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(03/02/16 9:07pm)
To the Middlebury Community,
I want to take the opportunity to apologize for featuring a picture of myself wearing a culturally appropriative outfit in the sports section of The Middlebury Campus newspaper. The aforementioned photo in which I am wearing a sombrero has been featured in the weekly “Editor’s Picks” widget since I became an editor in September of 2014.
I studied abroad this past fall semester and therefore was not on campus to engage in the many conversations surrounding cultural appropriation—a topic with which I was completely unfamiliar until returning to Middlebury in January. In J-Term, I resumed my role as an editor and the photo was again added to the sports section above my name. Shortly after the first publication in February, it was brought to my attention that the photo was an example of cultural appropriation and was offensive to some members of our community.
In choosing the photo over a year ago, I never intended to offend anyone or contribute to an environment at Middlebury that is hostile to historically underrepresented groups. After the negative connotation of the photo was made clear to me, I immediately removed it from my portion of the sports section.
I am sincerely sorry to any member of the community that may have been negatively affected by the picture throughout the months that it appeared in print. In addition, I would like to apologize to anyone who took issue with the picture but felt uncomfortable bringing their opinion to the attention of myself or another member of the editorial board.
On that note, I am very thankful to both the students who reached out individually as well as the members of the groups who cosigned the Black Student Union’s letter for making me aware of the situation and allowing this important change to occur.
The recent discussion surrounding my photo has demonstrated the extraordinary capacity we have to make our community a better place if we approach issues of diversity and inclusion as an ongoing learning experience. In that effort, I am happy to speak with anyone who may have thoughts on this issue or anything I mentioned in this piece.
Sincerely,
Remo Plunkett
(05/06/15 12:36pm)
The Panther men’s tennis team claimed the program’s first NESCAC title since 2010 this Sunday, May 3, when they beat Williams 5-2 on Proctor Courts. The women, meanwhile, advanced to the semifinal round of the conference tournament before falling to falling to Amherst.
After earning a bye through the first round, the second-seeded Middlebury men squared off with third seed Bowdoin in the semifinals on Saturday, May 2, winning 5-3. The Panthers jumped ahead 2-1 in doubles play, getting wins from Palmer Campbell ’16 and Peter Heidrich ’15 at number one and from Ari Smolyar ’17 and Noah Farrell ’18 at number two. In the third doubles match, Chris Frost ’15 and William de Quant ’18 went to a tiebreaker before falling to their opponents from Bowdoin.
The Panthers solidified the victory in singles play with wins in the top three spots from Smolyar, Farrell and Campbell, respectively. de Quant was in the process of topping off a hard-fought victory at number five — a match in which the first two sets both went to tiebreaker — when the Panthers won, halting the match.
In Saturday’s other men’s semifinal, Amherst was upset by fifth-seeded Williams to give the Ephs the other berth in the title game. The surprising finish boded well for the Panthers, who had fallen 9-0 to Amherst in the regular-season finale.
In Sunday’s title match, the Panthers swept doubles play to give themselves a massive early advantage. Frons extended the lead to 4-0 with a quick two-set victory at number-four singles, meaning that the Panthers needed just one more match victory to take the conference title.
The remaining singles matches, meanwhile, were overwhelmingly back-and-forth. After dropping the first set, Smolyar battled back to win the second and had a 3-2 advantage in the third when play was halted. de Quant also overcame a first-set loss to win the second set, but dropped the third 6-2 to concede a match to Williams.
Both the number-three match between Campbell and Williams’ Alex Schidlovsky and Kyle Schlanger’s ’18 number-six match with Eph Howard Weiss went to a tiebreaker in the first set before being won by Middlebury. Campbell was the first to break through for the win, ripping a cross-court backhand past Schidlovsky to take the second set, the match and the NESCAC team championship.
After the conference championship, the men were selected to host an NCAA regional, in which they will begin play on Saturday, May 9.
The women’s team was not able to equal the men’s result, falling to Amherst in the NESCAC semifinals.
After Middlebury won 5-4 in both teams’ regular-season finales, the Panthers and Lord Jeffs faced off on Proctor Courts in a semifinal on Saturday, May 2. Amherst went up 2-1 in doubles play, as Alexandra Fields ’17 and Lauren Amos ’16 were the sole Middlebury duo to win their match.
In singles action, the Panthers got big wins from Ria Gerger ’16 and Fields in the top two spots. Amherst took matches at four and six to come within one match of victory but Margot Marchese ’16 was able to fight through a second-set tiebreaker to win her match and keep Middlebury alive.
In the deciding match at number-three singles, Lily Bondy ’17 was unable to keep pace with her counterpart from Amherst. After winning the first set 6-3, Bondy fell 6-3, 6-1 in the subsequent sets to send the Lord Jeffs to the final, where they would lose to Williams.
Still among the nation’s top-ranked teams, the Panther women were granted an at-large bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament. They will travel to Brunswick, Maine this weekend for a regional at Bowdoin, opening play on Saturday, May 9 against the victor of an earlier match between Simmons and Plymouth State.
(04/29/15 6:32pm)
Both the Middlebury men’s and women’s tennis teams faced NESCAC rival Amherst on Saturday, April 25, as both teams concluded their regular season schedules. The men dropped their season finale match to the Lord Jeffs on the road, falling to 16-3 overall and breaking their eight-match winning streak in the NESCAC to finish 6-1 in conference play. The women earned a narrow home victory over the third-ranked visitors, improving to 9-5 overall and 5-2 in the NESCAC. The two squads return to action this coming weekend when they host the NESCAC Championship.
