On Saturday, March 2, the Middlebury women’s hockey team bested Hamilton College in a stunning 4–0 shutout to win the NESCAC Tournament. While the margin of victory came as a surprise, the lockdown defense the team played was but another example of the way they have played all season.
After finding the net just 11 times in the six games leading up to the NESCAC tournament, the team looked reinvigorated this past weekend, scoring 11 goals over the course of their three games to secure the NESCAC championship.
In an interview with The Campus, forward Delanie Goniwiecha ’23.5 explained that emphasizing the idea that anyone can be a goal scorer turned the team’s fortunes around.
“I think having that goal-scorers mindset definitely in the second half of the season was big for us and going forward for playoffs,” she said.
Although Hamilton out-shot Middlebury 25–17, the Panthers outplayed the Continentals on both ends of the ice. First, their scoring mentality meant that Middlebury was better able to convert shots into goals. Hamilton failed to convert their many chances while Middlebury scored on almost a quarter of their shots. Second, stalwart goalkeeping by Sophia Will ’26 ensured a shutout, registering 25 saves to the Hamilton goalkeepers’ 13.
Equally important to how many goals the Panthers have scored has been when they have scored. In the team’s semifinal matchup against Colby College, all three of Middlebury’s goals were scored in the last minute of a period. Audrey Lazar ’23.5 told The Campus that this built crucial momentum for the rest of the game.
“I think for us that's a big thing, just that final push and crossing the line, as our coach always says, to bury those pucks when we need to and build off of each period,” Lazar said.
In the championship game, the Panthers struck first when Cat Appleyard ’24.5 found the net with just 29 seconds to go in the first period. Callia Ferraris ’27 extended their lead late in the second period and one-timed a pass, sneaking the puck past the Hamilton goalie during a power play. Just 35 seconds later, Kylie Quinlan ’24.5 capitalized on the Panther’s momentum with a goal of her own. Raia Schluter ’25 added the team’s fourth and final goal in the third period to clinch the victory.
Winning is not new for the Panthers; with their 12th NESCAC championship victory, the team solidified their place as the winningest team in division history. In the 2021–2022 season, they maintained a remarkable 27–0 record that culminated in an NCAA championship win.
The team’s mentality remains unchanged: Julia Johnson ’23.5 credited a lot of Middlebury’s success to being singularly focused on their current game and not thinking ahead.
“Even though we were undefeated [in the 2021–2022 season], which was obviously super cool, something we tried to focus on was ‘just one game at a time’ and focusing on the [game] that's ahead of you,” Johnson said. “A team saying we have this year is ‘be where your feet are.’”
Not only did concentration play a key role in the Panthers’ success, but so did team chemistry. “I feel like, at least for me, this was the most cohesive team that we've had, which was really great,” Johnson added. “I feel like there was no grade hierarchy or anything like that.”
This lack of grade hierarchy proved key in creating more opportunities for the underclassmen of the team, as Avery McInerny ’26 and Ferraris both garnered all conference honors.
Winning the 2024 NESCAC tournament has earned the team an automatic bid to the NCAA DIII championship. If they can maintain their current form, the Panthers might just be coming home with the latest addition to their extensive trophy cabinet.
