2008 Woodie Awards
Muddy conditions in West Chester, Ohio slowed the overall pace but could not stop the Middlebury women's cross country team from winning its fourth NCAA Championship on Nov. 18.
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams opened their season, as they hostedthe Middlebury Invitational on Nov. 18 in the Natatorium. Coach Peter Solomon used the event, normally held in February, to invite Keene State, Gordon State, St. Michael's and UMass-Dartmouth, teams that the Panthers would not otherwise face.
Countdown: Three … two … one. Blastoff. The Middlebury men's hockey team launched the 2006-2007 season scoring three goals in the first period, two in the second and one in the third on Oct. 17, to beat Tufts 6-2. Hockey is back at Chip Kenyon '85 Arena and many people, not just those seated (and standing) in the spirited student section, are having a blast.
Senior captain Michael Young spent more time pacing the pool's perimeter during the Nov. 18 Middlebury Invitational than he did swimming and diving, but his presence still made a difference. Equipped with crocs, a towel and an encouraging voice, Young helped the men's and women's swimming and diving teams sweep the event and raise expectations for the remainder of the winter season.
The women's hockey team has been awfully busy during the past two weeks as they won three of four games, including important NESCAC victories over Williams, Hamilton and Trinity. While most folks spent Thanksgiving break fading in and out of a food coma, the women's hockey team was hard at work on its quest to win a fourth consecutive national championship.
England 's first clash of the contenders occurred Sunday Nov. 26 when Manchester United battled Chelsea to a lively 1-1 draw. While the match presented an opportunity for both teams to establish bragging rights as mid-season favorites for the league crown, it also sparked the bi-annual mind games between managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.
With both the talent and unity to make a serious run in this year's NESCAC tournament, the Middlebury men's basketball team looked to start off the 2006-2007 season on the right note. Playing three consecutive road games to open the season, the team showed stints of promising play but failed to sustain that effort in an 80-64 defeat to St.
After two impressive wins over Scranton and Western Connecticut, the women's soccer team's NCAA run finally came to an end in the sweet sixteen with a 1-0 loss to national powerhouse The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), last Saturday. In front of 925 spectators, the Lions proved mightier than the Panthers and used the win to springboard all the way to the championship game, where they eventually fell to Wheaton (Ill.
Farrell named All-American Lacey Farrell '08 was selected by the NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Association) as a second-team All-American athlete. Farrell was one of the cornerstones of the Panther's success this season, which included a trip to the NESCAC Championship game and a berth in an NCAA Regional game following the Panthers' 14-4 record this fall.