The sixth-ranked men’s team suffered their first NESCAC loss of the season, falling 9-0 at the hands of fourth-ranked Amherst.
The tandem of Ari Smolyar ’16 and Noah Farrell ’18 were unable to secure a point in the second flight of doubles play, falling by a score of 8-3. The top duo of Palmer Campbell ’15 and Peter Heidrich ’15 were defeated 8-6. The final doubles match saw Chris Frost ’15 and William de Quant ’18 fall 9-8.
The day’s singles competition continued to tilt in favor of the Lord Jeffs. Middlebury’s Jackson Frons ’16, Campbell and de Quant all fell in their respective matches as Amherst picked up the big lead.
The three remaining matches were decided by third-set super tiebreakers, with Farrell ultimately falling by scores of 6-1, 4-6 and 10-7. Smolyar dropped his first set 2-6 and battled back with a 6-4 set before falling 11-9 in the match’s top flight. Timo van der Geest ’18 lost a hard-fought match to round out the competition.
Despite the loss, the Panthers sit at 16-3 on the season with a lone NESCAC loss to Amherst in the regular season’s final match. Middlebury will return to the courts this weekend as they host a myriad of NESCAC Tournament matches from Friday to Sunday, May 1-3.
The women’s team, ranked eighth nationally, earned a tight home victory over third-ranked Amherst to conclude its regular season.
The Panthers struck early in the match, racing out to a 2-1 lead following doubles play. Lauren Amos ’16 and Alexandra Fields ’17 secured an 8-3 victory to even the match score at one apiece heading into the final doubles contest. In the top flight Ria Gerger ’16 and Lily Bondy ’17 went up 9-7 to secure the crucial third point for the Panthers.
In singles play, Gerger gave the Panthers a 3-1 advantage after Amherst’s number one retired from the match. The back-and-forth momentum of the match continued as Amherst’s number two posted a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Fields. With Amherst within a point of tying, Bondy took the court and earned a 6-3, 6-4 decision in the third slot to put Middlebury up 4-2.
The Panthers led Amherst by a score of 5-3 heading into the final singles match. The Lord Jeffs made an attempt to rally, with their number-six player earning a 7-6, 0-6, 6-2 victory over Katie Paradies ’15 to conclude the day’s action.
With the narrow win the Panthers improve to 9-5 on the season and 5-2 in NESCAC competition. The team will return to action this weekend as they host the NESCAC Championship matches from Friday to Sunday, May 1-3.
(04/22/15 1:53pm)
Both the Middlebury men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to Maine this past weekend to face NESCAC rivals Bowdoin and Bates on the road. The men picked up a pair of wins on the weekend, surpassing Bowdoin 8-1 on Saturday, April 18 before earning the victory over Bates on Sunday, April 19 by a score of 7-2. The women fell to Bowdoin on Saturday, April 18 before sweeping Bates the following day by a score of 9-0. The two squads each faced nationally-ranked Bowdoin teams and will both return to action this coming Saturday as the men travel to Amherst while the women host the Lord Jeffs at home in Middlebury.
The men’s team maintained their undefeated NESCAC record by defeating eighth-ranked Bowdoin while on the road playing at the Pickard Tennis Courts. The Panthers surged ahead early in the match, securing a 3-0 lead after the conclusion of doubles play. Ari Smolyar ’16 and Noah Farrell ’18 got things rolling for Middlebury with an 8-2 victory in the second flight. Chris Frost ’15 and William de Quant ’18 continued the momentum by earning the second point for the Panthers with an 8-3 decision in the third sport. The number one duo of Palmer Campbell ’16 and Peter Heidrich ’15 completed the sweep in doubles with an action-packed 9-8 win.
With a solid 3-0 lead heading into singles play the Panthers allowed Bowdoin to pick up their sole point of the day as Jackson Frons ’16 was unable to best his opponent in the number four slot. Despite the loss in the first match, Middlebury rallied back to secure the next five straight. Campbell earned a 6-2, 6-2 win at number three and Smolyar brought home the decisive fifth team point with a 6-2, 6-3 performance in the top spot. Also earning wins in singles matches were Courtney Mountifield ’15 at six, Farrell at two and de Quant at number five. Mountifield, Farrell and de Quant’s matches all needed a third set to decide the victor.
The team’s efforts allowed them to leave Bowdoin ahead by a margin of 8-1. Following the match, the Panthers remained in Maine to face the 20th-ranked Bates Bobcats on Sunday.
The Panthers got out to a 2-1 lead after the day’s doubles matches, all of which were tightly contested. Frost and de Quant started things off for the Panthers with an 8-5 win at number three. Smolyar and Farrell dropped the lone doubles match for Middlebury, falling to the opposing Bates duo by a score of 9-8. With the score notched at one apiece Campbell and Heidrich took the court for Middlebury, ultimately earning a 9-8 victory to put the Panthers up 2-1 heading into singles play.
Singles play went largely in favor of the Panthers. Farrell pulled out a 6-0, 6-1 win at number two, followed by Frons in the fourth spot with an identical score for the victory. In search of the decisive point to secure the team victory, de Quant posted a 6-3, 6-1 win at number five. The first flight match featured Smolyar, who holds the top rank regionally, against the Bobcat contender, who is ranked sixth. Smolyar gained the point for the Panthers with a 6-4, 6-1 performance. Campbell matched Smolyar’s scores in his contest at number three. The Panthers surrendered their lone loss of singles play as Mountifield fell at number six.
