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(09/24/14 10:48pm)
Saturday, Sept. 20, was in many ways a new era for the Middlebury football program. Following the departure of two-time NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year McCallum Foote ’14 and multiple other players at skill positions – including offensive stalwarts in the pairing of All-NESCAC Tight End Billy Sadik-Khan ’14 and running back Matt Rea ’14 – to graduation, the team inevitably had to move on. In their first opportunity to do so this weekend, the Panthers were unable to capitalize on a fourth-quarter comeback as they fell at home to Wesleyan by a score of 22-14.
Leading the Panther offense at quarterback, having seized the open quarterback position during training camp, Matt Milano ’16 made his first start at quarterback for the Panthers against the highly touted Wesleyan Cardinals.
Following a scoreless first quarter in which the teams traded possession, the game opened up less than a minute into the second quarter when Wesleyan receiver Jay Fabien capped off a 66 yard pitch and catch with a devastating spin move, scoring a touchdown down the left sideline off of a deep throw from quarterback Jesse Warren.
Middlebury would take the following kickoff for a touchback, setting up Middlebury on their own 20. Following a hard Drew Jacobs ’18 run on first down, Milano and the Middlebury offense found a nice groove. Milano found receiver Grant Luna ’17 repeatedly underneath, allowing the athletic Luna to gash the Wesleyan defense on yards after the catch.
Only a minute and fifty-seven seconds after taking possession of the ball, the Panthers drove the length of the field with Milano finding his favorite target Luna on a crossing route on the right side of the end-zone. The sophomore showed nice body-control in getting both feet down for good measure on his touchdown reception, giving him three receptions for 40 yards and the score on that drive alone.
The Cardinals, starting near mid-field after a solid kick return, would drive the remaining 51 yards of the field to score before the half, putting the Cardinals up 13-7. Middlebury’s All-NESCAC linebacker Tim Patricia ’16 was able to block the extra point – shooting through a mess of bodies, Patricia somehow deflected the kick, leading to the impaired kick bouncing harmlessly off the goal post.
Middlebury, receiving at the ball at the beginning of the second half, carried over some momentum in driving the ball up the field against the stout Wesleyan defense. Former Milton Academy standout Jacobs again displayed great patience on the drive in following his blockers in Middlebury’s zone-blocking scheme. Letting Middlebury’s physical interior lineman, including guard Blake Shapskinsky ’15, reach the second level before making his cut, Jacobs ran the play better than any first-year could reasonably be expected to.
The drive would reach an early end with Wesleyan defensive back Jake Bussani robbing Milano of his second touchdown of the day with a spectacular over-the-shoulder interception.
However, Wesleyan would be stonewalled on offense with a three-and-out on the ensuing drive, with middle linebackers Patricia and Addison Pierce ’17 denying the Cardinals offense any room to breathe, making consecutive plays at the line of scrimmage to force the punt.
Trading possession for the rest of the third quarter, disaster struck for Middlebury. Seeing a similar route that previously caught him off guard, Wesleyan defensive back Justin Sanchez jumped Milano’s throw, taking the ensuing pick 41 yards to the end zone for the
touchdown to put Wesleyan up 19-7. Following another missed extra point, the Cardinals would stay put at 19 points.
The two picks in the third quarter from Milano and running back Jacobs’ being shaken up caused the Middlebury offense to sputter briefly to open the fourth quarter, and the first few drives proving unproductive. The Middlebury defense, however, galvanized the offense with a goal-line stand following a huge punt return from Wesleyan captain Donnie Cimino. Despite starting on the Middlebury 10, Wesleyan was unable to reach the end zone and settled for a field goal to make their lead 22-7.
On the ensuing drive, Milano rebounded, finding Luna again underneath for 25 yards before finding the agile Ryan Rizzo ’17 for a nine-yard touchdown strike to cap off a 10-play, 64-yard drive and make the score 22-14, late in the fourth quarter.
With the game now only one possession and the Middlebury offense executing at a high level, a comeback now seemed inevitable.
True to its form all day, the Middlebury defense did more than its part following the kickoff, forcing a three and out, punctuated by a third-down sack from defensive end Jake Clapp ’16.
With Wesleyan pinned deep in their own territory for the punt, a good return would have given the Middlebury offense more than a fighting chance of equalizing the score and forcing overtime.
However, a heartbreaking run into the punter penalty flag gave the Cardinals a first down with only minutes left on the clock. Middlebury, with no timeouts, could do nothing as Wesleyan took a knee to drain the clock to zero.
While the loss was painful, Middlebury should go into next week’s game against Colby feeling confident about the future of their young team, particularly with respect to their defensive play. Wesleyan, perhaps the premier offensive team in the NESCAC, looked uncomfortable all day against the stout Panther defense.
Gil Araujo ’16 played a great ballgame at the three-technique defensive tackle spot, maintaining gap control when needed to free up the talented linebackers behind him, but more impressively showing great quickness in being an agitator up front. Araujo and linemate Clapp were in the Wesleyan backfield seemingly all afternoon, limiting the potent Wesleyan running game to less than yards per carry.
Similarly, the Middlebury defensive backs played a fine ballgame, especially when coming up in run support. The group was anchored by the play of free safety Matt Benedict ’15, who led all players in tackles. Corner Nate Leedy ’17 proved himself to be worthy of his reputation as one of the NESCAC’s best at the position, playing a physical bump and run style defense against the Wesleyan receivers and absolutely punishing a Wesleyan receiver who had the misfortune of going over the middle on him near the end of the first half.
On offense, Milano made a fine first start at the quarterback position, being thrown into the fire against a strong defense and showing a great rapport with receiver Luna.
On the offensive line, right tackle Danny Finta ’15 proved himself worthy of a starting spot, largely neutralizing Nik Powers, Wesleyan’s 6’7” 260-pound All-NESCAC defensive end. Finta battled Powers all day, taking any opportunity to both agitate and drive his opponent into the ground- resulting in a visibly frustrated the Weselyan defensive end.
Perhaps the top highlight for Middlebury, however, was the play of first-year running back Jacobs, whose feel for the position was apparent throughout the game as he brought a level of athleticism that has not been seen in the Panther backfield in years. Jacobs kept the Wesleyan linebacking corps on their heels with his downfield vision and knack for making significant yardage out of nothing.
Particularly given the shortened length of the NESCAC season, a loss is far from ideal for the Panthers football squad, but the team played the game with an impressive physical presence that should worry future opponents.
Middlebury travels to Colby this Saturday, Sept. 27 to face off with the Mules. Colby, 32-7 losers to NESCAC contender Trinity this past weekend, will provide a litmus test for the Panthers as they aim to show that they can contend for the conference title again this year.
With one loss already to their record, the Panthers cannot afford another on their quest for the NESCAC crown.
(09/17/14 10:45pm)
The Middlebury men’s soccer team (2-0-1, 1-0-1) opened the season before classes began with a home draw against ninth-ranked Amherst, followed by two shutout victories this week at home against Norwich and in New London against Connecticut College.
On Sunday, Sept. 7 the men played in front of a large home crowd as they looked to knock off the three-time NESCAC champions.
The Panthers were nearly successful, coming within 20 seconds of the upset, and eventually settling for a double overtime tie. Both sides recorded shots throughout the game, with an apparent Greg Conrad ’17 goal called back for a handball and a sinking volley from Amherst saved by Greg Sydor ’17. Sydor recorded his first start for the Panthers in goal with 7 saves.
Middlebury opened the scoring in the 81st minute with a long throw-in from Tim Ogle ’17.
Ogle’s range allowed him to whip the ball towards the goal, where it bounced off an Amherst defender and found the back of the net.
Middlebury tried to hold on for the final nine minutes, and almost did until an Amherst throw-in wasn’t cleared and bounced around the penalty area. Lord Jeff senior Gabriel Wirz smashed a volley past Snydor to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining.
Though the Panthers were able to get three shots on goal, the score remained tied throughout the two overtime periods.
“The Amherst tie was definitely deflating, but we had to look back on it as positively as we could,” Defender Deklan Robinsion ’16 said. “A tie against a top team is a solid start.”
The Panthers got the draw despite a slight deficit in shots on goal. The Lord Jeffs held a 13-11 advantage in that statistical area.
On Wednesday, Sept. 10, Middlebury hosted Norwich in a non-conference game and put up four goals in a routine win.
Luis Echeverria ’17 recorded his first career goal off an assist from Adam Glaser ’17 in the 14th minute. The goal would prove to be enough, but Robinson was able to head home a long throw-in from Ogle 11 minutes later to give the Panthers a two-goal lead headed into halftime.
In the second half, Glaser opened his scoring for the season with two goals. The first was a beautiful shot out of the air from the right side, across the face of the goal; Kirk Horton ’17 recorded the assist on the strike. Glaser recorded his second goal six minutes later, off an assist from Conrad after a scramble in front of the net.
Both teams cycled out their starters for most of the second half, as Norwich failed to generate scoring chances on a regular basis. Sydor recorded the shutout with two saves. Although the Panther’s starters rested towards the end of the game, the team continued to attack the goal.
“Going into these games it’s sometimes tough to get the same atmosphere, as many of them are midweek games, but that’s something that we have to generate from within,” said co-captain Noah Goss-Woliner ’15. “We have to make sure that we come out firing and not concede any goals. Having a good non-conference record is vital if we are trying to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, so being focused and making sure we get results out of this game is crucial.”
On Saturday, Sept. 13, Middlebury returned to their NESCAC slate against Conn. College.
Two goals to open the second half would be the only scores of the game, as the Panthers shutout the Camels on the road. Conrad provided the assists on both goals, laying off a throw in in the 47th minute for Horton to muscle home, and setting up Glaser’s third goal of the week in the 54th. Sydor remained solid in goal, saving six shots to keep Conn College off the board.
“As a team, we’ve tried to instill a really positive and professional attitude around everything we do and I think that has helped us going into this season,“ Goss-Woliner said. “The younger guys have really stepped up and taken more responsibility, which has translated to production on the field. Greg Sydor has been phenomenal in net and we’ve gotten goals from several sophomores on the offensive end. The younger guys know they play an important role on the team and they have grown into it very nicely.”
Robinson’s header against Norwich was to be the only point for an upperclassman on the team, with the sophomore class recording every other assist and goal in the first three games.
Sydor earned the shutout, his second at this juncture in the season, with a gritty six-save performance in goal for the Panthers.
Middlebury racked up a 14-13 shooting advantage over Conn. College in the game. The Camels failed to score despite totaling 10 corner kicks to Middlebury’s one.
Middlebury sits tied for 3rd in the NESCAC and will next host Bowdoin (1-2-0, 0-2-0) on Saturday, Sept. 20 at noon. The Polar Bears finished fifth in the conference a year ago, one spot ahead of Middlebury.
(09/10/14 2:42pm)
Volleyball
Going into the 2014 season, the Middlebury volleyball team will have to reload after losing a pair of all-conference outside hitters as they look to improve upon their 18-7 mark from a year ago.
After winning the conference championship two years ago in 2012, Middlebury tumbled to sixth in the regular-season NESCAC standings in 2013, and fell to Amherst in the conference quarterfinals – a disappointing finish for a squad that was flush with senior talent.
With the departure of Megan Jarchow ’14 and Amy Hart ’14 – who combined for nearly 70 percent of the Panthers’ kills a year ago – Middlebury will look to Olivia Kolodka ’15, Melanie English ’17 and Lizzy Reed ’15 to bolster the attack in 2014. Hannah Blackburn ’17 and Kathryn Haderlein ’16 return as the Panthers’ top setters from last season, and their play will be crucial if Middlebury is to recover from the loss of Jarchow and Hart.
After a relatively easy early-season schedule, the Panthers travel to challenge a pair of perennial conference frontrunners in Williams and Amherst on the weekend of Oct. 3-4. With women’s volleyball looking to bolster their resume for postseason play, the regular-season finale at home against Tufts on Nov. 1 will also be an important opportunity.
Men's Soccer
Filling a defensive unit formerly anchored by graduated seniors ranks among the top priorities for the men’s soccer team in the 2014 season. Second team all-NESCAC honoree Graham Knisley ’14 was among the seven departing seniors, as was starting goalkeeper Ethan Collins ’14. Co-captain Willie Gevertz ’14.5 returns to the team after receiving a medical waiver for a fifth year of eligibility and will rejoin standout Deklan Robinson ’16 on the back line.
