Winter Sports Previews

Men's Hockey

The men’s hockey team enters the 2010-2011 season with big shoes to fill. The team won the NESCAC crown last winter and is currently ranked fourth in the nation among Division III teams. This year the team is setting out to defend their title and preserve the prestigious reputation they won last year.
“People know we’re out there,” said co-captain Ken Suchoski ’11. “Last year was a high point for the team and we’re going to try and build on that this year.”
Despite graduating a standout class of seniors last year, the Panthers have been inundated with new talent, as they welcome 12 first-years to the squad, many of whom are capable of stepping in and making an immediate impact. The team spent much of preseason incorporating these new additions into the Middlebury hockey tradition, at the same time as they were training intensely to get back into prime hockey shape for the start of the season, which is this Friday’s home game vs. Tufts.
“It’s also a matter of the upperclassmen helping the new players transition from high school hockey to playing at the college level,” said Suchoski. “It’s important that the first-years become comfortable with our style of play.”
Middlebury’s hockey program has been steadily building its standing during the past few years, and is currently at an apex of success. The Panthers have won eight NESCAC championships and are regular participants in the NCAA tournament. Despite this impressive history of dominance, however, the team is keeping its sights set on the short term and consistently playing to the best of its ability. If they achieve this, needless to say, the scoreboard will take care of itself, and the Panthers will be poised to make another run at a national title.
“Obviously we want to go as far as we can,” said Suchoski, “but at the end of the day it’s about being the best team that we can be.”
–– Katie Siegner, Sports Editor

Women's Hockey

Last season, the Panthers’ season came to a heart-breaking end with a 4-OT loss to Trinity in the NESCAC semifinals, a game that proved to be the longest Division III women’s hockey game ever played. Despite the much-touted potential of the team, Middlebury fell short of a NESCAC title and an NCAA bid, and their season ended far sooner than they would have liked. This year, the Panthers are on a mission to turn their luck around.
“We’re sick of hearing about our ‘potential,’” said forward Jamie Harisiades ’12, “and we’re ready to act on it.”
The team returns a strong class of veterans with the skill and experience to lead the team to post-season glory, including last year’s leading scorer Anna McNally ’11. McNally and fellow forward Julia Ireland ’11 will captain the 2010-2011 squad. Meanwhile, a strong incoming class of six first-years should provide solid defensive options for the Panthers, as well as some sparks on offense.
“Everyone is looking really strong,” said Harisiades, and much of this strength is undoubtedly due to the team’s intense pre-season regimen. “Preseason went really well,” continued Harisiades. “We worked really hard in both off-ice training and practices.”
Middlebury is traditionally one of the top Division III hockey programs in the nation, and not just because of their record-setting 4-OT showdown with Trinity –– although the length of the game does demonstrate the impressive stamina of the Panther squad. The Panthers are ranked seventh nationally heading into the new season, and are gunning to knock their perennial rival Amherst out of the top spot. The two teams have a long history of crucial match-ups, well illustrated by the 2008-2009 season when Middlebury defeated Amherst for the NESCAC crown, but fell to the Lord Jeffs a week later in an NCAA match-up. The Panthers set out this season with high expectations to redeem their position as one of the top hockey teams in Division III.
–– Katie Siegner, Sports Editor

Women's Basketball

After back-to-back losing seasons, the Middlebury College women’s basketball team is optimistic about their chances to finish above .500 this year, which will see them return three of their top four leading scorers from last season, including Lauren Sanchez ’11, last year’s points leader for the Panthers and co-captain of the 2010-11 squad along with Allison Needham ’11. Other key returners for Middlebury include 5’11” forward Stephanie Surette ’12, who averaged 7.7 points and led the team with 8.2 rebounds per game last season, and guard Brittany Perfetti ’12, who was second on the team in scoring with 9.1 points per game and first on the team with 27 made three-point baskets.
Middlebury started fast last year, at one point ripping off six straight wins en route to a 8-4 start, including a 66-53 win over Bates in the teams’ NESCAC opener. However, the team sputtered from there, at times struggling offensively and losing nine of their last 11 games, finishing the season on a four-game losing streak in which they failed to score 60 points in any game. The final result was a 10-13 overall record, with a disappointing 2-8 record in NESCAC play.
For the second year in a row the Panthers will feature a relatively young roster. This year’s team, like last year’s, contains only two seniors, and will be looking for contributions from a bevy of new first-year players. This year’s roster will carry six rookies, including soccer star Scarlett Kirk ’14, a 5’9” guard. With a good mix of returning, experienced players and incoming first-year talent, the Panthers are very well poised to make a run in the NESCAC in their quest to make their first conference title game since 2002.

–– Dillon Hupp, Sports Editor

Men's Basketball

Last season, the Middlebury basketball team set a school record for wins (25), had a player go on to play professionally in Germany (former captain Tim Edwards ’10) and advanced to the NCAA regional finals, just missing the sweet 16 after a loss to the Rhode Island Anchormen. This season, the team is led by captains and returning starters Jamal Davis ’11, Andrew Locke ’11 and Ryan Wholey ’11 as well as Jeff Brown, entering his 14th as head coach of the team. Given this depth of experience, the bar is set even higher.
“Our goals and expectations for this season are high for sure,” said Jake Wolfin ’13, a guard for the team. “You’re always motivated to win a NESCAC championship.” This is a feat the team almost completed last year, losing to Williams in the NESCAC finals. Yet, with a taste of success in the NCAA tournament fresh in the team’s mind, their goals stretch beyond the NESCAC tournament. “We got our first-ever NCAA win in last year’s tournament,” said Wolfin. “We really want to be able to make a longer run in the tournament this year.”
The Panthers hope to emulate last year’s quick start, in which the team won its first 10 games as well as 17 of its first 18. They also hope to continue their success in NESCAC play, with only two conference losses last season, both at the hands of Williams. The team certainly has the height to compete with the NESCAC’s best once again, as the 6’10 center Locke is joined by 6’8” forward Ryan Sharry ’12, 6’7” forward Peter Lynch ’13 and 6’8” forward Jack Roberts ’14. With eight returning junior and senior varsity players, the team should have the leadership necessary to compete as well.
The Panthers open up their season at the UMass-Dartmouth Tournament Nov. 19-20, and host their home opener against Johnson State on Nov. 28. Upon students’ return from Thanksgiving Break, the team is widely expected to boast a 4-0 record.