The team concludes their regular season this coming weekend as they travel to fourth-ranked Amherst. The sixth-ranked Panthers sit at 16-2 overall and 6-0 in the NESCAC.
The Middlebury women’s team fell to 10th-ranked Bowdoin by a score of 7-2 while on the road competing on the Pickard Tennis Courts. The Polar Bears got out to a strong start, securing all three points in doubles play. Jennifer Sundstrom ’17 and Kaysee Orozco ’17 fell by a score of 8-4 in the second flight. In a matchup between two regionally-ranked tandems, the Bowdoin duo was able to edge Ria Gerger ’16 and Lily Bondy ’17, who are currently ranked eighth. The hosting Polar Bears continued their doubles sweep as their number three doubles team posted an 8-5 triumph over Lauren Amos ’16 and Alexandra Fields ’17.
The singles matches began as Katie Paradies ’15 fell by a score of 6-2, 6-4 at the number six spot. Bondy and Margot Marchese ’16 were also defeated in their respective singles matches. The Panthers finally got on the board as Fields managed to post a 6-2, 6-4 win at number two. In a hard-fought battle of top-ranked players, the Bowdoin number one earned a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Gerger. The number four match yielded another point for Middlebury as Orozco triumphed by a score of 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
In the wake of the loss the Panthers traveled to Bates the following day to take on another NESCAC opponent. The team picked up a resounding 9-0 sweeping victory to combat a brief two-match losing streak.
A modified Panther lineup secured victories in all three doubles matches on the day. Orozco and Sundstrom started things out at number one with an 8-1 victory. Amos and Fields stepped onto the court in the second flight, easing their way to an 8-2 win. Sadie Shackelford ’16 and Paradies followed suit with an 8-1 decision in the final doubles match to put Middlebury ahead 3-0 heading into the singles matches.
The Panthers continued to dominate in singles play, winning all five matches in straight sets. Gerger, Fields, Paradies and Shackelford eased past their opponents, competing in the top four flights respectively. The bottom of the lineup saw equal success with Amos and Sundstrom also securing wins to end the match 9-0 in favor of the Panthers.
The women’s team will conclude their regular season this coming Saturday when they host third-ranked Amherst at home. The team currently stands at 8-5 overall and 3-2 in the NESCAC.
(04/15/15 4:02pm)
Both the Middlebury men’s and women’s tennis teams faced nationally-ranked opponents at home on Saturday, April 11. The sixth-ranked men’s team ousted second-ranked Emory by a score of 6-3. With the victory the squad improves to 14-2 overall while boasting an impressive 6-0 record at home.
Also facing a top-10 team, the eighth-ranked women fell to number one Williams by a score of 7-2. The defeat was the fourth of the season for the women and their first to a NESCAC opponent.
The men’s team secured an outstanding 6-3 decision against a visiting Emory squad to defend their undefeated record. The team got off to a winning start, earning points in two of the day’s three doubles matches. Palmer Campbell ’15 and Peter Heidrich ’15, ranked sixth in the region as a doubles pairing, started the day for the Panthers, ultimately earning an 8-3 victory in the top flight. The number three doubles match went in favor of Emory, as Chris Frost ’15 and William de Quant ’18 were unable to overcome their opponents and fell by a score of 8-2. With the overall match score notched at one apiece, Ari Smolyar ’16 and Noah Farrell ’18 rounded out the Panther performance and allowed the team to take the lead with an 8-5 win at number two heading into the singles competition.
The singles matches featured a number of regionally-ranked players from both teams. Allen Jackson ’16 fell in the sixth spot to Emory’s Aman Manji by a score of 6-0, 6-4. Playing fifth and first, respectively, de Quant and Smolyar both picked up victories as the match swung to 4-2 in favor of the Panthers. The Eagles improved their score to 4-3 as the number three match saw Rafe Mosetick edge out Campbell in three sets. The final two matches of the day saw Middlebury win in three sets with wins by Jackson Frons ’16 and Farrell. Frons clinched his match by scores of 6-2, 6-7 (5-7) and 6-1 to earn a point at the number four position and Farrell won in 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 fashion after dropping the first set.
“It was a really big win for us beating the number 2 team in the country,” Smolyar said. “After losing a nail biter to Emory last year it was great to not only get the win, but to see all of my teammates compete hard and battle for each and every point.”
The men will travel to face eighth-ranked Bowdoin this coming Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Middlebury women’s tennis team fell last weekend to NESCAC rival Williams by a score of 7-2. The Ephs came out to a strong start, securing wins in all three doubles matches. Ria Gerger ’16 and Lily Bondy ’17, who are currently ranked eighth in the region, fell to the regions third-ranked duo from Williams by a score of 8-2. In similar fashion, Lauren Amos ’16 and Alexandra Fields ’17 were defeated by a score of 8-3. Jennifer Sundstrom ’17 and Kaysee Orozco ’17 were also unable to oust their Williams opponents and dropped the number two match by a score of 8-4.
The Panthers were able to pick up a pair of points in the singles matches, starting with a fighting victory by Gerger to improve her individual winning streak to five. Gerger battled from losing the first set to secure a victory by a score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Margot Marchese ’16 fell 6-2, 6-3 at the number five position as Williams improved their lead to 4-1 overall. The fifth and decisive point for Williams came in the second spot matchup featuring Fields. Unable to gain the upper hand, Fields fell 7-5, 6-2 to seal the Panthers’ fate against a formidable in-conference opponent.