Fortunately for Middlebury, they return almost all of their offensive weapons. Every multiple goal-scorer returns for the 2014 season, including NESCAC Rookie of the Year and first team all-NESCAC selection Adam Glaser ’17. Dan Skayne ’15 and Greg Conrad ’17, who netted five goals apiece last season, also return for the Panthers.
Leading the team in the midfield will be co-Captains Harper Williams ’15 and Noah Goss-Woliner ’15, both of whom have started in that position for multiple years.
The men’s team looks to improve on last year’s 9-5-1 (5-4-1) season that ended in the NESCAC quarterfinals with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Williams. Middlebury’s last conference championship came in 2010.
“We were young last year and almost broke through, and this year we’re looking to be really good,” Robinson said. “Winning the NESCAC is our goal, along with making the NCAA tournament.”
The men dive right into a tough NESCAC schedule that includes a key trip to Williams on Oct. 1. Their non-conference games are dispersed throughout the season and will include several mid-week games to complement the weekend conference competition.
Cross Country
After a successful 2013 season in which the men finished a program-best seventh in the NCAA and the women scored a podium spot in third, the Middlebury cross country teams look to continue as NESCAC and national powerhouses in 2014.
The women’s team boasts five of the six top returning runners in the NESCAC. Leading the charge will be track All-Americans Erzsie Nagy ’17 and Alison Maxwell ’15. The team is bolstered this year by the addition of Adrian Walsh ’16, a transfer from Hamilton who boasts an impressive resume of NCAA qualifications in cross country and track from the previous year.
“We just need to stay healthy and continue doing what we have been doing,” Head Coach Nicole Wilkerson said.
On the men’s side, the team hopes to continue its surge towards top national finishes. The team will be led by Wilder Schaaf ’14.5 and Kevin Wood ’15, both of whom translated last year’s cross country success into impressive times on the track in the spring. Sebastian Matt ’16 also looks to be a player in both NESCAC and regional races for the Panthers.
The Panthers play host to the NESCAC Championship this year on Nov. 1. The women look to defend their title on their home course while the men hope to regain the top spot in the conference from 2013 champion Williams.
Prior to NESCACs, key races on the schedule include the Purple Valley Classic hosted by Williams – also home of this years NCAA Regional meet – on Sept. 27 as well as the Open New England Championships at Franklin Park in Boston on Oct. 11, where the Panthers will be pitted against top Division-I talent.
Tennis
Though their primary competitive seasons are in the spring, the Middlebury men’s and women’s tennis teams will take the court this fall to build upon their strong seasons from last year.
The Panther men had an historic season a year ago, falling just short of both conference and national championships – both of which went to NESCAC rival Amherst. En route to the NCAA semifinals, Middlebury had four players selected as All-Americans, with Palmer Campbell ’16 being the sole member of that quartet to return in 2014. Campbell will be joined by second-team All-NESCAC selection Ari Smolyar ’16, Courtney Mountifield ’15 and Jackson Frons ’16 as the top players for the 2014 conference Coach of the Year, Bob Hansen.
On the women’s side, Middlebury returns a young, talented team that will be led by sophomore sensation Alexandra Fields ’17, last year’s national Rookie of the Year. With the added experience of NCAA quarterfinalist Ria Gerger ’16 and Kaysee Orozco ’17, the Panthers will have a great chance to surpass last year’s NESCAC semifinal appearance and contend for both a conference and national championship.
The competitive highlight of the fall for both the men and women is the ITA championship, which takes place in late September. Though secondary to the spring’s NCAA championship, the ITA will give the Panthers an opportunity to test themselves against top small-college competition and compete for accolades. The men will host an ITA regional on Sept. 26-28 while the women’s tournament will be held in Cambridge, Mass. on that same weekend.
Football
The Middlebury football team had a historic season a year ago, splitting the NESCAC crown – their first since 2007 – with Wesleyan and Amherst as they finished the year 7-1. If the Panthers are going to play at that same level this fall, the first order of business for NESCAC Coach of the Year Bob Ritter will be to replace record-setting quarterback McCallum Foote ’14, a two-time NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year who racked up over 8,000 passing yards and 77 touchdowns during his time in blue.
The task of replacing Foote under center will likely fall to Matt Milano ’16, who will be buoyed by the return of the NESCAC’s most prolific receiving duo in Matt Minno ’16 and Brendan Rankowitz ’15, who combined for 1,200 yards receiving in 2013. The offensive line will be anchored by guard Blake Shapskinsky ’15, while Joey Zelkowitz ’17 figures to see an increased role in the offense as a running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield.
Middlebury returns the cornerstone of their defense in middle linebacker Tim Patricia ’16, who recorded a team-best 78 tackles last season. Safety Matt Benedict ’15 and corner Nate Leedy ’17 return for a Panther secondary that held opponents to a stingy 5.5 yards per pass attempt a season ago. Michael Dola ’15 returns as the conference’s premier specialist.
The Panthers will face a stiff test in their season opener with a home matchup against Wesleyan on Sept. 20. Middlebury’s home date with Amherst on Oct. 4 and visit to Trinity on Oct. 25 should go a long way towards determining which team will be conference champion in 2014.
Women's Soccer
After a stellar season last year in which the Middlebury women’s soccer team won the NESCAC championship and made a historic run to the NCAA final four in San Antonio, the Panthers look to return with a young, yet deep squad and to replicate last season’s success.
The Panthers will look to their seniors and underclassmen players step up in the places of some key players, including two All-American selections, who have graduated. Goalkeeper Elizabeth Foody ’14, center back Lindsay Kingston ’14 and 2013 NESCAC Player of the Year Julia Favorito ’14 are some of the strong players will not be returning.
Captains Katlyn Casey ’15, Sophie Kligler ’15, Hannah Robinson ’16 and Moria Sloan ’15, along with fellow seniors Carter Talgo ’15, Molly Parizeau ’15, Claire Nishioka ’15 and Ali Omsberg ’15, will lead the squad. They will be supported by a number of skilled underclassmen including forwards Krystina Reynolds ’17 and Adrianna Gildner ’17, Amanda Haik ’17 at center back, Katherine Hobbs ’17 at the center holding midfield position and Kate Reinmuth ’17 in goal.
The Panthers’ schedule will be difficult this year in the ever-competitive NESCAC with perennial powerhouses Williams and Amherst looking to take the conference crown away from Middlebury.
It will be difficult for Middlebury to improve upon last year’s historic 17-2-3 season, but the Panthers appear to have the personnel to do so in 2014.
Field Hockey
Coming off a season in which they mounted a late comeback to defeat Bowdoin for the program’s second consecutive NESCAC title, the Middlebury field hockey team will rely heavily on their offensive experience as they launch their defense of the conference crown in 2014.
Midfielder Cat Fowler ’15 returns as the reigning NESCAC Player of the Year for the Panthers and will look to replicate her team-best 52 points in 2013. Offensive stalwarts Bridget Instrum ’16 and Pam Schulman ’17 combined for another 52 points a year ago and will be key contributors up front this season. Alyssa Dimaio ’15 is a four-year starter and a multi-dimensioned threat in the midfield for Middlebury.
On the defensive end, the Panthers will have to reload after losing a pair of all-conference players to graduation. Jillian Green ’16 and Shannon Hutteman ’16 – along with a cohort of underclassmen – will anchor the defense, while Emily Knapp ’15 returns as the starter in goal for Middlebury.
A late-season question mark for this team will be their ability to overcome a string of disappointing finishes in the NCAA tournament. Despite being ranked in the top two spots in the nation entering the postseason during each of the last two seasons, the Panthers have not advanced past the quarterfinals since their championship-game appearance in 2011, the current seniors’ first year in the program.
Entering the year with a number-five national ranking, the Panthers should face stiff competition this season from Bowdoin, Tufts and Amherst – all of whom appear in the national top 10.
Golf
The men’s and women’s golf teams arrived at Middlebury a few days early to start their campaigns for a successful fall in 2014.
After a tremendous 2013-2014 season, the men’s team hopes to continue their dominance of the four-team NESCAC and to continue to have a presence at the spring’s NCAA championships. Even though the team will play without its two captains from last year, three of the five players who competed at nationals are returning.
John Louie ’15 – the spring 2014 NESCAC Player of the Year – is part of that group and will add tremendous value to the success of the team. Another formidable force is Eric Laorr ’15, who recorded the Panthers’ best score at NCAAs and who nearly qualified for the national individual tournament.
The women’s team had a down season last year, so their intent is to regain their best form. Many of the same competitors will be returning for the Panthers, with the exception of Monica Chow ’16, who will be abroad during the fall.
Returning seniors and captains Jordan Glatt ’15 and Michelle Peng ’15 look to shoot consistently low scores for Middlebury. The Panthers suffered in 2013-2014 from a lack of consistency and will look to Theodora Yoch ’17 and first-years Kathy Fortin ’18 and Hope Matthews ’18 to provide much-needed depth that could bolster their overall team finishes this fall.
The Panthers open their fall in a tournament at NYU on Sept. 13, which will be a good test for the team to see where they need to improve.
(09/10/14 2:32pm)
Every year, the College’s prestigious and innovative arts programs provide students the opportunity to watch, discuss and create moving works that have the potential to inspire scientists and artists alike. This year, a variety of impressive milestones will be celebrated across many departments, indicating the strong impact the arts have had, and will continue to have, on the College community.
Ten years ago, the Department of Music’s Carol Christensen and Town Hall Theater Executive Director Doug Anderson started to produce Broadway musicals during J-term. Now in its 10th anniversary year, the J-term musical is a hit with both students and the larger community. Last year’s production of Les Miserables included over 60 students and tickets sold out only hours after going on sale. This year’s show, Ragtime, is aiming to be equally as impressive. Set in 1900 in New York City, the musical cleverly intertwines the stories of Jewish immigrants on the Lower East Side, the upper-class residents of New Rochelle and the people of Harlem.
The musical features a clash of cultures and musical styles, and requires about 50 actors and 20 musicians that are able to participate in the show for Winter Term credit. Auditions to participate in the musical, which will be staged at The Town Hall Theater in late January, are Sept. 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sept. 12 from 5 to 8 p.m in Room 221 of the Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts (CFA). A sign up sheet is available outside of the Music Department office on the third floor of the CFA.
Also this weekend, the Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) is organizing the S.O.S. (Start of School) Festival in collaboration with the College’s radio station, WRMC, and Middlebury Music United (MMU) on Sept. 12 and 13. The free festival will take place on the green in front of Voter, starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12 with Iron Eyes Cody, a student band known for unique instrumentation and vocal arrangements comprised of Evan Allis ’15.5, Renn Mulloy ’15.5, Mark Balderston ’15.5, Rob Shaw ’16, and Noah Stone ’16.5. Burlington native Caroline Rose and San Francisco duo TV Girl will follow in preparation for the headlining Delicate Steve. The following day, student group Milk Chocolate, or Innocent Tswamuno ‘15 and Mohan Fitzgerald ‘14, will open for a line-up of acts including Modern Diet, Poor Remy and Vunderbar.
The Performing Arts Series is celebrating its 95th season with an impressive line-up of internationally acclaimed music, starting with the Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet’s take on Hayden, Debussy and Beethoven on Sept. 26.
“The opening concert of the Performing Arts Series by the Takács Quartet is one of the most exciting events of the fall,” said Director of the Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts Liza Sacheli. “They are a world-class ensemble, truly one of the best on the planet, and Middlebury is lucky to enjoy a long friendship with them. I bet it [the concert] will sell out.”
The Belcea Quartet, under the leadership of Romanian violinist Corina Belcea, will again enchant audiences with their widely acclaimed playing of Mozart, Brahms and Schubert on Oct. 15. A free concert by The Jupiter String Quartet on Nov. 15 ensures that the world-class entertainment typical to the Performing Arts Series is available to the entire community.
To celebrate the 30th and final season of Series Director Paul Nelson, cellist Sophie Shao will perform Hayden, Brahms and a new piece composed by Associate Professor of Music Su Lian Tan in honor of the retiring director on Dec. 5.
Tickets to all Performing Arts Series events are $6 for students, and first-years are eligible for one free ticket. More ticket information can be found at go/boxoffice.
The Middlebury College Museum of Art opened their fall exhibition, Visual Weimar, 1919–1933, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, displaying a dynamic collection of paintings, drawings and etchings indicative of the German Weimar style. Otto Dix, George Grosz and Kathe Kollwitz are only three of the prominent artists featured in the exhibit who captured the trauma, devastation and suffering of post World War I Germany. Urban landscapes and portraits considering human mutilation, starvation and poverty, as well as the quest for mass entertainment, give the viewers a glimpse into a society torn between participating with and criticizing the rise and reign of Adolf Hitler. The exhibition will close on Dec. 7.
