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(05/09/19 9:54am)
In by far the most exciting game of the year, the Middlebury Panthers were outlasted by Tufts University 14-13 in the NESCAC semifinals. On a day full of ups and downs and twists and turns, the Panthers left it all out on the field. Despite the loss, Midd held their heads high and were proud of how well they played throughout the game.
Simply put, the first quarter was wild. After Tufts opened up the scoring early in the first, the Panthers answered with three goals of their own. Contributions came all from different players, including sophomore Pierce Frick, his second of the year. The teams really just answered one another right away, with Tufts scoring twice again. However, Midd answered with three more goals of their own, two from sophomore Will Brossman. It was exciting to see all these new guys step up to the challenge and really balance out the team dynamic. At the :34 second mark left in the first, Freshman Jack Sheehan got on the board in big spot to put the Panthers up 7-5. On a firing shot in the latter seconds, star Chase Goree netted one to take a pretty sizable 8-5 lead going into the second. The second quarter was not like the first. As the defense began to settle in and goalies started to feel more comfortable in net, the scoring came to a halt. Each team netted two of their own, pretty evenly dispersed throughout the quarter. First-year phenom, Tyler Forbes scored one of his own, while Brossman added to his total for the game. Going into the half, Midd maintained a sizable 3 goal lead.
The Panthers came out firing in the third quarter. Jack Sheehan scored from a good distance away to open up what was a great quarter for the Panthers. Tyler Bass made some great saves in goal, while the Panthers got two more goals from Goree and Feldman. In a quarter completely dominated by Middlebury’s attack, the Panthers had a demanding 13-8 going into the last stretch. However, the Jumbos knew what had to be done to avoid the upset.
Unfortunately, Tufts showed what they were really capable of in the fourth quarter. By really going on the attack and playing aggressive, stifling defense, Tufts was able to hold the Panthers scoreless, while scoring five goals of their own. The heartbreaker was a goal in the last five seconds of the game to force overtime. In overtime, it really was anyone’s game: first goal to score wins. While Middlebury played great defense throughout, the Jumbos found a way to put it in the back of the net, again in the late seconds.
Contributions came from many new faces in the game. Brossman led the scoring with three goals, Jake Madnick had 14 ground balls on the game, and Bass had 12 saves on 26 shots. It was a fantastic effort by the Panthers and a sad way to end their season, but it was a quite impressive showing on their part. The Panthers end their season at 8-9 and miss the NCAA tournament.
(05/02/19 9:58am)
The Middlebury men’s lacrosse team entered the past weekend as the seventh seed in the NESCAC Tournament. After closing the regular season at 7-8, the Panthers were still confident they could make some damage in postseason play. Heading to second seed Wesleyan University on April 27, Middlebury showed just exactly what they are capable of. In a huge upset and the biggest win of the season, the Panthers won 11-7.
Tyler Forbes ’22 showed up to play once again, opening up the scoring at the 13:48 mark of the first. After winning the next faceoff, the Panthers regained possession and senior Luke Peterson netted a goal of his own in the next 40 seconds. Defense remained quite strong throughout the entire game. Wesleyan was able to get two back on the board in the first, but after junior Chase Goree’s goal, the game was 3-2 in Middlebury’s favor.
Wesleyan opened up scoring in the second quarter, but Middlebury’s offense was able to rebound quite quickly. Fans were quite impressed with the constant attack by the Panthers, who scored the next four goals of the half and took a demanding 7-3 lead into the second half. A.J. Kucinski ’20 added two of his own, while Forbes and Will Brossman ’21 netted one each on rifling shots.
In the second half, the Panthers proved just how good they were in the net and on the defense. It wasn’t until more than halfway through the third quarter when Wesleyan scored their first and last goal of the quarter. Middlebury followed with two goals of their own, again by Forbes and Kucinski. The Panthers could start to taste the victory but remained strong to close out the game on the attack. They did not let Wesleyan, fifth in the country, gain momentum. Wesleyan scored at the 11:19 mark, but Middlebury answered minutes later. Trading goals was simply not enough for Wesleyan to come back. After the Cardinals closed within three goals with four minutes to go, Goree put the icing on the cake with a great goal at the 2:26 mark.
The Panthers proved just how well-rounded they can be when their season is on the line. Sophomore Jack Hoelzer, who has played a decent amount throughout the season for the Panthers, praised how solid their team depth is. “We had a bunch of young guys stepping up to the plate and older guys leading us on Saturday. We played a really solid game and put together a solid 4 quarters,” Hoelzer stated.
A.J. Kucinski led the scoring with four goals and two assists, Forbes followed with three of his own. The man in goal earned a lot of praise this past weekend. “Tyler Bass [’21] played an amazing goal in net and with the help of the defense only let in seven goals 24 shots against the defending nationals champs,” Hoelzer said.