Katie Paradies ’15 recorded the second point for Middlebury on the day, earning the victory via a 6-4, 2-6, 10-7 triumph at the number six spot. Bondy lost the number three singles match and Orozco was defeated at number four to round out the matches for the day.
With the loss the Panthers sit at 7-4 overall and 2-1 in NESCAC play. The team will play again on Saturday, April 18 when they travel to number 10 Bowdoin for another highly contested conference match.
(04/08/15 10:53pm)
Both the Middlebury men’s and women’s tennis teams returned to action this past weekend after traveling to California for multiple matches over spring break. The women played five matches while on the West Coast, emerging with a 2-3 record with wins against Chicago and Pomona-Pitzer and losses to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, U.C. San Diego and Azusa Pacific. The men’s team competed in a staggering eight matches while in southern California, recording only a pair of losses to Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Following their spring break trips the teams returned home, with the women recording a pair of NESCAC victories against Hamilton and Conn. College on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5, respectively. The men also went undefeated on the weekend, ousting Skidmore and Hamilton on the road on Saturday before returning to Middlebury to host Conn. College on Sunday.
The sixth-ranked men’s team picked up two victories at Skidmore and Hamilton to improve to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The squad opened their weekend by securing victories in two of the three flights of doubles competition. Palmer Campbell ’16 and Peter Heidrich ’15 were unable to capture the top-flight victory, falling to Skidmore’s duo by a score of 8-6. Ari Smolyar ’16 and Noah Farrell ’18 picked up the 9-7 decision in the second flight.
The Panthers’ success continued in singles play, with Middlebury earning wins in five of the six flights. Smolyar was successful at number one, recording 6-4 and 6-0 scores over his Skidmore opponent. Farrell dropped his first set but rebounded with 6-1 and 10-5 wins to earn Middlebury a point in the second flight. The Thoroughbreds captured a lone point in the singles portion of the match and ultimately fell to the Panthers by a score of 7-2.
The team then faced the Hamilton Continentals and raced out to a decisive 3-0 start with 8-1 victories in all flights of doubles matches. Heidrich and Campbell, the third-ranked doubles team in the region, cruised past their competition and were mirrored by the teams of Smolyar and Farrell, and William de Quant ’18 and Kyle Schlanger ’18.
In singles play the team sported a varied lineup, with Courtney Mountifield ’15 playing at the top spot for the first time this spring. Mountifield was unsuccessful at the top position, dropping the match 6-4, 6-4. Timo van der Geest ’18 and de Quant earned wins at number three and two, respectively. Heidrich, Chris Frost ’15 and Schlanger rounded out the singles play with wins for Middlebury, leveling the final score at 7-2 in favor of the Panthers.
After the pair of road victories the Panthers men returned home to face in-conference opponent Conn. College. As in the Hamilton contest, Middlebury swept the doubles matches with victories from Frost and de Quant (8-1) in the third flight, Smolyar and Farrell (8-0) at two and Heidrich and Campbell (8-6) in the first position.
The team’s success continued in singles action in which the squad dropped only 12 games in four straight-set victories. Smolyar improved to 22-2 on the season in individual play, capturing a 6-1, 6-1 victory to lead the Panthers. Wins by Jackson Frons ’16, de Quant and van der Geest allowed the match to be decided without need to play the final two singles matches.
With the successful weekend the Panthers improve to 11-2 on the season and return to action on Wednesday, April 8 against Williams and again on Friday, April 10 against Tufts. The pair of NESCAC matches will be played at Middlebury’s Duke Nelson Arena.
The women’s team also returned from California to face Hamilton on the road last week. The Panthers picked up a 9-0 victory coming out to a strong 3-0 start in doubles play. The team dropped a total of nine games in the trio of victories. Ria Gerger ’16 and Lily Bondy ’17 took home an 8-1 victory in the top flight and Jennifer Sundstrom ’17 and Kaysee Orozco ’17 won 8-4 in the second position. Alexandra Fields ’17 and Lauren Amos ’16 rounded out doubles play with an identical 8-4 victory at number three.
Panther domination continued in singles play, with the team winning 72 of 89 games. Fields cruised to a decisive victory to lead the Panthers. Orozco, Margot Marchese ’16, Katie Paradies ’15, Sadie Shackelford ’16 and Sundstrom all triumphed in their singles appearances, securing the 9-0 sweeping victory for Middlebury.
The team got back to work on Sunday, April 5, facing Conn. College at home in Middlebury. In similar fashion to the previous day’s outcome at Hamilton, the Panthers swept all three flights of doubles matches. Amos and Fields struck first, earning Middlebury a point in the third flight. Sundstrom and Orozco answered with an 8-0 decision at number two and Gerger and Bondy secured the sweep with an 8-2 victory in the top flight.
Singles play was cut short as the Panthers lost just four games in the two matches needed to establish a victory on the day. Amos took the court and made it 4-0 in favor of Middlebury with a 6-1, 6-0 triumph. Gerger, ranked ninth regionally, sealed the fate of the Conn. College squad with a 6-2, 6-1 win. The rest of the singles matches went unfinished following her performance.
