On Sunday, May 3, the Middlebury women's lacrosse team claimed their 13th NESCAC title, beating Wesleyan 7-5 at Peter Kohn Field. The top-seeded Panthers also hosted the conference semifinals, defeating Trinity 13-8 on Saturday to advance to Sunday's final.
Middlebury opened the weekend with a composed victory over Trinity. The sides looked evenly matched through the first half: the Panthers came out hot, opening a 4-1 lead in the first period before allowing four goals in the second period, ending knotted at 5-5. Haley Hamilton ’26 and Maddie Ackerman ’27 tallied two apiece in the first period, and Caroline Adams ’26 got on the board just before the halftime whistle.
The Panthers scored under a minute into the third courtesy of a courageous dash to the cage by Hamilton. The hosts conceded twice more to the Bantams, who led the game for less than a minute. Then the Panthers went on a run, scoring four unanswered goals for a 10-7 advantage heading into the fourth.
Thirty seconds gone in the final period, Trinity cut the lead to two. While quick and open play characterized the first half, the Panthers’ ball movement began to wear down their opponents. A Trinity defender committed a foul, and Adams converted from the free position, slotting the ball right over the head of the Bantams’ goalie at the last second. The Panthers closed the game with three unanswered goals.
The close first half saw the Bantams match the Panthers speed and athleticism, and the two teams’ similar playing styles are no coincidence; prior to returning to coach at Middlebury, head coach Kate Livesay ’03 led Trinity to a national title in 2012.
“The team showed great composure in the Trinity game,” Livesay said. “Our ability to stay focused and positive was critical. We were able to get some draw controls and get some more consistent offensive reps, which started to pave the way for us to shift momentum.”
Sunday’s championship tilt was a gritty, defensive match, as reflected in the final score. Early saves by goalie Elizabeth Savage ’27 ensured a scoreless first quarter for the visitors.
Adams converted on a free position for the only goal of the first quarter; Maggie Spehr ’29, Siobhan Colin ’28 and Sophia Lee ’28 tallied goals in the second — all three assisted by Adams — to put the Panthers ahead 4-1 heading into the break.
Lee’s goal gave Middlebury its largest lead of the game early in the third. Wesleyan drew closer, closing the gap to two goals with under four minutes to play. The Panthers responded a minute later, as Adams controlled the draw and Spehr scored to make it 7-4. Savage’s stellar performance in goal included a couple of fourth-quarter saves — one on a free position, another with under a minute to play. Wesleyan would close the gap to two goals in garbage time. Adams led the way to victory with three goals and two assists, along with a match-leading eight draw controls.
“[Adams] continues to give us so much confidence in so many areas of the game,” Livesay said. “She was able to win the ball to herself, which is very hard to do when teams are starting to understand your tendencies. And then her poise on the attack, even when she was receiving a lot of defensive attention, was so important.”
The NESCAC trophy is Middlebury’s third in four years, and tops off the fifth consecutive undefeated regular season for the Panthers.
While the Panthers’ dominance in recent seasons makes the team a perennial favorite, few could have predicted how quickly Middlebury has gotten back to the top — the team lost 14 seniors after winning the national title last season, including top scorer Hope Shue ’25.
Yet the team’s well-established winning culture offered an excellent clue. “The team this year really leaned into traditions of the program and made efforts to 'leave it better,'” Livesay said.
“I think something that is really special about this program is that once you come through this program, you never leave it,” Savage added. “We are driven by the concept of ‘standing on the shoulders of those who came before us.’ The stories we hear from alums and the ways they still love and support this team really show us how special the Middlebury Women's Lacrosse program is.”
The Panthers have established themselves as an elite defense through their zone coverage, ranked third in the NCAA this season. “Our defense is a complete unit — everyone involved is very good at their skill set and they work well together,” Livesay said. “Anytime you play a zone you need to have deep trust and faith in those who you play around and this team does that very well.”
The team has also looked across its roster for contributions, with seniors and first years alike stepping into key roles. While the early season saw experimentation with the lineup, the end of the regular season and the NESCAC tournament show a team that has found its rhythm. A team that can grind out close wins, like the one against Wesleyan. The Panthers are once again a solid contender to win it all, and don’t miss the opportunity to cheer them on this weekend as they hunt for a sixth consecutive national title.
Thie Harthono '28 (he/him) is a Sports Editor.
Thie is majoring in Political Science. On campus, he serves as a Peer Writing Tutor. He spent the summer as a Press Intern at the United States Senate.