The first of two other fall exhibitions is Hyper! Works by Greg Haberny, which features culturally and politically critical pieces with media ranging from melted crayons to Band-Aids, and will run through Oct 26.
Picturing Enlightenment: Tibetan Tangkas from the Mead Art Museum is an exhibit showcasing 18 recently cleaned and repaired Tibeten Tangas from Amherst College’s Mead Art Museum that have been inaccessible to scholars and museum visitors for nearly six decades. Professor of Art History Cynthia Packert will give the opening gallery talk on Sept. 12, and the exhibit closes on Dec. 7. Admission to the museum is free.
A special double exhibition in the Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts and Town Hall Theater by Middlebury-based painter Kate Gridley, is called Passing Through: Portraits of Young Adults, and is running now through Oct. 26.
“It [the exhibit] features stunning, lifelike portraits of young adults ages 18-25, roughly the same age as Midd kids,” Sacheli said. “Psychologists have recently identified a new stage of human development and defined it as a key time for individuals to claim their voices and form their identities. The paintings are riveting, and they’re also accompanied by ‘sound portraits’ and two special talks on Sept. 26 and Oct. 24.”
Contemporary playwright David Freeman’s heartwarming comedy Mendel, Inc., is the first of two faculty shows presented this semester by The Department of Theatre. Directed by Professor of Theatre Richard Romagnoli, the play follows a Jewish family’s pursuit of the American Dream in 1920’s New York City and will be staged Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 in honor of the 60th anniversary of Middlebury Hillel.
The second faculty show of the semester, Vampire, is a brash and gregarious play penned by British playwright Snoo Wilson which will be directed by Professor of Theatre Cheryl Faraone. Staged Nov. 20 to 22, the piece dramatically and intellectually changes setting throughout, roaming from Victorian England to World War I to a punk dominatrix presiding over a biker’s funeral.
Students participating in the College Choir, directed by Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Jeffrey Buettner, are presenting an ambitious array of work after returning from their Summer 2014 tour to Berlin, Prague, Leipzig and Vienna. On Oct. 3 and 5, the Choir will join the Opera Company of Middlebury in presenting a staged concert version of Verdi’s timeless tragedy, La Traviata, at the Town Hall Theater, and on Nov. 20 the group will join three other collegiate Vermont choirs and a professional orchestra as a part of the Vermont Collegiate Choral Consortium. The annual Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas concert will take place on Dec. 7.
Many other musical student groups promise to have an exciting fall semester, including the African Music and Dance Ensemble, which will present an interactive Nov. 18 concert featuring instruments as varied as bow-harps, gourd shakers, ankle bells and thumb pianos. A few days later, The Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble will showcase their fall repertoire of contemporary jazz and big band era music on Nov. 22, and the College’s Community Chorus, directed by Jeff Rebach, will perform their fall concert on Nov. 23.
Every Saturday throughout the semester, free acclaimed foreign and independent films are shown in Dana Auditorium at 3 and 8 p.m. as a part of The Hirschfield International Film Series. Highlights include Inside Llewyn Davis on Sept. 13, a raw exploration of a struggling folk musician in 1960’s New York City, a biopic of Hannah Arendt on Oct. 4 and the 2013 Italian film The Great Beauty on Nov. 15, which follows an aging playboy after he receives a surprise on his 65th birthday.
The community will have the opportunity to view the kick-off of the Dance Program’s season on Sept. 18 with a collaborative concert featuring choreography by Middlebury Dance Chair Christal Brown, University of Vermont Dance Chair Paul Besaw and their one-time mentor, Professor Emeritus Jan Van Dyke of the University of North Carolina in NC Dances VT. Emerging student choreographers will showcase their work at the Fall Dance Concert on Nov. 21 and 22 under the direction of Christal Brown.
Student works of studio art in a variety of mediums will be on display in the Johnson Building throughout the semester. From Oct. 26 to Nov. 6, Pinhole Photography will feature black and white photographs crafted through direct contact with negatives and exposed through cameras of the students’ own construction and design. Other works include ceramic and oil portraits Sept. 2 through 12, large-scale drawings Sept. 26 to Oct. 3 and silkscreen prints Dec. 1 to 9.
Whether viewing a student creation or listening to a world-renowned artist, members of the College community have a unique opportunity to engage with such a wide variety of mediums and talents. As the College celebrates a range of artistic milestones this year, students from all disciplines will have the chance to participate in the next evolving era of creative achievement.
(05/19/14 10:40pm)
On Tuesday, May 13, the faculty voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with K12, Inc., the corporation with which the College partnered to create Middlebury Interactive Languages (MIL). The 95 to 16 vote — with three abstentions — was only symbolic, but sent a strong message to President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz and the Board of Trustees.
“The faculty has done what it can,” wrote French Professor Paula Schwartz, who introduced the motion. “The rest is up to the Board of Trustees.”
The Campus first reported on the impending vote on May 7. Despite the vote, Liebowitz found a silver lining.
“The faculty of the College have raised important questions about our corporate partners. The Board of Trustees, of which I am part, is engaging this issue on a number of levels. I was pleased that faculty colleagues made clear that its non-binding, sense-of-the-faculty vote was not a referendum on MIL itself: MIL continues to provide language education to thousands of pre-college students who otherwise would not have that opportunity, and provides us with a greater understanding of the challenges and great potential of hybrid (bricks and mortar plus online) teaching and learning, which are important goals of the venture,” he said.
“I understood the vote to be an almost unanimous affirmation of our common values as a liberal arts college and intellectual community, and an insistence that those who would partner with us, whether from the profit- or non-profit worlds, share those values,” wrote Economics Professor Peter Matthews in an email.
The renewed scrutiny on MIL will no doubt be added to the list of important issues already on the docket for next fall, including revising the AAL distribution requirements and the search for a new President of the College.
Additional reporting by CLAIRE ABBADI
(04/30/14 2:48pm)
The Middlebury men’s lacrosse team suffered a 13-9 loss to Williams in the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC tournament on Saturday, April 26. The loss to Williams was the second loss to the Ephs in four days for the Panthers, with the first coming on April 23 by a tight score of 9-7.
With their early exit from the conference tournament, Middlebury sees their season draw to a disappointing close.
In the first half of the game, Middlebury scored only one goal, which came from sophomore Tim Giarrusso ’16. In contrast to Middlebury’s lone goal, Williams compiled six goals during the first half. The Panthers were able to find shots in the half – matching Williams’ 11 shots by halftime – but struggled to score on Williams goalkeeper Dan Whittam, who recorded five saves in the opening period.
To start out the third quarter, Middlebury got a boost from sophomores Jack Cleary ’16 and Jack Rautiola ’16, who both found the net to cut the Williams lead to three. The Ephs were able to answer, however, beating Panther goalkeeper Nate Gaudio ’14 for two goals of their own.
Middlebury’s goal came in succession, a trend that has continued throughout their season. Even though they were able to put together a few runs that included multiple goals, the Panthers were not as effective in their ability to get the ball in the goal.
The fourth quarter saw both team hitting their stride on the offensive end. Panther Jon Broome ’16 scored a man-up goal to trim the deficit to 9-5 before Williams responded with a pair of goals that stretched the lead back out to six. Chase Clymer ’15, Broome and Giarrusso put together a three-goal run for Middlebury in the game’s closing minutes, but it was too little too late for the Panthers, who fell by a final score of 13-9.
“We played hard but not particularly well against Williams on Saturday at either end of the field,” said head coach Dave Campbell. “I certainly want to give a lot of credit to Williams for playing a great game as well.”
Middlebury was unable to win the game despite a significant advantage on face-offs throughout the game, as specialist Harrison Goodkind ’16 won 16 of the 20 face-offs he participated in. The Panthers also picked up five more ground balls than the Ephs, and – though they were outshot by a slight margin – simply failed to take advantage of the scoring opportunities that they had throughout the game. The Ephs played a cleaner game in terms of turnovers, with 15 to Middlebury’s 21.
While Gaudio held the Ephs at bay by recording eight saves, his Eph counterpart Whittam played to another level, stopping over half of Middlebury’s shots on goal.
With the loss, the Panthers finish their season with an 8-8 overall mark that includes a 6-4 record in conference play. The early exit from postseason play stings a bit more harshly for Middlebury given their disappointing finish to the 2013 season, in which they tied for first in conference regular-season play only to see an upset loss to Wesleyan in the NESCAC semifinals keep them out of the NCAA tournament.
“I’m very pleased with how our team progressed over the course of the season,” said Campbell. “It was certainly disappointing to have it end the way it did on Saturday, but I don’t want to lose sight of just how far we came since March.”
The Panthers have now failed to qualify for the national tournament during each of the past three seasons, a considerable shortcoming for a program that captured three consecutive national championships from 2000 to 2002.
There are thirteen seniors on the Middlebury team who will be graduating this year. The loss of Gaudio leaves a significant hole for the Panthers to fill given his tremendous success minding the net for much of the past three seasons. In addition, midfielder Stephen Seymour ’14 will be missed given the rapid development of his game over the course of this season. Other seniors who have seen significant playing time this season include midfielders Chris Peterson ’14 and Brian Ayers ’14, and defenders Geoff Vrla ’14 and Darric White ’14.
If their 2015 campaign will see the team return to the heights that they aspire to, the Panthers will rely heavily upon offensive stalwarts Jack Rautiola ’16 and Jon Broome ’16. Broome – last year’s NESCAC rookie of the year – has drawn the attention of opposing defenses all season and will merit consideration for the all-conference team.
(04/16/14 8:36pm)
Regardless of your scientific background, you’ve probably heard of the Big Bang. Approximately 13.7 billion years ago, all of the energy in the Universe was concentrated at a single point and then suddenly underwent a rapid expansion, sending matter, energy and the fabric of space and time itself out in all directions. The Big Bang is a heuristic concept; we have observed that everything in the universe is expanding away from us in all directions, and by running that idea in reverse, we hypothesize that everything must have started at a single point. It has proven to have incredible predictive power — the true test of any scientific concept — but there hasn’t been any direct observational evidence of the Big Bang and inflation. Or at least there wasn’t, until a team working on the Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarizations (BICEP2) instrument released their findings on Mar. 17.
The team, led by John M. Kovac of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and working at the South Pole, used BICEP2 to look for subtle changes in the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB).
The CMB is radiation that was released when the universe was relatively young — only a few hundred thousand years after the Big Bang — and is spread uniformly across the sky. It is the hallmark of the field of cosmology and allows physicists to study the very early universe. The team found patterns in the polarization of the CMB caused by gravitational waves in the early universe that were almost certainly amplified by a rapid rate of expansion. Polarization indicates the orientation of the electromagnetic waves; all radiation has a preferred direction of vibration. This phenomenon comes into play in our everyday world any time you wear polarized sunglasses: the glasses block light that is polarized in a certain direction and reduce glare.
On April 10, Robin Stebbins, the father of a Middlebury student and a physicist at NASA’s Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory, came to the College to give a lecture on the BICEP2 discovery and give members of the College community some insight into its importance and the nature of gravitational waves.
“[The lecture] really helped to put this discovery into context for anyone who has been following the news, regardless of their scientific background,” said Assistant Professor of Physics Eilat Glikman, who is currently teaching a course on cosmology at the College.
“This is truly science at the margins,” Stebbins said at the start of his lecture. “This is a field that has been trying to make progress for over 50 years … Gravitational waves are to gravity what light is to electromagnetism, propagating changes in the field strength.”
Part of Einstein’s theory of relativity describes time and space not as separate concepts, but rather as a larger, interconnected concept called space-time. Gravity, in Einstein’s theory, results from a bending in space-time caused by the presence of matter and energy: the more matter and energy, the more space-time is bent. Gravitational waves are created when incredibly large masses are in motion, causing ripples in space-time that propagate just like ripples on the surface of a pond.
In his lecture, Stebbins spoke briefly about the nature of gravitational waves, and then went on to explain in incredible depth the experiments in place to attempt to detect these waves.
As gravitational waves propagate through the universe, they cause slight variations in the distances between objects. In essence, the waves are squeezing and stretching space-time. In the very early universe, before the CMB was released, gravitational waves strained space-time and created variations in the distribution of energy. Then, as the universe underwent rapid inflation, these fluctuations amplified and left a pattern in the polarization of the CMB when it was released.