The successful weekend places the Panthers at 7-3 overall and they remain perfect in the NESCAC, in which they sit 2-0. The team will take the week to prepare for Saturday’s in-conference match against Williams which is set to be held at home in Duke Nelson Arena.
(03/19/15 3:03am)
Both the Middlebury men’s and women’s tennis teams emerged victorious from the opening weekend of the spring season. The third-ranked men’s team earned a pair of victories at home on Saturday, March 14, defeating Stevens and Brandeis by scores of 8-1 and 7-2, respectively. The women’s team also reeled in two wins on Saturday, competing on the road against Skidmore and Rensselaer. The women returned to the Middlebury courts on Sunday, March 15 to open the home portion of their season with a 9-0 win against Brandeis.
In the men’s doubles matches at home in the Duke Nelson Recreation Center against 29th-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology, all three Panther pairs ousted the Stevens competition, putting Middlebury up 3-0 early in the match. The doubles tandem of Chris Frost ’15 and William de Quant ’18 earned an 8-3 victory, while the no. two flight pair of Ari Smolyar ’16 and Noah Farrell ’18 won with a score of 8-2. Middlebury’s top team of Palmer Campbell ’16 and Peter Heidrich ’15 rounded out the Panthers’ doubles success on the day with an 8-6 victory.
In singles, Campbell struck again for the Panthers, earning the team’s fourth point with a victory at the No. 3 position. Teammates Farrell (No. 2), Smolyar (No. 1), Courtney Mountifield ’15 (No. 4) and Allen Jackson ’16 (No. 6) all recorded victories. In addition to these wins, Palmer, Jackson and Farrell won in straight sets in their singles matches against Stevens. Stevens picked up its lone point of the day with a win at the No. 5 position.
Later in the day against Brandeis the men again swept the doubles competition with an 8-2 victory in the top flight, an 8-3 decision at No. 2 and an 8-3 advantage at No. 3. The team then put on a 4-2 performance in the singles matches with Smolyar, Campbell, Jackson and de Quant picking up victories to ultimately edge 33rd-ranked Brandeis by a score of 7-2.
The men’s team, currently sitting at 2-0 on the season, will return to action during its spring break trip to California. The team will compete in a total of seven matches during their time in California, playing between Saturday, March 21 and Friday, March 27.
Meanwhile, the women’s tennis team, ranked tenth nationally, also notched a pair of wins on the road on Saturday at 20th-ranked Skidmore and Rensselaer. They continued their winning streak on Sunday with a home victory against 26th-ranked Brandeis.
In similar fashion to the men’s squad, the women claimed the first three points of the match with victories in each doubles flight. The pairing of Kaysee Orozco ’17 and Jennifer Sundstrom ’17 reigned in an 8-2 win at the No. 2 spot. Alexandra Fields ’17 and Lauren Amos ’16 edged their Skidmore opponents 8-3 at No. 3. The first flight pair of Ria Gerger ’16 and Lily Bondy ’17 took slightly more play to best their matchups, but ultimately pulled away with a 9-7 decision.
In singles, the match continued to turn in Middlebury’s favor with wins in all but the fifth spot. Fields (No. 2), Orozco (No. 3), Bondy (No. 4), Katie Paradies ’15 (No. 6) and Gerger (No. 1) all won in straight sets to notch the final match score at 8-1 in favor of the Panthers.
Later in the day the Panthers took on Rensselear, surrendering just six games in all three doubles victories. Orozco and Sundstrom won 8-5 from the No. 1 position, Amos and Fields earned the 8-1 victory at No. 2 and Sadie Shackelford ’16 and Paradies emerged victorious 8-0 in the third flight. In addition, the Panthers further silenced Rensselear with straight-set wins in each of the individual matches.
After the pair of victories on the road, the women’s team returned to their home court to host 26th-ranked Brandeis. Again, the team cruised to wins in all three doubles matches, winning 8-1 at No. 1, 8-3 at No. 2 and 8-4 at No. 3. The successful streak continued in singles play, with the Panthers dropping a total of only 14 games as they secured straight-set wins in all six singles flights. The combination of wins on the day allowed the Panthers to surge past Brandeis by a final match score of 9-0.
Paradies commented on the team’s play over the weekend, stating, “The matches were a great start to the season [and] provided an amazing opportunity to test the projects that we have been working on.” In addition, the weekend allowed the team to “understand how to best prepare for spring break,” Paradies said.
The Panthers, who hold a 3-0 record on the season, will participate in five matches during their spring break trip to California. The team will begin their trip with a match against fifth-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps next Saturday, March 21.
(03/05/15 12:49am)
Despite leading by two goals at the start of the second half, the Middlebury men’s Lacrosse team fell to first-ranked Tufts by a score of 17-10 after the defending national champions staged a 13-4 run to earn a victory in the season opener. The result on Saturday, Feb. 28 stands as an improvement on last year’s opening matchup with the Jumbos in which the Panthers lost by a greater margin of 24-6.
For the second consecutive year, Middlebury opened season play against Tufts, who now defend a NCAA title after posting a 21-2 record on their way to a national championship in the 2014 season. The Jumbos found success in the previous season as a result of their high-powered offense, which was led by John Uppgren ’16 and Cole Bailey ’15, who combined for ten points (7G, 3A) against Middlebury on Saturday. However, the Panthers relied on strong defense in the first half and were able to limit the powerful Tufts offense to only four goals in the first 30 minutes of play.