The Panthers will continue their postseason run as they head to tournament-host Tufts on Saturday to take on the Jumbos at 12:00 p.m.
(04/25/19 9:54am)
In a matchup against No. 4 nationally-ranked Tufts, the Middlebury men’s lacrosse team was looking to earn a huge win and gain momentum going into its final week before playoffs. Unfortunately, the Panthers could not keep up with Tufts’ fast scoring offense and lost 23-14. They fell to 7-7 on the year, but remain in sixth place in the NESCAC standings.
The game was very tightly contested throughout the first half. Tufts opened up the scoring, but Middlebury rebounded with a goal by leading scorer Tyler Forbes ’22 at the 8:59 mark. The teams kept alternating goals, but Middlebury’s only lead in the game came halfway through the first, when A.J. Kucinski ’20 rattled off two stifling goals to put the team in the lead 3-2. At the end of the first, Tufts led the Panthers 5-4.
Forbes quickly scored again in the second to tie the game. Again, it was back and forth, with both teams displaying great defense and offense. It is fair to say the game was played at a very fast pace, packed with a ton of action and great scoring plays. Middlebury scored a man-up goal towards the end of the half to put them within one of the Jumbos, after Jack Sheehan ’22 ripped a shot from about 15 yards out. At the end of the half, the Panthers were down 10-9.
In the second half, things started to go the right way for the Jumbos. Their offense really picked up and Midd had a tough time controlling the attack. Middlebury was able to hang around for most of the quarter, with Forbes and Alderik van der Heyde ’21 keeping the scoring going for the Panthers. However, Tufts scored the five goals to put them in the lead 17-13 going into the final frame.
Rain started to fall as the game progressed, but that did not stop the Jumbos. In the final quarter, Tufts outscored the Panthers 6-1 and closed the game out. On the day, Forbes had five goals to keep up with his fantastic season on offense. Kucinski also netted five of his own, with two assists. In goal, Tyler Bass ’21 played most of the minutes at 57:04. He had 13 saves on 36 shots. Although it was a tough game for the Panthers, their offense showed their ability to score and the defense showed some signs of hope.
The Panthers have one game left in conference play, as they will travel to No. 8 Williams on Wednesday. With a win, the Panthers can gain great momentum going into the playoffs. They are excited for what they have in store and know what needs to be done to compete in the incredibly tough NESCAC conference.
(04/18/19 9:55am)
After a successful mid-week game against Springfield College, where Middlebury won 15-7, the Panthers tried to ride that momentum into their NESCAC showdown against Trinity on Saturday, April 13. With their highest attendance of the season and a number of Midd alumni coming out to show their support, the Panthers proved how good they can be in a 22-6 triumph over the Bantams. They now hold an even 4-4 record in NESCAC play and remain in the middle of the pack going into the final weekend of play.
Whether it was the surprisingly beautiful weather or the excitement of alumni weekend, Middlebury came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. At the 12:48 mark of the first, Tyler Forbes, leading scorer of the team, found the back of the net on an outstanding shot that earned a loud cheer from the 367 people in attendance. From then on, the Panthers did not stop. Goals from six different Panthers, including three from Forbes, gave Midd a very comfortable 8-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. This was easily their best start to a game and largest lead of the season.
Trinity did not get their first goal up on the board until the 10:41 mark of the second, coming from a man-up situation. Although Middlebury was limited to just two goals, they still held a commanding 10-3 lead going into half. In the third, the scoring appeared to be pretty back and forth, with goals coming from four different Panther players again. The combination of stifling defense and a well-balanced offense was key to Midd’s success throughout the entirety of the game.
In the fourth quarter, even though the game was practically over already, Middlebury never let up. Again, they rallied off eight straight goals and the defense stood their ground. The final score was 22-6.
Tyler Forbes led the scoring with five goals, while juniors Chase Goree and A.J. Kucinski, had four of their own. Sophomore Ryan Feldman, played big minutes and had two assists on the day. In goal, Tyler Bass certainly had one of the best performances of the year. In 52:48 minutes, Bass had 12 saves on 18 attempts. He has moved to 2-0 on the year behind the net.
Although this win was big for the Panthers, their upcoming schedule will prove just how strong they really are. On Wednesday, April 17 Midd travels to Plattsburgh St. to play a non-conference match. This weekend, they will travel to Medford, MA to take on the No. 4 Tufts Jumbos (11-1), arguably their biggest matchup of the year.