There are many different ways that gravitational waves could, in theory, be detected, and Stebbins clearly outlined all methods currently being used and methods that are more theoretical and may be put into place in the future. One method involves observing a binary star system, two stars bound to each other by gravity. As these stars orbit one another, they will create gravitational waves that carry away energy from the system, causing changes in their orbits.
Another involves observing variations in pulses coming from pulsars. Pulsars are incredibly dense, rotating stars that emit radiation we can detect here on Earth. These pulses come with incredible regularity, making them some of the most accurate time-keepers in the universe. As gravitational waves propagate past a pulsar, their rate of pulsing will change, revealing the presence of the passing wave.
One of the terrestrial experiments outlined by Stebbins is the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) located both in Washington and Louisiana. Interferometers split beams of light and send them down perpendicular paths. The light beams are then reflected and recombined and patterns of interference in the light can reveal slight changes in the length of the two arms. LIGO uses arms 4 kilometers in length and some of the smoothest mirrors ever designed and can detect changes in length down to one-thousandth the diameter of a proton. As gravitational waves pass through Earth, LIGO should, in theory, be able to measure the fractional changes in distance.
So far, we have only found indirect evidence of gravitational waves, such as the variations in binary star orbits and pulsar rotations. It is important to note that even BICEP2 did not directly observe gravitational waves. Rather, the pattern of polarization in the CMB is just a footprint left by these waves.
The BICEP2 results are the sort of discovery that takes the scientific community by storm. For decades, scientists have depended on and used the theory of the Big Bang and now we finally have direct evidence. Though the results still need to be verified by other teams, they are incredibly robust, with a 5 sigma detection, meaning a confidence level of 99.9999 percent. It is a testament to the power of science that we are able to look back to the earliest stages of the universe and describe what happened to create the universe we live in today.
“The day that the results were announced, I couldn’t help but think ‘science won today,’” Glikman said. “This is the sort of discovery that makes me proud of humanity.
(04/16/14 3:12pm)
The Middlebury women’s tennis team continued its season over the weekend on April 11-13 with two wins against Wesleyan and Trinity and losses against Emory and Williams. After losing two matches in a row against top squads Williams and Emory on Friday, the 10th-ranked Panthers came back to decisively beat number 15 Trinity and Wesleyan both 7-2. The Panthers traveled to Bowdoin to play Emory for their first of three matches over the weekend, falling to the Eagles 9-0. In doubles, Lauren Amos ’16 and Margot Marchese ’16 fell 8-6, as did pair Alexandra Fields ’17 and Jennifer Sundstrom ’17. Emory swept singles in straight sets to shut out the Panthers. Marchese believed that the team did not perform as well as it could have, but it did not hamper the team’s performance the rest of the weekend.
“We knew that in those two matches we lost that we didn’t show Williams or Emory our best performance,” Marchese said. “We chalked it up to two bad days and told ourselves, we still have plenty of chances to prove what this team is actually capable of. We went into Trinity with the weakest elements of our last two matches in mind and made a special effort to turn those around. I was particularly proud of the energy, fight, and resilience that the team showed in the long weekend.”
The team continued its weekend with a match against Trinity on Saturday, winning two out of three doubles matches and all but one of the six singles match-ups. In singles, Dorie Paradies ’14 and Katie Paradies ’15 won with straight sets, while Fields and Kaysee Orozco ’17 won in three sets. On Sunday, the team traveled to Middletown to face Wesleyan. They finished out the weekend strong with a 7-2 win, grabbing all but one of the doubles games and five out of six singles contests. In doubles, Sadie Shackelford ’16 and Lily Bondy ’17 as well as duo Amos and Marchese were victorious. In singles, Orozco, Bondy, Katie Paradies and Marchese all won in straight sets. A three-set victory by Dorrie Paradies brought the Panthers up to seven points and an 8-4 record.
“The team’s goal for the remainder of the season is to heal up and prepare ourselves for each match as if we were entering the first round of NCAAs,” Marchese said. “All 10 of us know that if we walk onto the court with the same type of tenacity, sheer will, and unity that we saw on Saturday and Sunday, the next three matches will take care of themselves.”
The Panthers will host Bowdoin next Saturday.
The Middlebury men’s tennis team captured three wins in three days with victories against Williams, Wesleyan and Trinity, bringing its record to 12-2. In the matchup against Williams, the Panthers swept doubles, with pairs Alex Johnston ’14 and Andrew Lebovitz ’14, Palmer Campbell ’16 and last week’s NESCAC Player of the Week Brantner Jones ’14, and Peter Heidrich ’15 and Ari Smolyar ’16 all proving victorious. Coach Bob Hansen believes that this was instrumental in the win against Williams.
“Sweeping the doubles is a great thing and certainly set the table for our win against Williams,” Hansen said. “I was very proud of all our teams but especially our third doubles team of Ari Smolyar and Peter Heidrich who fought off a match point before winning the final three points to win 8-6 in the tiebreaker.”
In singles, Campbell, Jones and Smolyar won again, while the Ephs grabbed three points, defeating Jackson Frons ’16, Johnston and Courtney Mountifield ’15. The Panthers went on to play Wesleyan on the road and brought their winning streak up to four with a 7-2 win. The teams of Campbell/Jones and Johnston/Lebovitz put points on the board in doubles, and the Panthers won five of six singles matches with a hard win by Johnston in the number one singles spot. Jones, Smolyar, Mountifield and Frons added singles points to bring the Panther total to seven.
On Sunday, the eighth-ranked Panthers added another win to the season with an 8-1 victory. Johnston/Lebovitz and Campbell/Jones were again victorious in doubles, and the Panthers swept all six singles match-ups for a decisive win over the Bantams. Coach Hansen was very positive about the Panthers’ weekend.
“The biggest key to our success both this weekend and all season long has been the total team effort from top to bottom,” Hansen said. “We got key victories from everyone this weekend and our motto of ’14, ‘Strong,’ was on full display. We are very deep in both talent and character and the unselfish nature of this team has been a critical and enjoyable aspect of our season.”
Hansen praised Jones for his leadership as well as his play over the weekend as well.
“Brantner Jones had a great weekend,” Hansen said, “going 6-0 with three keys wins in both singles and doubles. His attitude, skill and leadership have been key to our recent successes. He has been a great leader and his recognition as NESCAC Player of the Week was well deserved and he continues to impress.”
The Panthers continue the season on April 19 when they host Bowdoin and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
(04/16/14 3:10pm)
The Middlebury baseball team got back on the winning track this weekend, pulling out a series win over Hamilton. The Panthers split a doubleheader with the Continentals on Saturday, April 12 before riding their bats to a win in the rubber match on Sunday, April 13.
The Panthers jumped out to an early lead in the series opener on Saturday, following up a three-run first inning with a five-run second that featured a two-run double from catcher Max Araya ’16. The Continentals were able to force extra innings by scoring four runs in the seventh, but Middlebury rallied again in the top of the eighth to secure the series-opening win.
Third baseman Joe MacDonald ’16 led the Panthers in the win, going 2-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run home run in the decisive eighth inning. First baseman Jason Lock ’17 added a pair of RBIs while going 2-5, while shortstop Johnny Read ’17 reached base three times for Middlebury.
Starter Cooper Byrne ’15 allowed four runs over five innings while earning the no decision, striking out three and walking four. Jake Stalcup ’17 tossed two runs of scoreless ball in relief to earn the win for Middlebury.
In Saturday’s shortened game, RBI singles from Danny Andrada ’15 and MacDonald gave the Panthers a two-run lead through the fifth inning. Meanwhile, Middlebury starter Eric Truss ’15 was dominant through five innings, allowing just three hits while striking out three.
Truss was able to strike out the first two Continentals he faced in the sixth before allowing a string of hits that included a pair of two-run home runs. The problems were exacerbated by some shoddy defense, an area that the Panthers’ have improved in markedly since returning from Arizona.
By the inning’s end, Truss had allowed seven earned runs before being pulled by Coach Bob Smith. The Panthers were unable to respond in the top of the seventh, and went on to lose by a final score of 7-2.
Alex Kelly ’14 went 2-4 with a pair of doubles in the leadoff spot to pace the Panthers.
Back in action for Sunday’s rubber match, the Panthers looked to junior Logan Mobley ’15 for a quality start as they fished for their first series win of the 2014 season. Mobley did not disappoint, tossing five innings of shutout ball while yielding only one hit, striking out three and walking four.
The Panther bats also came alive in the series finale, with Kelly singling home Garrett Werner ’16 before reaching home on a wild pitch to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead after two. After adding a run in the third, Matt Leach ’15 hit a two-run single to cap a four-run fourth inning that stretched the Panther lead.
Senior Dylan Kane ’14 came on to relieve Mobley in the bottom of the sixth, where he retired the side.
MacDonald hit his second home run of the weekend in the top of the seventh to help the Panthers to a 10-0 lead. Kane yielded three runs over the game’s final three innings, but it was too little too late for the Continentals. Middlebury took the game 10-3 to win the series over Hamilton, while Kane earned the save by tossing the final four innings.
Lock went 3-6 with a double on Sunday, while MacDonald contributed three RBIs and Leach contributed two to the win.
The Panthers host their first home series of the year this weekend against division rival Amherst. The opener will be played on Friday afternoon, April 18 before the series wraps up with a doubleheader on Saturday.
(04/16/14 3:00pm)
After a string of key NESCAC wins last week, the Middlebury women’s lacrosse team fell to two top-ranked opponents this week: SUNY Cortland on Thursday, April 10 and Trinity on Saturday, April 12.
On Thursday the Panthers – going into the game ranked fifth in the nation – hosted second-ranked Cortland on Kohn Field. The game was a back and forth battle from the opening whistle. Cortland fired first with Red Dragon Erica Geremia scoring an unassisted goal two minutes into the game. Middlebury quickly responded with an unassisted goal from sophomore standout Laurel Pascal ’16. After another unassisted Red Dragon goal following Pascal’s, Middlebury went on a three-goal scoring streak. Pascal and Liza Herzog ’14 both finished goals off of passes from Katie Ritter ’15, and Chrissy Ritter ’16 scored off of a free position shot.
Cortland did not relent and answered with two goals to tie the game 4-4 with 13 minutes left in the half. After a scoreless 12 minutes Chrissy Ritter scored an unassisted goal to put the Panthers up 5-4 going into the half.
The second half began a game of runs for both teams with Middlebury maintaining the lead until Cortland’s Kristen Ohberg scored off of a pass from Emma Geremia to tie the game at 9-9 with 8:30 left to play.
Middlebury quickly answered Ohberg’s goal with Bridget Instrum ’16 scoring an unassisted goal a minute later. Her effort would not prove to be enough, however, as Cortland finished the game strong with a trio of goals to put the Red Dragons past the Panthers by a score of 12-10.
Katie Ritter led the Panther’s effort with four points off of two goals and two assists. Panther goalkeeper Alyssa Palomba ’14 finished the game with four saves over the course of the game.
The Panther defense suffered against Cortland because captain and stalwart defender Hannah Deoul ’14 was out with a concussion. Her role was filled by first-years Allie Hooley ’17 and Jessie Yorke ’17.
Despite the tough loss, the Panthers were forced to quickly regain focus in order to prepare for Saturday’s game against perennial NESCAC powerhouse Trinity College.
The Trinity game, like the Cortland game, was a 60-minute battle with both teams scoring back and forth until the final whistle. Middlebury was the first to fire with Instrum finishing a goal unassisted after a scoreless first four minutes of the game. This was followed by a three-goal streak by Trinity, only to be stopped by another unassisted goal from Instrum. Middlebury and Trinity would go goal for goal for the rest of the half. Megan Griffin ’16, Chrissy Ritter ’16 and Herzog each added a goal for Middlebury to make the score 5-6 in favor of Trinity going into the second half.
Middlebury quickly tied the game three minutes into the second half with Alli Sciarretta ’16 finishing a pass from Griffin. The goal-swapping continued with Middlebury’s taking the lead at one point off of a goal from Herzog to put the score at 8-7. Trinity responded with two goals with 20 minutes left in the half to make the score 8-9 in its favor. Chrissy Ritter was able to finish a pass from sister Katie with 11:38 left in the game, but this was not enough to stop the Bantams. Trinity’s Molly Cox scored her third of the day to put Trinity up 10-9 with 10:33 left in the game.