John Broome ’16 struck first for Middlebury, scoring unassisted twice in the first quarter while Tim Giarrusso ’16 added a single tally off a Joel Blockowicz ’15 feed. Tufts managed to find the back of the net for the first time with 1:13 remaining in the first, and converted again with 0:02 on the clock to end play with the scoreboard reading 3-2 in favor of the Panthers.
The second quarter saw Middlebury hold onto their lead, with Blockowicz, Broome and John Simms ’17 adding to the scoring effort. Penalties were held to a minimum for both sides during the first half, keeping both teams at even strength throughout much of the opening 30 minutes of play. The Jumbos added two more tallies in the second quarter, leaving the score at 6-4 as both teams left the field for halftime. As they headed to the locker room, the Middlebury squad looked like they might be poised for an upset victory to open their season.
The feeling would not last long after the break. The second half brought a significant change of momentum, with the Jumbos outscoring the visiting Panthers by a wide margin of 13-4. The home team opened the third quarter with three consecutive goals, including one by Connor Bilby while Tufts had a man advantage. Broome was able to add back-to-back goals for the Panthers in the third quarter, rounding out his scoring performance at five on the day. In similar fashion to the start of the quarter, Tufts added another three consecutive goals before the whistle sounded to end play and send the game into the fourth quarter.
For the first time in the game, Middlebury opened the final quarter with a one-goal deficit. Tufts then proceeded to score seven straight, with Middlebury adding its lone goal of the quarter off a Jack Rautiola ’16 shot with 3:10 remaining. The Tufts attack duo of Uppgren and Bailey added two apiece in the fourth, and Uppgren also recorded an assist. In addition, midfielder Garrett Clarke contributed three goals for the Jumbos in the victory, while Austin Carbone racked up three points on two goals and an assist.
Tufts asserted dominance at the faceoff-X, taking a 20-30 advantage throughout the course of the game. Tufts also exceeded Middlebury’s ground ball effort, scooping up 37 to the Panthers’ 22. Consistent with Tufts’ reputation as an offensively talented squad, the Jumbos released 64 shots on the day, almost doubling Middlebury’s shot total of 36.
Both teams displayed competent goaltending at the hands of Will Ernst ’17 for the Panthers and Alex Salazar for the Jumbos. The two goalies recorded almost identical save percentages, 43.3 percent and 44.4 percent, respectively. However, tasked with offsetting Tufts’ notoriously effective offense, Ernst faced 30 shots while Salazar saw only 18. Also on the defensive end of the field, Middlebury players Cal Williams ’15 and Jack DeFrino ’17 each caused three turnovers, while DeFrino recorded six of the ten faceoff wins for the Panthers.
The final score is deceiving, however, because Middlebury stuck with the Tufts team for the majority of the contest.
“Even though we didn’t win, we proved that we can compete with anyone,” said Broome. “We had great possessions and played solid defense in the first half, which is definitely something we can build on.”
The Jumbo’s prolific scoring ability in the fourth quarter allowed them to differentiate themselves and capture the win, yet they trailed Middlebury for much of the game.
“Tufts outworked us on ground balls in the second half and capitalized on our mistakes, like any good team would do,” Broome said. “[If we can] string together a full game of good lacrosse, we have the potential to be a top team in the NESCAC and in D3.”
Middlebury returns to action on the road on Saturday, March 7 against NESCAC rival Connecticut College. Tufts looks to improve upon its undefeated record as they face out-of-conference opponent Stevens Tech over the weekend.
(02/11/15 10:25pm)
The women’s basketball team has hit a rough patch in their season, dropping a handful of tight NESCAC games. The Panthers now sit at 11-11 overall and 3-5 in-conference, but are a lock for a spot in the NESCAC tournament.
Middlebury lost a non-conference matchup with the Owls of Keene State on Thursday, Jan. 22 by a slim margin, 60-56. Keene jumped out to an 11-0 lead before Krystina Reynolds ’17 scored the first bucket for the Panthers.
Middlebury chipped away and tied the game at 25-25 on an Alexis Coolidge ’15 layup on the first possession of the second half. The two squads battled back and forth for the next 10 minutes, but Keene was able to extend the lead to as much as eight with 10:32 left in the contest.
Kaufman led the Panthers with 23 points on 8-13 shooting. Elizabeth Knox ’17 was tops with 11 boards and five assists for Middlebury while also adding nine points, and Rachel Crews ’15 tallied 11 points.
Middlebury had over a week off before taking on conference foe Williams at home on Friday, Jan. 30 in a game that ended in favor of the Ephs by a score of 67-52.
Williams was able to get to the line 28 times in the contest, making 21 of its foul shots, which made the biggest difference in the ball game.
The game remained tight for most of the first half and Middlebury took a three-point lead with 8:51 left in the first frame on a Coolidge lay up.
The Panthers entered the half down just two, and Crews went into the locker room with 10 points at the break. Unfortunately, things got away from Middlebury quickly in the second half. Williams led by as many as 19 with 8:54 left in the game. The Ephs were able to keep the Panthers at bay and win by a comfortable 15 point margin.
Sarah Kaufman ’18 led Middlebury with 14 points and added eight rebounds. Sabrina Weeks ’18, who never came off the floor, also grabbed eight rebounds. Kaufman, Knox, Crews and Coolidge all scored in double figures.
Middlebury got some redemption with a 60-59 win on the road at Hamilton on Sunday, Feb. 1. The victory was an important win for the Panthers, who now hold a critical tiebreaker over both Hamilton and Wesleyan, two teams currently sitting at 2-6 in the NESCAC standings.