(04/11/19 9:52am)
After a successful midweek game against conference foe, Hamilton, the Middlebury Panthers looked to keep their win streak alive against the Colby Mules this past Saturday. The Panthers seemed fired up for this game right from the start, with chants of “What up, Blue!” echoing throughout Youngman Field. After a back-and-forth game, with great plays coming from both sides, Colby outlasted the Panthers by a score of 14-12. The Panthers still remain ahead of the Mules in the NESCAC standings but drop to 4-6 on the year.
In the first quarter, the Mules put a score on the books first. However, Middlebury quickly rebounded with two shots coming from Zeke Emerson ’20 and up-and-coming star, Will Brossman. Colby was able to settle in for the rest of the quarter, firing back three goals to lead 4-2 at the end of 15 minutes.
After a harsh cross-checking penalty committed by Colby at the start of the second, freshman phenom, Tyler Forbes, scored a man-up goal at the 9:28 mark. Colby responded quickly but then committed yet another penalty to put Middlebury at the advantage. For the next five minutes, it was all Middlebury. Three goals came from three different players, putting the Panthers up 6-5 and giving them a little momentum. However, a lackluster penalty by Alex Farley at the 4:22 mark of the second gave Colby the opportunity to rally off three goals and regain the lead 8-6. In the last seconds of the half, A.J Kucinski fired a shot on goal, assisted by Brossman, to put the Panthers within one.
In the third, the Panthers again had control of the entire quarter. Colby scored first, but the home team was able to respond with three goals of their own. Forbes tallied another on an outstanding shot, meanwhile the upperclassmen on the team contributed their own. At the 2:18 mark in the third quarter, the two teams were tied. In the 4th, the Panthers took a quick lead. Unfortunately, their defense seemed to lose some traction and Colby answered by scoring 4 of the next 5 goals. With a minute left to go in the game, Middlebury was down three until Chase Goree ’20 found the net. However, the deficit was too much to overcome. Colby scored again as the time ran down.
Despite a strong effort, the Panthers fell to 3-4 in conference play. They look to take on Trinity this upcoming weekend at home in a pivotal NESCAC game. With a win, the Panthers can move towards the top of the tightly contested pack as they soon approach the end of April and playoff season.
(03/21/19 9:59am)
The Middlebury men’s lacrosse team traveled to Baltimore, MD this past weekend to play in the Mustang Classic. After suffering a 12-6 loss to conference foe, Wesleyan Cardinals, the Panthers rebounded and defeated nationally ranked Dickinson 16-11.
After a 9-2 deficit in the first half of the Wesleyan game, Middlebury tried to surmount a comeback in the latter half of the game. Tyler Forbes ’22 scored quickly at the 12:32 mark to gain some Middlebury momentum. However, the Cardinals’ strong offense responded with two goals in a span of four minutes. Again, the Panthers stayed strong and were able to rattle off three unanswered goals coming from Frank Cosolito ’20 and two from Chase Goree ’20. Down five scores at the start of the fourth quarter, the team was shut down by great goaltending and stifling defense from Wesleyan. Middlebury struggled to get shots the entire game, firing only 17 and scoring six. Forbes and Goree led the team in scoring with two goals a piece. Charles Midgley ’19 played all 60 minutes in goal, saving 17 of the 29 shots coming from Wesleyan.
Despite the loss to start the weekend, Middlebury came out very strong and motivated in the Saturday match-up against Dickinson. To no surprise, the Panthers came out red-hot, scoring the game’s first four goals. AJ Kucinski ’20 tallied two and the other contributions came again from Cosolito and Forbes. After Dickinson responded with three of their own, Forbes and Alderik vanderHeyde ’21 netted each of their own, putting the Panthers up 6-4 at the half.
Just like the start of the game, Middlebury came out shooting in the second half and scored three within the half’s first four minutes. Senior captain Jack Gould scored a beautiful goal at the 13:14 mark, netting one far out and with pace. The goalie had no chance. Dickinson responded with three straight goals of their own yet still remained behind in a 11-7 contest.
At the start of the fourth, Dickinson made it quite a game by closing the gap to just one goal. However, the hot offense of the Panthers picked up and they responded with three of their own, two coming from Forbes. With seven minutes to go in the game, the teams traded goals but Middlebury came out on top 16-11. They never trailed in the game.
Forbes led the team in scoring with five, culminating to a total of 16 goals on the year. Jack Hoelzer ’21 fed the ball and tallied two assists on the day. Again, Midgley played all sixty minutes in goal, this time tallying nine saves on 20 shots.
Men’s lacrosse holds a 2-3 record to begin the year. Their next contest will come against Bowdoin on Saturday, March 23. This is their first home game of the year, and they look to remain in the middle of the pact in the NESCAC conference.