The Panther defense was again without Deoul against Trinity, but found leadership in Palomba who finished the game with 6 saves.
“I think we need to focus our attention on playing a full 60 minutes of Middlebury lacrosse and being mentally tough in those close games,” Katie Ritter said. “We learned a lot from these two games and now it’s about applying what we’ve learned and moving forward from there.”
On Tuesday, April 15, the Panthers played host to Union for a non-conference matchup, defeating the Dutchmen 15-8 on the strength of eight goals from Pascal.
Middlebury jumped out to a large early lead against Union, taking an 11-4 advantage into halftime. That margin would prove too much for Union to overcome.
Pascal’s scoring total, which came on just 10 shots, is the second largest single-game offensive output by any one player in program history, and the most since 1993.
The Panthers next square off with Colby on Saturday, April 19 on Kohn field. If they can get past the Mules, Middlebury will have a final shot to improve their seed for the upcoming NESCAC tournament when they travel to Williams the following week for the final game of the regular season.
(03/19/14 3:05pm)
The Middlebury women’s lacrosse team continued its early-season success on Saturday, March 15, winning its home opener over Wesleyan by a score of 10-4.
After a scoreless first 12 minutes of the game, Liza Herzog ’14 broke the tie with a goal off of a free position shot. Wesleyan quickly struck back 12 seconds later off of an unassisted goal from Caitlin Daniels to tie the game up at 1-1.
After another respite in scoring action, Middlebury’s Laurel Pascal ’16 was finally able to finish an opportunity off of a pass from Herzog. This spark was followed by Middlebury goals from Alli Sciarretta ’16 with a free position shot and Mary O’Connell ’17 off of a pass from Bridget Instrum ’16.
Middlebury’s goals were quickly answered however off of a pair of goals from Wesleyan’s Meredith Smith to finish the half with a score of 4-3. With the momentum in its favor, Wesleyan came out firing and tied up the game at 4-4 off of another goal from Smith three minutes into the second half.
Tough defense, however, and key saves between the pipes from co-Captain Alyssa Palomba ’14 allowed the Panthers to withstand the Wesleyan offensive and turn the tide of the game in their favor with another goal from Pascal with 17 minutes left in the game. Pascal was able to follow that score up with two more finishes for the Panthers – one unassisted and one assisted by Katie Ritter ’15 – to put the Panthers up 7-4.
After Pascal’s goal, the Panthers kept the gas on the pedal and never looked back. Middlebury was able to keep the pressure on the Cardinals with two goals from Herzog and a goal from O’Connell, all of which were unassisted. By the final whistle, the Panthers had extended the lead to the final tally of 10-4.
“This week we really focused on our transitions and playing as a unit on attack, which we were able to translate to our game on Saturday,” Pascal said. “Everyone was making smart decisions all over the field and we were able to find the holes in their defense, which was awesome.”
Middlebury was paced on the offensive end by Pascal, who finished with four goals. Herzog finished with three goals and an assist, and first-year standout O’Connell added a pair of goals. Palomba finished the day in net with a 42.8 save percentage, recording three saves during the game.
Smith led the Cardinals with three goals. Wesleyan goalkeeper Nina Labovich helped keep the score relatively close by stopping 10 of the 20 shots on goal throughout the game.
Middlebury’s dominant offensive performance was representative on the stats sheet, as the Panthers outshot the Cardinals 26-13. Middlebury also held a slight advantage in ground balls and controlled 11 of 16 draws for the afternoon.
Middlebury returned to action on Tuesday, March 18, for a midweek matchup with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, defeating the host Engineers 11-8.
After RPI got on the scoreboard first, Middlebury responded with a pair of goals from Chrissy Ritter ’16 to take the lead. The Engineers then went on a four-goal scoring run to take a 4-3 lead midway through the first half, before a trio of Panther goals, including two from Pascal, put Middlebury in front going into the half.
In the second half, the Panthers used a flurry of scoring to extend their lead, ultimately going on to win.
Pascal led the Panthers with three goals in the game, with Katie Ritter, Chrissy Ritter and Herzog each adding two for Middlebury.
With the win over Rensselaer, Middlebury extends its record to 4-0 on the season, including a trio of conference wins. The Panthers return to the pitch on Saturday, March 22, for a conference matchup with Bowdoin. The Polar Bears are owners of a 3-2 record and should provide stiff competition for Middlebury.
Following that, the Panthers will travel to West Palm Beach, Fla. over Spring Break for a game against Rochester Institute of Technology before returning to face the remainder of their NESCAC schedule.
(03/19/14 2:53pm)
The Middlebury men’s lacrosse team lost to 10th-ranked Wesleyan by a score of 11-5 on Saturday, March 15. Middlebury has yet to reach double digit goals in any of its four games.
The Panthers got off to a quick start against the Cardinals. Only 2:31 into the game, Taylor Pirie ’15 found Mike Ford ’15 to get Middlebury on the scoreboard first; however, Wesleyan responded in a powerful way, scoring the next 10 goals to take a 10-1 lead with 11:38 left in the game. In the final 10:49, Jack Rautiola ’16 managed to score twice, Ford took his tally to two, and Jon Broome ’16 scored his lone goal for the game.
One player heavily influenced the Cardinals’ goal total. On the Wesleyan side, Matt Prezioso had an impressive showing on his home turf, scoring five of the 11 total goals.
There were some highlights from the loss for the Panthers though. Jack DeFrino ’17 won nine of 12 face offs, earning him game-high honors in ground balls alongside George Curtis ’14 and Broome. In addition, goalie Nate Gaudio ’14 finished the contest with a total of 19 saves.
Ford admitted that the team has a long way to go to get where it wants to be.
“Everyone played hard against Wesleyan,” Ford said, “but I think we all realized that we need to improve and work even harder. I don’t think we have played a complete game yet and that is something that we continue to strive for. As a team we learned that we need to elevate out level of playing from top to bottom and do everything better. After watching film and learning from our coaches, everyone knows they need to step up and contribute more going forward.”
Returning to the field on Tuesday, March 18, for a matchup against 20th-ranked St. Lawrence, the Panthers again were unable to stop their opponent on the defensive end and lost by a score of 14-7.
Middlebury was able to keep the score close early, tying the score at one with a goal from Jack Cleary ’16 three minutes in. A tally from Rautiola in the opening minutes of the second quarter brought the St. Lawrence lead back down to one at 4-3, but that was as close as the Panthers would get.
A string of four unanswered goals spanning the second and third quarters would be too much for Middlebury, who went on to lose its third straight game.
Middlebury was again outshot handily by their opponent. St. Lawrence racked up 45 shots over the course of the game to Middlebury’s 24. The Saints also dominated in the faceoff circle and in the ground-ball game, winning 17 of 23 faceoffs and picking up 13 more ground balls than the Panthers.
In the upcoming games, Ford that thinks their “main focus will be to come out with high intensity but also be composed. If everyone does what they need to do and our team plays at the level we know we are capable of playing, good things will happen.”
Sitting at 1-4 and 0-3 in conference play, Middlebury will have to work quickly to pull its game together if they are going to have a chance to resurrect their floundering season.
The Panthers will have a chance to do just that when they take on NESCAC foe Bowdoin on Saturday, March 22. Following that game, Middlebury will face a tough slate of competition over Spring Break, matching up with Endicott and Amherst over the course of the week.
(03/13/14 1:42am)
The Middlebury College Board of Trustees met over Winter Carnival weekend to discuss a range of issues including a 2.94 percent increase in tuition, a new Korean language school and various construction projects underway between the main College campus and Monterey Institute campus.
According to Vice President of Communications Bill Burger, the February Board of Trustees meeting is traditionally the time when the Board determines the next year’s tuition. For the 2014-15 school year, the Board approved a combined tuition and room and board total of $58,753 – up 2.94 percent from this current academic year.
In an effort to control rising costs, this is the fifth consecutive year that Middlebury has utilized its “CPI plus 1” rule. This rule, announced by President Liebowitz in in 2010, caps the tuition increase from year to year at one percentage point above inflation – as determined by the Consumer Price Index. This is the first year this rule was not applied to room and board increases, which rose 4.5 percent from last year to $13,116. Vice President Burger put this effort into context.
“Since 2010, when we started the CPI plus 1, we have measured where we stand among 21 peer schools. When we started, we were one of the most expensive of the 21. We are now 18th.”
When asked about efforts to reduce cost, Burger responded that, “The board is always sensitive, as is the administration, to the cost of what we do.” However he noted that, “It’s not as though you could reduce the cost of tuition by $10,000.”
Other major decisions handed down by the board include the approval of an eleventh Language School – the School of Korean. Vice President of Language Schools Michael Geisler said that the Language School hopes to find a director and build a program in time to launch in the summer of 2015. “Although, until a few years ago, relatively few non-heritage speakers studied Korean, the number of new learners has grown rapidly in the past decade,” Geisler said.
Korean is spoken by more than 67 million speakers around the world making it the sixteenth most spoken language. To be prepared for the shifting landscapes of global business, security and diplomatic requirements, Geisler cited the need for a strategic language reserve – that is a group of people able to speak the world’s most important languages. “Middlebury Language Schools can play a significant part in delivery of our strategic language reserve,” he said.
On the construction front, the Board discussed plans to create a pedestrian mall at the Monterey Institute campus in Monterey, CA. The Monterey project is still awaiting approval by the City of Monterey, but if approved would create more of a campus-feel to what is now an urban setting.
Construction is set to begin this fall on renovations and winterization of Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School campus in Ripton, VT. The renovations are primarily focused on compliance with safety and accessibility codes while the winterization makes the space available for use during the colder months. There is a soft deadline for this project of May 2015 in order to be prepared for the 31st Young Writer’s Conference at Bread Loaf. All told, this project will cost $7.5 million.
Beyond the issues discussed, Burger talked about the layout of the meetings and how the agenda is set. He characterizes them as very well planned and well structured. Typically board members break into committees and then, during full Board meetings, address key topics discussed in their respective committees. Some issues, like the Korean language school, required a vote by the full Board. Other topics, such as the state of the online learning landscape, were simply reported on.
Much of the work is done before the Trustees arrive. “The Board always receives information in advance of its meetings so that Trustees have the information they need to make decisions,” Burger said. “And on key issues there is always some discussion as well.” At this most recent meeting, Burger says there were no contentious issues, which is not unusual for these meetings
“I have never been to a board meeting where there’s been a true surprise,” he said.
The next Board of Trustee meeting will take place in May. While the agenda is not set, this meeting will be momentous in that it will be the last under the current governing structure.
(03/12/14 3:46pm)
The College’s Performing Arts Series will continue its tradition of bringing world-class artists to the community tonight, March 13, when the Elias String Quartet presents a free formal concert of Beethoven and Kurtag pieces.
The inspiration for the group’s name is taken from Mendelssohn’s oratorio, ‘Elijah,’ which is the German form of Elias. The quartet, which met in 1998 as first-year students at the Royal Northern College of England in Manchester, has quickly risen to the top of the classical music scene. Officially formed in 2004, the group gave their North American debut at the Concert Hall in March 2012 and soon after performed a sold-out, highly acclaimed concert at Carnegie Hall, cementing their place as an international force of vibrant musicality.
Chamber music aficionado and Professor Emeritus of Political Science Paul Nelson is in charge of chamber music programming at the College. After hearing about the Elias String Quartet from the agent of accomplished international pianist and frequent performer at the College Paul Lewis, Nelson decided to seriously consider adding the quartet to the Performing Arts Series program.
“He [Nelson] has an impeccable ear for rising talent,” Associate Director for the Performing Arts Series Allison Coyne Carroll said. “Professor Nelson reviewed the impressive list of premier chamber music venues they had played and awards they had won, gave the Elias a thoughtful listen, and then booked them to perform here in March 2012. Based on their stellar performance that evening, and audience response, Professor Nelson booked them to return this season.”
Violinists Sara Bitlloch and Donald Grant, violist Martin Saving and cellist Marie Bitlloch have garnered numerous accolades throughout their career together, including a residency as a part of BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists’ scheme in 2010 and the 2010 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award.
It is through the financial support of the latter award, which aims to help outstanding young musicians develop and sustain international careers, that the quartet has been able to embark on their newest, most ambitious tour: The Beethoven Project. Beginning in Feb. 2011, the group endeavors to play all seventeen Beethoven string quartets as a cycle over four years, and will play Beethoven’s Quartet No. 4 in C Minor and his second “Razumovsky” quartet at their concert at the College.