Middlebury extended their lead to 14 points just after halftime, but Hamilton never gave in and had a couple chances to tie at the buzzer that would not fall. Scoring was tough to come by in the game’s opening minutes, as Middlebury led 11-10 with 9:44 left in the first half.
Then the Panthers went on a 10-2 run and took a lead that would not be relinquished until there was just 6:42 left in the game. The lead did not stretch beyond five in either direction for the remainder of the contest. Reynolds went 4-4 from the stripe in the game’s final 1:12 (the Panthers were 9-9 on the evening) to help seal the victory.
Two Hamilton three-point attempts failed to fall in the waning seconds. A putback layup with just two seconds remaining brought the line what would prove to be the final, 60-59 in favor of the Panthers.
Three Panthers scored in double figures in the game. Knox led with 16 points, followed by Kaufman with 15 and Crews with 11 on 4-8 shooting (3-6 3PT FG). Kaufman earned her fourth double-double of the season while snagging 10 boards as well.
On the team’s senior night, the Panthers faced another NESCAC rival, the visiting Colby Mules, ultimately falling late in the game by a score of 66-60.
Both sides traded baskets throughout the first half, but Middlebury entered the halftime break with a narrow 27-24 lead. The story remained the same for much of the second half as well, and despite a number of lead changes neither team was able to pull away.
Colby came alive in the final three minutes of play, scoring nine straight points to make the score 59-52 in favor of the Mules. In the final 1:03 left to play the Mules sealed their victory by capitalizing on 7 of 8 free throw attempts.
Despite the outcome, many Middlebury players performed outstandingly in the contest. Knox scored 27 while teammate Kaufman added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.
The Panthers capped their regular season home game schedule with a loss to 20th ranked Bowdoin on Sunday, Feb. 8. Middlebury played even with the Polar Bears for much of the game, but a high number of second half turnovers allowed Bowdoin to secure the 53-43 victory.
The teams exchanged leads six times throughout the first half, eventually going into the halftime break with the score notched at 24 apiece. The Polar Bears mounted a significant second half effort, starting the period on a 10-2 run accompanied by four Panther turnovers.
Consequently, Middlebury trailed for much of the second half as turnovers and poor shooting held the squad from regaining traction. However, the Panthers were able to tally a late 9-1 run which included three-pointers by Crews and Siobhan Sullivan ’17. Knox led the team with 13 points and nine rebounds while Coolidge also contributed seven.
The Panthers travel to NESCAC rival Trinity on Friday, Feb. 13 before ending their regular season on the road at Amherst on Sunday.
(12/03/14 10:03pm)
2013-14 record: 7-17
Captains: Alexis Coolidge ’15, Rachel Crews ’15, Nora Kelly ’15
Following last year’s 7-17 record, the Middlebury women’s basketball team looks to rebuild in the 2014-15 season.
With the loss of Sarah Marcus ’14, Laura Lowry ’14 and Scarlett Kirk ’14 — the team’s three leading scorers — the Panthers must bolster the offensive effort this season. Returning members Elizabeth Knox ’17 and Rachel Crews ’15, who tallied 184 and 156 points respectively in 2013-14, will likely lead the charge on offense. Tri-captain Alexis Coolidge ’15 will also assume a leadership position, having contributed 111 points last season.
First-years Sarah Kaufman and Sabrina Weeks have made notable scoring contributions in the first five games of the season. In her second collegiate appearance, Kaufman set a program single-game record by sinking 20 free throws.
The new dynamic has proved successful thus far, as the team currently holds a 4-1 record, including a championship title in the season-opening Tyler Tip-Off Tournament.
KJ Krasco has joined Middlebury women’s basketball as head coach after three seasons as Bowdoin’s top assistant. Krasco, a successful recruiter in previous positions, “[looks] forward to the challenge of moving the women’s basketball program to the next level.” The Panthers will rely on Coach Krasco’s enthusiasm and leadership as they advance to face heightened competition in and out of conference.
The team will wrap up regular season play in February with six consecutive appearances against NESCAC rivals, including a final matchup against top-seeded Amherst. Pending on a successful in-conference record, Middlebury will appear in the league tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 season, in which they fell to Williams in the NESCAC Semifinal.
(11/19/14 9:58pm)
The Middlebury women’s basketball team began their season with a pair of victories on the road against out of conference opponents Endicott and Smith on Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16, respectively. The squad participated in the Tyler Tip-Off Tournament at Smith College, earning a win over Endicott by a score of 67-46, followed by a 67-50 victory over the host school in the tournament championship game the following day.
The Panthers opened their season with intensity, taking a 14-0 lead against Endicott within the first six minutes of the game. Middlebury maintained a commanding lead, holding Endicott’s deficit between seven and 25 points throughout the remainder of the game. Elizabeth Knox ’17 led the Panther’s scoring effort, recording a career-high 29 points in addition to five rebounds.
Rachel Crews ’15 scored first in the contest, landing a layup to spark the Panther’s early 14-0 scoring streak, in which Knox contributed six. Endicott bounced back from their early disadvantage, ultimately outscoring the Panthers 14-11 in the final twelve minutes of the half. The two teams entered halftime with a score of 30-17 in favor of Middlebury.