–– Andrew Silver, Staff Writer

Men's Squash

The Middlebury men’s squash team is anticipating a breakout season in which they assert themselves as one of the top 15 teams in the nation. Last season the team repeated as the victors of the Summers Cup, establishing Middlebury as the top team in the C-draw of the national championship and good for 17th overall. This season, with a ladder featuring the return of the top three players from last year’s team and a strong class of freshmen, the Panthers expect to jump to the top of the B-draw (teams 9-16). Co-captain Brian Cady ’12 was bold in his predictions for the upcoming season.
“We will be moving toward the top of the NESCAC standings and jump past several B division teams in the process,” said Cady. “It is going to be a very exciting year for men’s squash.”
“Parker Hurst ’14 will play within the top three and Will Moore ’14 and Cooper Redpath ’14 will contribute in the middle of the lineup,” added co-captain Addi DiSesa ’12. “Chris Ivsin ‘14 and Trevor Truog ‘14 will also be vying for ladder spots.” The addition of these first-years creates significant competition for the nine spots on the ladder. They will battle the experience of DiSesa, Spencer Hurst ‘13, J.P. Garafolo’12 and Will Piekos ‘11 for playing time, while supplementing last season’s top three of Valentin Quan ’12, Jay Dolan ’13 and Cady. With two returning players who earned all-NESCAC honors last season, the Panthers are guaranteed to have formidable star power at the top of the ladder. DiSesa is certain that the competition all the way down the rest of the ladder will bring out the best in the team, and, like his co-captain, does not shy away from bold statements.
“This is easily the best team in Middlebury men’s squash history,” proclaimed DiSesa. If the captains’ premonitions prove to be true, the team could potentially break into the rankings of the nation’s top 10 teams this winter.
–– Brooks Coe, Sports Editor

Women's Squash

The women’s squash team has lofty expectations for the 2010-2011 season, which opens the first weekend in December with four matches at the Wesleyan Round Robin. While the first match is still weeks away, the women’s team has already turned some heads in the world of college squash.
When the College Squash Association released its preseason national rankings on Nov. 3, the placement of the Panthers in the number 11 position to start the year surprised many, and most likely motivated the team’s bitter rivals, Bates, Amherst and Mount Holyoke. After finishing the 2009-2010 season as the 14th-ranked team in the nation, Middlebury’s improvement to the 11th spot is a great accomplishment and reflects the potential of this year’s squad.
Co-captains Virginia Shannon ’11 and Kathryn Bostwick ’12 see the high ranking as a standard for the season, and believe an influx of new talent will help the Panthers get the job done in 2010-2011.
“We have so many new first-years who will add to the depth of an already strong team,” Shannon said. “Our goal is to achieve to our preseason ranking and I think that we can do that.”
This season, the Panthers welcome several new players, many of whom will play near the top of the ladder. Additionally, Elena Laird ’11.5, who transferred from Bowdoin last spring after playing number one on the ladder for the Polar Bears from 2008 to 2009, is expected to play within the top three.
These new faces will join an already formidable line-up, including Shannon, Bostwick, Al Boillot ’12, Jamie Burchfield ’12, Sarah DeCamp ’12, Lindsay Becker ’13, Molly Hubbard ’13 and Annie Ulrich ’13. Despite an injury to highly-touted first-year Bailey Marshall ’14, all of these players should combine to form the strongest Middlebury women’s squash team in the program’s history.

–– Addi DiSesa, Staff Writer

Swimming & Diving

Coming off one of their best performances in over a decade at the NCAA Division III championships last March, the Panthers are back in the pool this winter looking to build on the tremendous success they had last year. Led by coach Peter Solomon, the men’s team finished with a 4-5 record during last year’s meet season, and came in fourth place at the NESCAC championship before traveling to Minnesota and capturing seventh place at the national championships. John Dillon ’11 earned All-American honors in four events, shattering both school and NESCAC records. The women’s team ended the meet season with a strong 7-2 record, finished third at NESCACs, and earned an 11th-place finish in the national tournament.  Meagan Collins ’12 broke the school three-meter diving record and earned All-American honors for her performance.
This year’s team will be led by experienced coaches –– men’s coach Solomon is currently embarking upon his 14th season and women’s coach Lisa Gibbs is beginning her 13th –– as well as senior captains Dillon, Kevin Glatt ’11, Matthew Vukich ’11, Annie Friedlander ’11 and Emily Whitaker ’11. Though last year’s seniors will surely be missed, the Panthers welcome a corps of very talented and determined freshman. These swimmers could be seen bonding during orientation week and have become very close leading up to the start of the season. The season officially started on Nov. 1, but the swimmers have been training together since September either in small groups or in practices led by team captains.
“We hope to keep the momentum that we established last season and continue our climb up the NESCAC and NCAA rankings,” said coach Solomon. “We certainly have the talent and depth to do so, but a lot will depend on the team chemistry and how the team pulls together in the months ahead. Based on the attitudes and work ethic that I’ve seen in the first two weeks of the season, I predict that we will once again surprise a few schools when it comes time for our championship season.”

–– Kevin Yochim, Staff Writer