Born in Germany in 1770, Ludvig van Beethoven is remembered as one of the most famous and influential composers of all time, crucially figuring into the transition between Classical and Romantic musical eras.
“Beethoven’s music holds a revered place in music history, and his works are often genius and complex,” Carroll said. “And despite their complexity, which is quite astonishing when you consider Beethoven’s failing hearing, there is also something very approachable about his music. There are very humanistic, reflective moments that can draw you right in.”
Though he is perhaps best known for his symphonies, concertos and sonatas for piano, Beethoven’s string quartets remain a beloved part of the Western music canon.
Beethoven’s Opus 18 was published in 1801, consisting of six string quartets. Widely considered to demonstrate his total mastery of the classical string quartet as developed by Haydn and Mozart, each of the six pieces contains four movements. It was not until 1806 that the three “Razumovsky” quartets, also referred to as Opus 59, achieved publication. Of this trio of works, the Elias String Quartet will be playing the four movements of Quartet No. 8 in E minor. The remaining eight quartets were published from 1809-1826, and the later works are thought to comprise Beethoven’s last major, completed compostitions.
In addition to the Beethoven selections, the quartet will present “Officium breve in memoriam Andreae Szervánszky” a work written in 1989 by Gyorgy Kurtag, a contemporary Hungarian composer born in 1926 with over 50 major compositions to his credit.
“Generally, when the majority of a program is by one composer (in this case, Beethoven), ensembles will choose other repertoire that either complements or contrasts,” Carroll said. “The Elias chose the latter when programming Kurtag. The Elias is also an ensemble committed to performing works by living composers. During this season, when much of their programming was written between 1795-1826, I’m sure the quartet also enjoys the opportunity to vary their rehearsal and performance works.”
A free lecture and demonstration by the Elias String Quartet planned for the afternoon of Wednesday, Mar. 12 about the Beethoven Project was cancelled due to Winter Storm Vulcan.
Between now and early May, the quartet will play sixteen concerts in locations ranging from Maine to Texas to England to Austria, transitioning from university performance venues to concert halls of international prestige throughout the tour. A complete documentation of “The Beethoven Project,” expected to be completed in 2015, can be found at www.thebeethovenproject.com.
The concert is presented as a part of a decade-long collaboration between the Performing Arts Series and the Institute for Clinical Science and Art, through which the Institute provides complete funding to present one or two high-profile string quartet concerts free of charge each year. This gift is made in memory of F. William Sunderman Jr. and Carolyn Reynolds Sunderman.
The free concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts tonight, March 13.
Artwork by NOLAN ELLSWORTH
(03/05/14 11:55pm)
Track & Field (Fiona Maloney-McCrystle)
The track and field team enters the 2014 outdoor season fresh off the winter indoor season, making an almost immediate transition into another long series of meets.
On the women’s side, top returners this year look to be Laura Strom ’14.5 in the high jump, Alex Morris ’16 in the 400 and Alison Maxwell ’15 for the distance squad, all of whom begin the season with impressive winters under their belts. Lauren Pincus ’14, who qualified for the NCAA Championships two years ago, also looks to have a good year in the javelin. They will be joined by first-year stand-outs Erzsie Nagy ’17 for the distance squad and Hannah Blackburn ’17 in the long and triple jump.
On the men’s side, the top returners are Bryan Holtzman ’14 in the sprints and Wilder Schaaf ’14.5 for the distance squad, as well as Kevin Chu ‘14, a two-time NESCAC champion in the hurdles, who will begin competition again after indoor season ends. They will be joined by talented first-year Alex Nichols ’17 in the 400.
“Our goals as a team are always to win the NESCAC championship as well as the D3 New Englands,” Head Coach Martin Beatty said. “This year we are a little behind in our training from not having an indoor track to train on. The focus will be to train hard and see if we can make up some ground that we missed during the indoor season, while trying to be conscious of not pushing people too hard to the point of injury.”
The first event of the spring season will take place at Point Loma Nazarene in California during spring break.
Men's Lacrosse (Fritz Parker)
Coming off a promising 2013 season that saw them reach the NESCAC semifinals, the men’s lacrosse team, ranked 18th in the preseason, looks for continued improvement as they take the field in 2014. Before falling to Wesleyan in the NESCAC semifinal, the Panthers had put together an 8-2 conference record and appeared to be on the road to an NCAA berth.
If they are going to get to NCAAs, Middlebury will have to replace a pair of stalwart defenders in Zach Driscoll ’13 and All-American Billy Chapman ’13. Darric White ’14, Cal Williams ’15 and Geoff Vrla ’14 anchor a fresh defensive unit that will be forced to step up and fill that gap. Nate Gaudio ’14 will provide much-needed experience on the defensive end.
“I think that this year’s defensive unit shows great potential,” Defender Christian Bonaventura ’15 said. “Although there is a lack of experience, the combination of talent, lax IQ and the reassurance of Nate Gaudio in the cage should lead to a strong defensive showing from here on out.”
The Panthers will count on 2013 NESCAC second-leading scorer Jon Broome ’16 for a spark on the other end. Broome–along with fellow sophomores Tim Giarrusso ’16 and Harrison Goodkind ’16–looks set to provide one of the more explosive scoring attacks in the conference.
After opening conference play with a home loss to preseason favorite and fifth-ranked Tufts, Middlebury will have a tough slate of conference games before the NESCAC tournament kicks off in late April. If all goes according to plan, the Panthers will be back on the field in May for their first NCAA appearance since 2011.
Women's Tennis (Joe MacDonald)
After falling in a nail-biter to top-seeded Amherst in last year’s NESCAC semifinal, the Panthers look to return to the conference championship match as they take the court for their 2014 spring campaign.
The Panthers will be hard-pressed to replace last year’s NCAA singles champion Lok Sze Leung ’15, who transferred to Division-I Northwestern University to continue her career. In order to fill that gap, Middlebury will rely on NCAA quarterfinalist Ria Gerger ’16 at the number-one singles spot.
In addition to Gerger, sisters Dorrie Paradies ’14 and Katie Paradies ’15 look to contribute in both singles and doubles play, while first-years Lily Bondy ’17, Alexandra Fields ’17, Jennifer Sundstrom ’17 and Kaysee Orozco ’17 also look to make an impact.
“We have a very young team but are extremely excited for the season,” Dorrie Paradies said.
The Panthers will travel to California for a string of matches over spring break, before returning for NESCAC play. With one of the stiffest groups of teams in the country, the NESCAC season should prepare Middlebury for a long postseason run.
Highlights on the schedule include matchups with first-ranked Williams, third-ranked Amherst and sixth-ranked Bowdoin. With such a tough lineup of conference opponents, attaining the NESCAC crown will be a tough, but not impossible, goal.
The fifth-ranked Middlebury women’s tennis team will open up its spring campaign this Saturday, March 8 against Colby and Brandeis.
Women's Lacrosse (Gabe Weissmann)
After finishing last year’s season with a strong record of 18-3 and graduating seven key contributors from the team in 2013, the third-ranked Middlebury women’s lacrosse team looks to repeat and improve upon the success of last year with the help of a small but powerful senior leadership as well as several skilled first-year, sophomore and junior players.
After graduating three of their top scorers from last year, the Panthers will look to senior Liza Herzog ’14 for leadership in point production. Herzog finished the 2013 season with a total of 44 points, which consisted of 31 goals and 13 assists.
The Panthers have a strong senior defensive outfit with co-Captain Alyssa Palomba ’14 between the pipes and co-Captain Hannah Deoul ’14 on defense. Palomba finished last year’s game with 92 saves in 21 games played, with a save percentage of .416. Deoul finished the season with the season with 36 ground balls, a key statistic in helping women’s lacrosse teams win games.
Palomba acknowledges that the face of women’s lacrosse will be much different, but this is never a bad thing.
Our biggest hurdle this season is the loss of our 7 seniors last year, all of which played huge roles on and off the field,” Palomba said. “This also plays to our biggest strength, which are the players who are stepping up to fill those crucial spots and bringing new things to the team. We are not the same team that we were last year. We have changed up a lot of things including many of our plays and the defense, so I think this is going to all work to our advantage.”
As they take the field in 2014, the Panthers hope to avenge last season’s overtime loss to Trinity in the NESCAC championship game. Middlebury will again look to May’s NCAA tournament – in which they reached the semifinals a year ago – as the final measure of their success.
Baseball (Fritz Parker)
The baseball team will begin its season on March 22 in Tucson, Ariz. as part of its annual spring-break trip. The trip provides a chance to start the season while wintry conditions continue to pester the northeast while also giving Middlebury the opportunity to play solid out-of-region competition. In Arizona, the Panthers will play 10 games in eight days, culminating in a three-game series against Williams.
Having graduated seven seniors in the class of 2013, this year’s team is about as youthful as can be. Steven Bodine ’16 thinks that a talented first-year class could offset those departures.
“Lot of speed, lot of power, I’m excited to see what they got,” Bodine said.
Co-Captains Dylan Kane ’14 and Alex Kelly ’14 make up the entirety of the senior class and are aided in their leadership duties by Eric Truss ’15.
Truss returns as the team’s most accomplished pitcher from a season ago, when he led the team in wins, games started, innings pitched and ERA. Kelly is a three-year starter who brings solid defense to left field and is known as one of the league’s toughest outs at the plate.
Dylan Sinnickson ’15, the team’s top hitter from a season ago, returns to roam centerfield, while classmate Hunter Merryman ’15 could provide another potent bat should he decide to rejoin the team after the Arizona trip, which he will not be attending. Max Araya ’16 started almost every game at second base last year, and will almost definitely be in the starting lineup again from day one.
Once they move towards establishing their lineup in Arizona, the Panthers will return to snowy Vermont to face a tough regular-season schedule as they attempt to reach the NESCAC playoffs.
Softball (Sydney Reid)
Last year the Middlebury softball team advanced to the semifinals in the NESCAC tournament, where it ultimately fell just short of the championship game. In the double-elimination tournament they lost to Tufts and Bowdoin, while Tufts went on to win the championship. The Panthers finished with an overall record of 26-11, and 10-2 in the NESCAC.
Alex Scibetta ’14, Emily Smith ’14 and Emily Kraytenberg ’14 will be leading the team as captains. Scibetta is excited for the prospects of the season.
“I think we have a lot of talent and a great team dynamic this year and I can’t wait to see what we do with it,” Scibetta said.
Siobhan O’Sullivan ’17 is one of five promising freshmen joining the team, and is impressed by her teammates work ethic.
“Whether it be staying after practice and fielding ground balls or spending some extra time in the batting cage, everyone is putting in full effort to make themselves and the team better,” O’Sullivan said. “I know the dedication and drive to get better will continue throughout our season and translate to the field in a positive way.”
The team will travel once again to Clermont, Florida for spring break where they will play 12 games and face opponents such as Wellesley, Potsdam, St. Catherine, and the University of Chicago. Their record for the spring training trip in Florida last year was 5-5, and it provided them a strong start to the season. The Panthers hope this trip to Clermont will launch them into a similarly successful season.
The team’s first home game will be March 30 against Castleton State.
Golf (Colin McIntyre)
The men’s golf team enters the spring season coming off of a strong fall led by NESCAC Player of the Year John Louie ’15. Middlebury’s dominant performance at the fall qualifier earned it the honor of hosting the NESCAC championship at Ralph Myhre golf course on April 26-27. The Panthers will play host to Trinity, Amherst and Williams as they try to improve on last year’s 3rd place finish.
“We are all very excited for the start of the spring season,” Captain Max Alley ’14 said. “We have a strong freshman class and now have two juniors joining us after being abroad in the fall.”
Depth is certainly not a problem for the Panthers, who fired off five of the top ten weekend scores at the qualifier last September.
The men ended their fall season with an ECAC Championship by 13 strokes over runner-up Westfield State.
On the women’s side, the Panthers field a team looking to return to the NCAA tournament after finishing 14th last year, and enter the spring season ranked 24th in the nation.
“We ended our fall season nipping at the heels of the Williams team,” Captain Caroline Kenter ’14 said. “The realization that we have the potential to beat the Ephs gives us a lot of motivation going into our spring season.”
In four of the women’s five tournaments during the fall, Williams, ranked number three in the NCAA preseason rankings, not only competed, but also emerged victorious. Three of those four times, Midlebury finished runner-up to the Ephs.