(03/14/19 9:54am)
Following a tough road loss to Bates to open up the season, the Middlebury Men’s Lacrosse team traveled to New London, Connecticut to take on Conn. College this past weekend. The Panthers earned their first win of the season, with a clutch 16-9 victory that will steer them in the right direction for contests ahead.
Middlebury came out hot from the start, taking an early 3-0 lead with the goals coming in a 1:38 time span at the start of the first. Sophomore Eric Jeremiah got things going not only for the team, but also for himself as he netted his first of the season. After a Camel’s goal coming at the 6:17 mark of the first, Tyler Forbes ’22 kept his hot streak going, scoring two stifling shots from the left side to put the Panthers up 5-1. Conn. College rebounded with a last second goal to close out the first quarter but still remained far behind.
The second quarter included a lot of back-and-forth action. While the Camels were able to come within two scores of the Panthers, Forbes struck again to end the opposing team’s momentum and get the Panthers back on track. After contributions from seniors Nick Peterson and Jack Gould, who both scored to end out the half, the Panthers maintained a 9-5 lead.
With quality defense and a save by senior Charles Midgley, Middlebury outscored the Camels 4-0 in the third quarter. Scoring came from four different contributors, both in the early minutes and closing minutes of the third. With a commanding 13-6 lead heading into the fourth, the Panthers continued to press on.
Gould opened up the fourth with a goal at the 9:52 mark, increasing the Panthers lead. After a late push from the Camels, who tallied the next two goals, the Panthers were able to seize back momentum and really put the game out of reach. Trading goals in the final five minutes, Chase Goree ’20 ended all scoring with an unassisted netter to end the game.
Middlebury showed its roster depth in this game, with contributions coming from a large number of players. Forbes kept his streak alive by tallying five goals in the contest, culminating to a team-leading nine goals for the season. Goree, led the squad with four assists, while also netting two goals. Goalie Midgley, played outstandingly, saving 11 of 19 shots in 54 minutes played.
The Panthers enter the weekend with a 1-2 (1-1 NESCAC) record and remain in the middle of the pack in the NESCAC conference. Traveling to St. Lawrence for a non-conference game on Tuesday, March 12, the Panthers fell to the Saints 3-9, with Jack Sheehan ’22 and A.J. Kucinski ’20 scoring two and one goals respectively. They will travel to St. Lawrence to play a non-conference game on Tuesday, March 12. Over the weekend, the Panthers head to Baltimore, MD to play in the Mustang Classic. They will take on nationally ranked and conference foe, #7 Wesleyan Cardinals, as well as non-conference opponent, #8 Dickinson.
(03/07/19 10:56am)
After a long and cold pre-season, Middlebury men’s lacrosse finally began their campaign for the 2019 season. NESCAC conference play started the first weekend of March, as Middlebury drove up to Lewiston, ME to take on Bates. Despite early success, Middlebury was unable to keep up with Bates’ fast-paced offense and lost 17-10, ending their three year streak of opening day wins.
Despite the loss, the team showed many signs of hope as the majority of their goals came from the younger players. The Panthers were able to grab onto an early 2-1 lead after first-year Tyler Forbes scored twice in the opening minutes -- his first ever collegiate goals. He later went on to tally 4 goals in the game, quite an accomplishment for his rookie debut. After Bates was able to tie the game back up at 2, Middlebury went on a run to close out the first quarter. They scored three in a row to take a comfortable 5-2 lead. Bates then went on the attack. The Panthers failed to gain momentum in the second quarter and limped into halftime down 6-5, being shut out in the second.
With the Panthers being within just one score of the 25th ranked team in the nation at halftime, confidence and hopes remained high in the locker room. Although the Bobcats scored the first goal of the second half, Middlebury’s Aldrerik van der Heyde ’21 responded at the 8:30 mark. After the trade of goals, Bates again went on the offensive and scored a commanding 5 straight. Despite a beautiful shot by sophomore Will Brossman for the Panthers, the score entering the 4th quarter was held by the opponent 13-7.
The Panthers closed the gap to 4 after goals by van der Heyde and Forbes but the home team was able to quickly shut any hopes of a Middlebury comeback, tallying the final 3 goals. Middlebury senior Charles Midgley tallied 7 saves on 20 shot attempts. In addition, junior Jake Madnick garnered 5 ground balls, alongside Zeke Emerson ’20 who had 4 ground balls.
Despite the loss, Middlebury has a long and exciting season ahead of them. They saw contributions from every class in their season opener and look to continue to grow as a team as they play up to their potential. Middlebury will travel to Connecticut College next Saturday, March 9, to take on another NESCAC opponent. The Panthers will not host their first game on Youngman Field until March 23, when they take on the Bowdoin Polar Bears.