The Middlebury Campus

Issue date: 3/30/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Caroline Monninger The Panthers knocked off rival and top-seeded Plattsburgh to claim a third straight crown.

The Middlebury women's hockey program won its third consecutive NCAA National Championship last week with a 3-1 win over number one-seeded Plattsburgh in Stafford Ice Arena. Led by Coach Bill Mandigo, the second-ranked women fought their way through the playoffs beating Manhattanville and Gustavus Adolphus in the quarterfinals and semifinals. This historic title marks the fifth women's hockey championship and 25th title for Middlebury College in the past 12 years. The Panthers ended their season with a 27-2 record, tying the '99-'00 women's team for most wins in a season.

The Panthers advanced to the title game by sneaking out a 2-1 nail-biter against Gustavus Adolphus on March 17. The Gusties looked strong as the game opened, outshooting the Panthers 12-4 in the first period. But Middlebury goalie Kate Kogut '06 was up to the challenge, keeping the score 0-0 after the game's first 20 minutes. The Panthers broke onto the scoreboard just 6:45 into the second period as senior Emily Quizon knocked a goal home on a breakaway. Junior Shannon Sylvester tallied the eventual game-winner later in the period on another breakaway and the Panthers skated into the second intermission with a 2-0 lead. The Gusties got on the board with 7:18 left in the game but the Panthers survived a late charge for their ninth victory in nine meetings between the two teams.

In the NCAA final on March 18, the Plattsburgh Cardinals got started early, firing seven unanswered shots on goal to start the game but Kogut was once again posed to win. As Shannon Tarrant, junior defenseman, put it, "Kogut is really the backbone of our team." Middlebury quickly responded to the Cardinal attack on its first two shots of the game. Shannon Sylvester '07 stuffed a rebound into the back of the net on a power-play for the first of the team's three goals. As the first period was winding down, the Panther offense heated up when first-year Annmarie Cellino scored her nation-best seventh shorthanded goal with 13 seconds left of play. Though Plattsburgh won the shooting battle 11-8, Kogut's skill in the net was too much for the trigger-happy Cardinals.

The second period saw less action until the Panthers once again gained momentum at the end of the period. An errant play by Plattsburgh sophomore Sharis Smith left Quizon with a penalty shot. With only 55 seconds left to play in the second period, the National Player of the Year scored with authority giving Middlebury a 3-0 lead. Plattsburgh sophomore Elise Campbell scored the only goal of the third period and the first of her season at 9:21 with a power play goal.

Continued...

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