Both teams have had to adapt to the field house construction, and have not been able to hit indoors on campus as in previous years. They have been hitting on simulators in Burlington, but look forward to getting back on the course during spring break trips to the Carolinas before the start of the season.
Men's Tennis (Emma McDonald)
After an off-season of hard work and conditioning, the Middlebury men’s tennis team starts off the spring season this Saturday, March 8 on its home court with a double-header against Colby in the morning and Brandeis in the afternoon.
Middlebury will go on to play fifth-ranked Kenyon and third-ranked Emory over spring break in what could prove to be two key match-ups this season. Later in April, the Panthers will embark on what Head Coach Bob Hansen calls a “critical NESCAC road trip,” playing a series of matches against conference foes Williams, Wesleyan and Trinity.
This year’s squad boasts many returning players, including All-Americans Alex Johnston ’14 Brantner Jones ’14 and Palmer Campbell ’16, as well as an experienced trio of Teddy Fitzgibbons ’14, Zach Bruchmiller ’14 and Andrew Lebovitz ’14. In addition to Johnston, Jones, Fitzgibbons, Bruchmiller and Lebovitz, senior James Burke ’14 will serve as the team’s sixth captain for the season.
The team will take the court this season with no first-years on the roster.
After falling to Amherst in last season’s NESCAC semifinal match, Middlebury looks to make a run at the conference title in 2014. Following that, the Panthers have set their sights on hosting the first round of the NCAA tournament, May 9 through 11, and hope to continue on to the NCAA finals in Claremont, California.
“The team has very high expectations to improve on last year’s final eight NCAA National appearance,” Hansen said.
(03/05/14 11:44pm)
The men’s basketball season ended in disappointment with a 78-75 loss in the NESCAC semifinals against Williams on Saturday, March 1.
Knowing they needed a win to extend their season, the Panthers had arguably their best offensive first half of the season, scoring 50 points against the number-nine Ephs. Middlebury could not keep up its hot shooting from the first half after the break, however, and Williams outscored the Panthers by 14 in the second half to win the game.
This season will be the first since 2006-2007 that Middlebury will not compete in the NCAA tournament. After starting the season 6-5, the Panthers partially righted the ship and finished 17-9. Of those final four losses, three came by a total of eight points, and two of those came at the hands of Williams.
All season long, the Panthers seemed to be plagued by an inability to close out halftime leads, a blemish to which Head Coach Jeff Brown admitted.
“The biggest thing for us was really not having tremendous balance as an offensive team,” Jeff Brown said. “At times, when things cranked up and we got into more of a half court team, we really lacked the close to the basket attack that would get us to the free throw line and get some easy baskets.”
In the Williams game, the two teams battled neck-and-neck for much of the first half. With 6:43 remaining in the game a Hayden Rooke-Ley three-pointer gave Williams a four-point advantage. Rooke-Ley was inactive the last time these two teams met, but the senior guard had a major impact in this contest, scoring 14 points off the bench.
“He’s a very tough competitor,” Jeff Brown said, “He’s able to drive the ball to the basket. More importantly, defensively, he’s really a hard-nosed, competitive player, and I think his presence on the floor certainly made a difference for them over the stretch run.”
Michael Mayer, Williams’ all-conference center, established his dominance early in the contest, sinking three of the Ephs’ first four shots. Mayer finished the night with a game-high 27 points to go along with seven rebounds.
“Williams’ philosophy offensively is to run their offense through their five-man,” Jeff Brown said, “and he’s an ideal player for that style because he can pass…and post-up with an array of offensive moves.”
After the triple from Rooke-Ley, things started to roll for the Panthers, who finished the first half on a 20-5 run, with the only Williams’ points coming from Mayer. Captain Joey Kizel ’14 had an astounding 19 first-half points. Dylan Sinnickson ’15 also had a big first half, scoring nine, while Jake Brown ’17 chipped in seven off the bench.
All told, Middlebury shot 64.5 percent from the floor and 71.4 percent from deep, where Kizel went 5-6, in the first half, far outpacing Williams’ still-impressive 42.4 percent shooting from the floor and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Last time these two teams met, Middlebury held a 16-point lead at halftime, but a significant decline in outside shooting from the Panthers and Williams’ ability to make a lot of free throws down the stretch combined to allow the Ephs to pull away for a three-point win. The story was much the same on Saturday. Middlebury shot just 28.6 percent from the floor and 18.2 percent from deep in the second half, while Williams got to the charity stripe 22 times in the second half and hit 18 free throws.
“They increased their defensive pressure [in the second half] and really kind of controlled us,” Jeff Brown said. “I think the biggest factor was the differential from the free throw line.”
“We didn’t make any defensive adjustments at the half and Williams clearly did because we only scored 25 second half points,” Matt Daley ’16 said. “They didn’t allow us to get open looks from three point land because we hit 10 in the first half.”
Sinnickson made a lay-up to open the second half and extended the Panthers’ lead to 13, but Williams consistently chipped away over the next 13 minutes, finally tying the contest at 64-64 on a pair of Mayer free throws with 7:27 remaining.
Down two with just over a minute remaining, Middlebury ran a poor offensive possession, but James Jensen ’14 kept the Panthers’ hopes alive by knocking down an uncharacteristic jumper, tying the game at 73-73.
A foul on the ensuing possession led to a pair of free throws from Rooke-Ley. Kizel then missed a three-pointer and – after Jensen committed the necessary foul – Williams first-year Duncan Robinson made it a three-point game by hitting 1-2 free throws. On the other end, Kizel forced a foul from Rooke-Ley, who appeared to commit the foul unintentionally, but the move worked out for Williams because it took away the opportunity for Kizel to attempt a game-tying three-pointer.
Kizel hit both of his free throws to draw within one before a pair of free throws extended the Williams lead back to three. On the final possession, Kizel had just six seconds to bring the ball up the floor, and could only muster a deep, contested three-pointer that did not find the net.
“Saturday’s game looked very similar to most of the games we played this year,” Daley said. “Unfortunately that is what happens when you rely almost entirely on the three point shot...This was a trend that will not continue next year.”
Kizel leaves the basketball program with 1493 career points, good for fourth all-time on the Middlebury scoring list, just five behind Kevin Kelleher ’80. Additionally, Kizel exits as the all-time leader in three-point percentage and free throw percentage.
The responsibility of filling the void left by Kizel next year will fall to Jake Brown, who saw extensive minutes as the team’s point guard this season.
“He certainly showed during the stretch run that he’s capable of running the team,” Jeff Brown said, “We’re really high on his potential next year to energize our offense and also to be able to score some points himself.”
As a class, the team’s six seniors – Kizel, Jensen, Jack Roberts ’14, Nate Bulluck ’14, Albert Nascimento ’14 and Luis Alvarez ’14 – finish with a 96-19 record overall, 31-8 in the NESCAC, four NESCAC tournament appearances, three NCAA tournament appearances and one NESCAC championship.
Jeff Brown looked back fondly on what the class of ’14 has accomplished.
“A tremendous amount of effort and unselfishness with the group,” Jeff Brown said, “Jack and James, probably two of our best defensive players on this year’s team, really did a lot of the quiet stuff in the background for the program. They are just a real, real special group.”
(02/12/14 7:19pm)
The Panthers split their four conference matchups sandwiching February break, dropping a home game against Williams and a road game at Hamilton, over the weekend of Feb. 1. However, the following weekend the Panthers rebounded with two victories at home against Colby and Bowdoin on Feb. 7 and 9. In between, Middlebury took to the road and bested Keene State on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Middlebury played possibly its most impressive half of basketball all season against eleventh-ranked Williams, scoring 41 points and holding the Ephs to just 25 first-half points. Hunter Merryman ’15 opened the scoring for the Panthers, hitting his first three shots and tallying 11 points in the first 13 minutes of play.
The fast pace early favored the Panthers, who shot 50 percent from the field in the opening half, torching the Ephs’ mixture of 2-3, 1-3-1 and man-to-man defenses.
Dylan Sinnickson ’15 led Middlebury with 12 points on 4-5 shooting from behind the arc in the first half, many of those looks coming off of pick-and-roll sets with Joey Kizel ’14, a play that the rest of the NESCAC has yet to effectively defend.
“The Williams game was a tale of two halves,” Head Coach Jeff Brown said. “Offensively we attacked their 2-3 zone very effectively, but we weren’t as successful against their man-to-man defense in the second [half].”
After the break, Williams began to cut into the Middlebury lead on the strength of its three-point shooting. Senior forward Taylor Epley made a handful of threes from NBA range, a shot that NESCAC Freshman of the Year candidate Duncan Robinson replicated. Trailing by three with five seconds left, the Panthers ran an in-bounds play from the sideline to get Sinnickson a three-point look, but his shot was contested and bounced off the iron, giving Williams the victory.
In Coach Brown’s record-setting 434th game as head coach, Middlebury lost to Hamilton College on a last-second jumper on the road on Sunday, Feb. 2. Assistant Coach Russ Riley, who preceded Brown, led the Panthers from 1978-97 and previously held the record.
The Panthers were hamstrung by poor shooting in the first half, hitting only 10-33 shots from the field, while the Continentals poured it in at a nearly 42 percent clip, taking a five point lead into the half.
Hamilton opened the second half of play on a 12-3 run to go up by 14. The Continentals were carried in the second half by sophomore guard Matt Hart, who scored 21 of his game-high 30 points after the intermission. Toward the end of the contest, Hart hit three-pointers on three consecutive possessions to give Hamilton the lead.
“When a player gets hot like that the only way to stop him is to not even let him touch the ball,” James Jensen ’14 said, “I think it was pretty clear to everyone in the gym who Hamilton wanted to take the last shot of the game.”
Kizel tied the game with two free throws with 29 seconds remaining. On the following possession, Jensen denied Hart the ball, forcing Hamilton senior Greg Newton to take the final shot. Newton made the go-ahead bucket with six seconds left, giving the Continentals a 76-74 lead. Middlebury was unable to get a clean look at the basket on the other end, Newton’s shot thus sealing the contest in favor of Hamilton.
Kizel racked up 19 of his 22 points in the second half on 5-10 shooting (8-9 FT), including nine points in the final three and a half minutes. Merryman, Matt St. Amour ’17 and Jensen joined Kizel in scoring double figures for the Panthers.
The Panthers celebrated the class of 2014 on senior night at home against Colby with a convincing 85-64 victory on Friday, Feb. 7. Heading into the game, both teams had three wins in the conference, so the win brought Middlebury one step closer to hosting a first-round NESCAC tournament game.
After the ceremonies concluded, Kizel poured in 30 points, matching a career high. The senior guard was successful hitting threes in transition, and nearly earned a double-double, racking up nine assists to go along with five rebounds and two steals.
Jack Roberts ’14 led the Panthers with seven boards. Sinnickson aided the Panther attack with 20 points and six rebounds.
Middlebury took a 5-2 lead 2:17 into the first half and never looked back.
“The Colby game was the first time this year where we played two great halves and really put a team away,” Sinnickson said. “That’s the only way games are won.”
Middlebury played its last regular season home game against Bowdoin and squeaked out a 69-66 victory on Sunday, Feb. 9. Both teams impressed offensively in the first half, and the lead never stretched beyond five points either way in the first 20 minutes. The Panthers shot 48.1 percent in the first half, but were outshot by the Polar Bears, who shot 52.2 percent.
Roberts, who stands 6’8”, had a tall order on Sunday afternoon, drawing John Swords, Bowdoin’s seven-foot center. Swords is the most efficient scorer in the NESCAC, shooting at a 70.1 percent clip, and averaging 13.8 points per game to go along with 9.2 rebounds per game.
“Covering someone that size is always difficult,” Roberts said. “We had a plan to limit his touches and we executed it well.”
Swords surpassed his averages with 16 points and 13 rebounds on Sunday, but Roberts did a great job of fronting Swords and limiting his open looks at the hoop. Roberts was one of four Panthers in double figures (10), joining Jensen (10), Sinnickson (18) and Kizel (19).
With his seventh point of the afternoon, with 12:21 remaining in the first half, Kizel moved into fifth place on the Middlebury all-time scoring list, passing Ryan Sharry ’12. Kizel, with 1424 career points, is 75 points away from reaching third place on that list. John Humphrey ’88 is the all-time career scoring leader with 1844 points.
