisher scored nine with six assists.

The game featured some nice passing with 37 assists, but was marred by 54 turnovers.
• Women’s basketball record: 4-1 
• Up next: 12/6 @ Green Mountain, 12/8 vs. Smith – 1:00

MEN’S HOCKEY GOES 1-1

The Middlebury College men’s hockey team held a 3-0 lead over Salem State and held on for a 3-2 victory in the team’s home-opener in Kenyon Arena. The Panthers held a 30-10 shots advantage in the game.

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead at 10:44 as first-year player Chaz Svoboda’s (Verdun, Que.) shot from the left side was saved before classmate Bryan Curran (Wilmette, Ill.) pounced on the rebound with an open net. The Panthers ended the first period with a 15-1 shots advantage.

Following a pair of unsuccessful power plays, Middlebury made it a 2-0 game at the 11:27 mark of the second period. First-year player Ken Suchoski (Bear Creek Township, Pa.) drove in from the right side as his shot hit the pads of Ryan Hatch before senior Scott Bartlett (Pittsford, N.Y.) put home the rebound. Senior Tom Maldonado (Bronx, N.Y.) gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead with four seconds to go in the period as he scored from the right point with a wrister on the power play.

Salem State got on the board at 5:23 of the second period, taking advantage of a turnover. Zach Doyen picked up the puck in the zone and quickly fed Justin Fox, who snapped a shot to the top left corner. The Vikings made it a one-goal game with 1:22 remaining as Sam Cannata’s shot from the right point found the back of the net off the crossbar. Just after the power play goal, Fox had a chance to tie it from the slot, but was denied by a save from senior Ross Cherry (Basking Ridge, N.J.).

Middlebury maintained possession of the puck for the final minute, as the Vikings were unable to pull Hatch, who ended the night with 27 saves. Cherry made eight stops between the pipes to pick up the win.

Southern Maine picked up its second win over Middlebury in as many years as they earned a 3-1 victory in Kenyon Arena. The Huskies remain undefeated at 5-0-1, while the Panthers fall to 3-2-1 on the year.

Middlebury had five power play opportunities in the first period, including a few minutes of five-on-three action, but could not get on the board. The closest they came is when senior Mickey Gilchrist (Ottawa, Ont.) hit the crossbar with a shot from the high slot at the 7:01 mark. The Panthers ended the period with an 11-3 shots advantage.

Southern Maine took advantage of a power play at the 6:33 mark of the second period, with a goal from Kyle Smith. Mike Stevens had the puck on the right end line and made a cross-crease pass to Smith on the far side, who buried the shot. The Huskies had two more power play opportunities shortly after that, but could not increase their lead.

Cherry denied a great chance at the 14-minute mark by Pat Noonan after a great feed from Matt Rowe. Later in the period, Middlebury senior Jed McDonald (Hingham, Mass.) saw his shot through traffic from the right point hit the far post. Chris Travis of Southern Maine picked it up and went in on a breakaway, but was denied by Cherry. Smith was in the right place at the right time as he followed Travis to the goal and put home the rebound for a 2-0 lead.

Southern Maine took a 3-0 lead midway through the third period as Pat Noonan converted a breakaway off the pads and through the five-hole of Cherry. The Panthers broke up the shutout with 2:28 remaining with an unassisted goal from senior Sam Driver (St. Albans, Vt.).

Middlebury’s power play struggled on the afternoon, going 0-10, while S. Maine was 1 for 7.
• Men’s hockey record: 3-2-1 
• Up next: 12/7 vs. Plattsburgh – 7:00

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