Middlebury continued to bolster its lead as the second half commenced, recording a game-high 25 point advantage on two occasions. The Panther defense held Endicott’s shooters to just 22.5 percent from the floor, while Middlebury managed to convert 27 of 60 field goal attempts, for a 45.0 percent scoring average. Offensively, Sarah Kaufman ’18 posted 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Sabrina Weeks ’18 and Alexis Coolidge ’15 combined for 16, with eight apiece.
After holding a comfortable lead for the majority of the second half Middlebury earned its first win of the season by a margin of 67-46. The victory was the first at Middlebury for first-year head coach K.J. Krasco, who joined the Panthers in this previous summer after serving for three seasons as the top assistant coach at NESCAC rival Bowdoin.
Following Saturday’s victory, the Panthers advanced to face Smith in the championship game of the tournament. Middlebury entered the matchup with considerable energy, scoring the game’s first seven points within the first three minutes of the half. Smith then reciprocated, posting an 11-3 scoring run to take their lone lead of the contest.
The sides traded scoring opportunities until back to back three pointers by Knox put the Panthers ahead 27-17 with 5:08 remaining in the first half. Smith answered with a three point shot from Shannon Saywell and a pair of free throws, cutting her team’s deficit to five.
Looking to expand their lead before intermission, the Panthers mounted a 10-4 scoring run, concluded by a Kaufman three pointer at the buzzer to wrap up the first half at 39-28.
Kaufman, in only the second game of her collegiate career, recorded 32 points on the day, earned all-tournament recognition, and set a new program single-game record for completing 20 free throws.
Middlebury assumed more defensive responsibility throughout the second half as Smith pushed to narrow the score. The Panthers edged out strong advantages in field goal shooting, recording 43.9 percent in comparison to Smith’s 30.8 percent. Additionally, the Middlebury team knocked out 25-30 free throw attempts for a success rate of 83.3 percent while Smith converted only 7-13, 53.8 percent.
Effectively fending off offensive efforts while continuing to convert allowed the Panthers to maintain a double-digit lead for the majority of the contest. Eager to claim the tournament championship title, the Panthers ended the game with a 13-4 run on the way to securing the 17-point victory with a final score of 67-50.
Mirroring her performance from the Saturday’s win, Knox contributed her first double-double of the season with 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Teammate Coolidge added an additional seven points, eight rebounds and a game-high four steals. Knox was named an all-tournament honoree for her efforts against Endicott and Smith.
The Middlebury women’s basketball team walks away from a successful opening weekend with two victories — one in the championship of the Tyler Tip-Off Tournament. “I think this weekend went so well because we stayed composed and disciplined on offense and defense. We worked hard to execute our plays. There was a lot of good ball movement and hustle to rebound,” Knox said. “In both games we made it a point to work together as a cohesive unit which sparked our offense and motivated our defense.”
The team looks to carry their momentum from the weekend into upcoming contests on the road. The 2-0 Middlebury squad will face Castleton on Thursday, Nov. 20 followed by Salve Regina on Saturday, Nov. 22.
(10/08/14 10:25pm)
The Middlebury women’s soccer team extended their winning streak to three this past weekend, defeating NESCAC rival Tufts in a rain-soaked home match on Saturday, Oct. 4 by a score of 1-0. The game remained scoreless until the 77th minute when senior midfielder Claire Nishioka ’15 converted on one of her three shots on the day to secure the victory for the Panthers.
Unfavorably slippery field conditions on Middlebury’s Dragone Field limited the amount of scoring opportunities throughout the match, with only five of both team’s 18 shots landing on target. Despite the weather conditions Middlebury continued to excel in applying offensive pressure, outshooting Tufts by a margin of 15-3 to continue their recent trend of outshooting the opponent.
Panther midfielders Katherine Hobbs ’17, Hannah Robinson ’16, and Nishioka made key contributions to the high-powered Panther offense. Nishioka and Robinson combined to tally all four of the team’s shots on goal with two apiece. The duo almost capitalized in the 28th minute when Robinson’s cross from the right wing found Nishioka five yards from the net, who was unable to convert due to a close-range save by Tufts’ Eileen McGarry.
Despite Middlebury’s impressive amount of shots on goal, Tufts managed to get out of the defensive end and create scoring chances of their own. In the 69th minute, the Jumbos collected a loose ball in front of Middlebury’s goal and attempted to convert. However, Tufts’ Brooke Fortin was unable to maintain control in the wet conditions and the ball was harmlessly deflected out of bounds on the end line.
Both sides exhibited excellent goaltending, with Middlebury’s Emily Eslinger ’18 recording a shutout following her single-save performance. The first year contributor has yet to allow a goal in her first three career starts for the Panthers, earning victories in each appearance.
Tufts’ goalkeeper Eileen McGarry earned three saves, two of which came off of diving maneuvers, to deny Nishioka’s attempts from Robinson and later, Carter Talgo ’15. Nishioka remained relentless in her attack and eventually McGarry was not able to defend a third time when Nishioka blasted a shot to the lower right corner at the 76:15 mark to put the Panthers ahead.
With the exception of shots on goal, the two teams proved a fairly even match, recording similar numbers on fouls and corner kicks throughout the game. From the 76th minute forward, neither team was able to produce additional scoring opportunities, allowing Middlebury to claim a crucial second NESCAC win on the season.
Following Saturday’s result Middlebury improves to 2-3-0 in NESCAC play and 6-3-0 overall while Tufts stands at 2-2-1 within the conference and 5-2-1 on the season. The Panthers will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 11 when they face the Trinity Bantams.