Skaters rally together for NCAA win Tense quarterfinal capped off with McNamara '07 goal in OT

Author: Tom McCann

It took 76 minutes of hockey, but the Panthers outlasted Manhattanville College to book their place in the NCAA semifinals this coming weekend. Middlebury earned the right to host the NCAA Quarter Final by thumping Bowdoin College in the NESCAC Championship game last week and as face-off approached, so the tension grew in Kenyon Arena.

Indeed the game began at a breathtaking pace as sophomore Shannon Tarrant commented, "Both teams came out ready to go. It's a Quarter Final so it's do or die and your season could be over." The first period was barely four minutes old when sophomore Alison Graddock reacted first to a rebound off Tarrant's initial shot on a powerplay. The goal gave Middlebury the all-important opening goal of the night. Graddock's goal actually followed a period of sustained pressure from the Valiants during which Middlebury goaltender Kate Kogut '06 had to be at her sparkling best.

The lead didn't last long however, as Jennifer Mulick found a way past Kogut for the equalizing goal at the 8:03 mark.

Five minutes later, the Kenyon crowd was silenced as Cherie Stewart fired a slapshot off the post to beat Kogut for the second time in the period. A quick response was necessary, and sure enough, three minutes after falling behind, the Panthers were level again after Karen Levin '08 converted another powerplay opportunity, assisted by Tania Kerry '08 and Shannon Sylvester '07. A pulsating opening period came to a close with the score tied at two apiece.

With adrenaline levels through the roof, the Panthers had to compose themselves and decide how much the game meant to them before taking the ice for the second period. Tarrant commented, "We do everything for each other and we looked around the locker room and decided that we wanted to be there next weekend. We came out in the second period and we were ready to go."

A tense second period did not yield a goal for either team although Middlebury had a chance on a 5-on-3 powerplay, while at the other end Kogut had to produce an acrobatic diving save to deny the Valiants a third goal.

Moving into the third period Shannon noted, "We came out and we were so fired up. I knew we were going to win." Despite Tarrant's confidence, the teams still couldn't be separated after regulation. Manhattanvile came closest to breaking the deadlock when a shot found the outside of the post and rebounded to safety. Middlebury had its chances too, but as the horn sounded at the end of regulation, both teams remained inseparable at 2-2.

Tarrant described the scene in the locker room: "The emotions and excitement were something out of a movie. Everyone was so pumped." With fans sitting on the edge of their seats and nerves at breaking point, Manhattanville came within a lick of paint of ending the Panther dream as a deflected shot ricocheted off the post, slid along the line behind Kogut, and fell away from danger. The Valiants applied significant pressure to the Panther goal, but as opportunities went begging for both sides, it looked more and more likely as though another period would be necessary.

That was until Levin and Tory MacNeil '08 combined to win the puck deep in Panther territory before releasing sophomore superstar Emily McNamara on the left wing. She took the puck, composed herself, and fired a shot across Valiant's goaltender, Nicole Elliott, into the bottom corner for the game-winner.

The Panthers cleared the bench and celebrated one of the hardest of hard-earned wins, as a team united. Senior Allison Liati commented, "It was about who wanted it more and who had more heart. We wanted it more, we came together, and we got it done."

Tarrant echoed the sentiment: "All 24 of us came through and Bill Mandigo, our coach, was the most expressive I've ever seen him. It was fitting that his 300th win should be such a good game." Perhaps the most telling comment she made was, "Last year was an incredible season, but no win has ever felt as amazing as that one." As a team more together than ever before, the Panthers seem to be peaking at just the right time.

Following last year's march to the National Championship, the Panthers will make their second consecutive appearance at the NCAA semifinals. Middlebury will take on Gustavus Adolfus at 3:30pm on Friday March 18, while the final is slated for the following day at 7pm. On the challenge ahead, Tarrant commented, "I'm excited and I'm anxious. All four teams are so comparable that it's any team's tournament. Everyone is gunning for everyone." Liati added, "We played Gustavus earlier in the season and won in overtime so it could go either way. We've also never played at Elmira so that's exciting, and when you go on the road it's all about hockey. There are no distractions."

Feeding off the adrenaline of the win this past weekend, it would be a brave person that bets against the Panthers pulling off back-to-back National Championships. However, before that dream can become reality, there are 120 minutes of hockey against the other three best teams in the country to negotiate.

Nails will likely be bitten, the edge of seats will be sat on and pounding hearts will be in throats, but that's nothing new to this generation of fearless Middlebury Panthers.