The Middlebury field hockey team is no stranger to pressure or high expectations. As seven-time consecutive national champions, the Panthers carry a reputation built on records, championship titles, and all-American talent.
At Middlebury, it seems to be an assumption that the team will win any given game. And for good reason — the Panthers boasted a 43-game win streak starting in 2022. While the streak ended in 2024, the team still clinched the national title that season, proving their dominance and consistency.
This season has brought unusual challenges. Prior to this season, Middlebury field hockey had not entered overtime in a single game since their 1–0 NCAA Championship victory over Johns Hopkins in 2022. Yet this year the Panthers have gone past regulation three times – against Hamilton, Trinity, and now Amherst.
“We have come away with a win after all three overtime games this season. I think that speaks a lot to our team’s determination and grit and how hard we work even after playing a whole 60 minutes,” defender Ally Kennedy ’27 said.
In the team’s meeting with Amherst on Saturday, the Mammoths took the lead first, but the Panthers tied by the third quarter.
Amherst pulled ahead again in the fourth. Middlebury’s players responded with heightened urgency and aggression, battling the clock and trying to close Amherst’s one-point lead.
With less than two minutes left in regulation play, head coach Katherine DeLorenzo pulled the starting goalie Izzy Redzic ’27 to put on an extra attacker.
With an additional player and unmatched determination, the Panthers earned multiple consecutive penalty corners, slowed down the clock, and created favorable scoring opportunities.
With under 20 seconds on the clock, Sarah Bona ’26 launched the ball into the shooting circle, finding Tessa Herbst ’28. Herbst fired a shot that ricocheted to the right off the Mammoth’s goalie, exactly where captain Grace Keefe ’26 was strategically waiting. With only 2.4 seconds remaining on the scoreboard, Keefe snuck in a low-angle shot to send the game into overtime.
“It was so amazing to feel the confidence and trust that we all had in each other,” starting midfielder Megan Fuqua ’27 said. “We had such great energy after scoring with two seconds left in regulation, and it was so cool to see so many players step up and get excited about playing overtime on our home field. Being a part of that environment was so special.”
With seven instead of 11 players taking the field from each team during overtime, the Panthers hustled to every ball and moved with purpose. Eight minutes into extra play the Panthers finished what they started during yet another penalty corner. Under pressure, Claire McMichael ’27 scored her first goal this season, tipping in the ball from just beyond the left post. After a brief video review by the referees, the Panthers were cleared to celebrate their 18th-straight victory against Amherst.
“Our team scoring the tying and then winning goals were moments in my career that I will never forget,” Kennedy said. “We can’t wait to get back to practice to build on what we learned in this weekend’s game, heading into a three-game week.”
While not the easy victory that many have grown accustomed to seeing from this decorated squad, the hard-fought win makes it even sweeter for the Panthers.
Wins such as these highlight Middlebury’s dominance on the NESCAC and national field hockey stage, positioning them for further success as their season progresses.