Middlebury’s largest lead came with 18:45 in the second half when a three-pointer from Sinnickson put the Panthers up by eight. The game remained close to the bitter end. Both teams traded free throws down the stretch, until Jensen went 1-2 with :08 left to give Middlebury a 66-63 lead. Bowdoin called a timeout, its last, with :05 left, giving the Polar Bears an inbounds place from the sideline. The ball came in to Matt Mathias who found his teammate Grant White in the left corner. White drained a three-pointer with :02 on the clock to tie the game.
The Bowdoin bench tried to call a timeout, but with its final timeout having been used seconds earlier, the Polar Bears were dealt an administrative technical foul.
“The whistle blew and I wasn’t sure what was going on,” Brown said.
Kizel made three free throws down the stretch, and Jensen blocked the last-second heave from Mathias, sealing the Panthers victory.
Between the two weekends of NESCAC play, the Panthers picked up 92-86 road win at Keene State on Tuesday, Feb. 4, in which Sinnickson recorded a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Kizel had 23 points of his own, Merryman had 14 points to go along with six boards, and Jensen tallied 10 points.
Unfortunately, the win came at a significant cost. St. Amour tore his right ACL in the first half, ending his season. St. Amour played in 20 games, starting nine, and averaging 9.2 points per game.
Middlebury will finish conference play this coming weekend with road games at Trinity and Amherst. The Panthers currently sit in third in the NESCAC, and a win in either game will secure a home game in the first round of the NESCAC tournament.
(02/12/14 7:13pm)
The Middlebury women’s hockey team kept its unbeaten streak alive through the end of February break; the women have yet to suffer a defeat through 14 games
The Panthers defeated Bowdoin on Friday, Jan. 24 before tying the Polar Bears on the following afternoon. Middlebury then took two on the road at Hamilton on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1. Middlebury played a mid-week game at home against Utica and won in a nail-biter, 5-4. Last weekend, on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8, Middlebury outscored Conn. College 6-2 in two wins.
Katie Sullivan ’15 opened the scoring for the Panthers 5:01 into the second period in their first meeting with Bowdoin, which Middlebury won 4-0. One minute and forty-two seconds later, the Panthers’ lead had stretched to 3-0. Sara Ugalde ’14 netted a power play goal with help from Emily Fluke ’15, followed by a second goal from Sullivan. With 13:14 remaining in the third, a shot from Julia Wardwell ’16 was tipped home by Katie Mandigo ’16 for the game’s final goal.
Middlebury’s offense was less explosive on Saturday, Jan. 25 when the Panthers and Polar Bears fought to a draw. Bowdoin took the 1-0 lead halfway through the game on a rebound off of Annabelle Jones ’15, who had 28 saves and has yet to suffer a defeat this season. Jennifer Krakower ’14 scored the equalizer less than a minute into the third period while on a power play.
On Friday, Jan. 31, Middlebury dominated Hamilton in their first meeting. The Panthers recorded their fifth shutout of the season and outshot the Continentals 34-11. Middlebury was the beneficiary of ten power plays, scoring all three goals while on the man advantage. Mandigo, Fluke and Sullivan each tallied a score.
The next day’s matchup between the two squads was more hotly contested, though Middlebury again prevailed, this time 3-2 in overtime. The Panthers took advantage of their power play opportunities, as they had the day before. With 14:20 left on the clock in the second period, Fluke gathered a carom off the boards and knocked it in for the 1-0 lead. Minutes later, a slap shot from Laura McConney ’15 found the back of the net. Hamilton scored on a breakaway late in the second period, and tied the game with just over five minutes left to play in regulation. Seventeen seconds into overtime, Fluke tossed a backhander on net that the Continentals’ goalie seemed to cover up, but the puck squirted through for the game-winner.
More Fluke heroics were on display on Tuesday, Feb. 4 in the Panthers’ defeat of a visiting Utica squad. Utica took an early two-goal lead, but Krakower cut that lead in half late in the first period. After a power play goal from Utica, Krakower again responded with her own score on the power play, off of assists from Carly Watson ’17 and Ugalde, making it a 3-2 game. Pam Schulman ’17 tied the game when she netted her own rebound in the last minute of the third period. Two goals from Fluke after the second intermission made it a 5-3 Middlebury advantage. Utica found the back of the net once more, but in the end the Panthers were victorious by a score of 5-4.
Middlebury’s first meeting with Conn. College on Friday, Feb. 7 saw multiple shots in the period’s final seconds. Conn. opened the scoring with 4.7 seconds left in the first period. Anna Van Kula ’16 tipped home a shot from Victoria Laven ’17 to tie the game in the second period. Fluke sent Middlebury into the second intermission with a 2-1 lead by finishing a rebound on a shot from Watson. After the Camels tied the game in the third, with time winding down, Ugalde scored the game-winner with :57 remaining in the contest.
Middlebury shut out the Camels the following day, 3-0. Mackenzie Martin ’15 scored the first Panther goal. Teammates Sullivan and Fluke added to the scoring, securing the fourth shutout of the season for Jones.
Back on the ice for a matchup with rival Plattsburgh on Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Panthers hit a roadblock that they could not overcome, falling 5-2 to the host Cardinals. While Middlebury jumped ahead early with a first-period goal from Jane Freda ’17, Plattsburgh came roaring back with a trio of second-period goals to seize the lead. Jennifer Krakower added a late power-play goal for the Panthers – who were outshot 28-7 in the second and third periods – in the losing effort.
(02/12/14 7:06pm)
As the majority of the student-body enjoyed some well-deserved time off last week during February break, the Middlebury squash teams were hard at work. Playing not only an extremely competitive schedule but also being arguably the College’s most well-traveled team, the squash teams spent their February breaks competing in both the NESCAC and Div. III Singles tournaments, with both the men and women turning in solid performances across the board.
In a prelude to their championship tournaments, the squash teams participated in a round robin at Yale before the NESCAC and individual tournaments. The women defeated their only Div. III opponent, Franklin & Marshall, while dropping matches to fifth-ranked Yale, 11th-ranked George Washington, and a close defeat to 10th-ranked Brown.
At the Yale meet, the men fared better, albeit against lesser ranked competition. Winning two of three matches, the men defeated number-20 Brown and George Washington, while losing a well contested match to 14th-ranked Navy.
Crucial to both teams’ rankings, the weekend of Jan. 31 saw the men and women take on their NESCAC competition for the team conference championships.
The men, seeded fifth in the conference, drew fourth-seeded Wesleyan in their opening game of the competition. Strong performances by Parker Hurst ’14 and Andrew Cadienhead ’17 buoyed the Panthers, allowing them to best Wesleyan by a score of 5-4.
The upset was not easily attained, as many of the matches went long. With multiple matches going to the fifth and decisive games, the Cardinals of Wesleyan did not make life easy for Middlebury.
The next game, against national powerhouse and top-seeded Trinity, would prove to be unfavorable to the Panthers, as the Bantams beat them soundly 9-0. Other than a strong performance from Andrew Jung ’16 the Panthers were outplayed down the line from an exceptionally strong Trinity team that would similarly shut out Williams in the final to take the NESCAC team championship.
In consolation play for third place, the Panthers took on Bates. The Bobcats had an answer for Middlebury’s usually formidable top half of the lineup, beating the Panthers’ first through fourth singles players. Despite sound wins from Wyatt French ’17, Reed Palmer ’15 and Will Hanley ’15, Middlebury would ultimately come up short and fall to Bates 6-3.
For the weekend, Middlebury finished fourth in the NESCAC, outperforming their seed, but still not the performance a talented roster such as Middlebury’s is capable of producing.
The women’s team, also seeded fifth in the tournament, opened against fourth-seeded Hamilton. The Panthers put on quite the display in their opening match, defeating the Continentals by a score of 7-2. The lineup has clearly benefited from the return of the Dewey cousins, Charlotte ’15 and Katie ’15.
The next round found them taking on Trinity, who were seeded first in the women’s bracket as well. The women fared no better than the men; Trinity, clearly the class of the NESCAC in squash, shut out Middlebury 9-0.
However, Middlebury would rebound strongly from this defeat and in the consolation game, beating Williams 5-4 to take third place in the NESCAC. With shutout victories from Charlotte Dewey and Zoe Carey ’16, as well as a well fought come from behind victory at first singles from Abby Jenkins ’14, the Panthers were able to take down the Ephs in a close matchup.
The strong play from the women continued in the inaugural Div. III Singles Invitational at Bowdoin College this past weekend. Sending Jenkins, Dewey, Carey and Saskia Pownall-Gray ’16 to the top-tiered “A” flight, the women’s delegation from Middlebury had a very strong showing.
Ranked 29th in the field of 32, Pownall-Gray scored the tournament’s biggest upset, defeating Williams’ number-one player in the second round of play, before falling in the next round. Carey and Charlotte Dewey also breezed past their competition before falling in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. The biggest splash, however, was made by Jenkins, who dominated all she played, losing only one game in match play on her way to taking the singles championship.
The men did not see that level of success from their representatives at the tournament, but Jung and Harrison Croll ’16 turned in strong performances. In the “A” flight, Jung won his first match in three straight games, before falling in the round of 16. Croll, who entered the “B” flight, played sharply, winning his first two matches handily before falling to the eventual flight champion in the semifinals.
Both the men’s and women’s teams return to action for the Team Nationals tournament. The men travel to Harvard this weekend, Feb. 13-16, for the tournament. The following weekend, Feb. 20-23, the women will compete at Princeton.
For both squads, Team Nationals will provide one final opportunity to match up with top players from around the country with the intention of improving their national ranking.
(02/12/14 6:57pm)
The Middlebury women’s basketball team went 1-2 in a trio of games over February break, picking up a narrow road win over Keene State on Tuesday, Feb. 4, before dropping a pair of NESCAC home games to Colby and Bowdoin on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 9.
Taking a five-game losing streak on the road to Keene State for a midweek matchup, the Panthers were able to overcome a slow start to edge the Owls by a score of 59-55. While struggling from the floor in the first half, Middlebury capitalized on their 24 free-throw opportunities – of which they converted 17 – en route to the win.
Scarlett Kirk ’14 led the Panthers with 20 points and 18 rebounds for a double-double against Keene State. Middlebury needed all of the help that they could get from Kirk on a day which saw them outrebounded 53-36. Elizabeth Knox ’17 added 11 points in the game.
The Panthers then played host to Colby in a matchup of two squads angling for the eighth and final spot in the upcoming NESCAC tournament. From the opening tip, the Mules were set on establishing their three-point game against the Panthers, hitting six of 13 from long range in the first half to jump out to a 37-31 halftime lead. Though dominant in the paint, Middlebury missed all six of their three-point attempts in the half as they struggled to keep pace.
In the second half, the Mules continued to rain the three-ball, with over half of their attempts in the period coming from beyond the arc. While Kirk’s toughness on the block continued to give the Panthers an edge under the basket, the Mules’ efficiency from three was too much to overcome. Colby stretched their lead throughout the half and went on to win 79-61.
Kirk recorded another double-double in the game, pulling down 17 rebounds to go with 17 points. Guard Sarah Marcus ’14 and forward Rachel Crews ’15 had 13 and 11 points respectively for Middlebury.
In addition to an enormous three-point differential, the Panthers shot just 44 percent from the free-throw line in the game, including 11 misses in the second half alone that would have helped keep the game close.
Returning to action against 22nd-ranked Bowdoin, three-point defense was again a critical weakness for Middlebury. The Polar Bears were able to convert seven of 11 from beyond the arc in the first half alone. Defensive issues were compounded by poor shooting and rebounding from the Panthers, who fell behind early and went into the half trailing by 25.
“I think we did fairly well on the boards,” Knox said. “They were very tall, strong, and physical and we had to work hard to come up with our rebounds.”
The second half was more of the same for Middlebury. The Panthers shot just 30 percent from the floor in the half, while Bowdoin played 15 of the 16 women on the roster and were still able to stretch their lead. The Polar Bears would go on to win by a final tally of 92-55.
Kirk and Knox were the only Panthers to score in double figures against Bowdoin, contributing 10 points each. Middlebury managed just 31 rebounds as a team on the day to Bowdoin’s 41.
“We all knew Bowdoin would be a tough game and knowing we only had a few conference games left definitely added urgency,” Knox said. “We all really wanted the victory, especially for our seniors who have worked so hard and put so much time and energy into our team.”
With the loss to Bowdoin, Middlebury has been eliminated from contention for the NESCAC tournament. Sitting at 1-7 in conference play and in a tie with Colby for ninth place, the Panthers would lose head-to-head tiebreakers to both Wesleyan and Hamilton for the critical eighth spot even if they were to win their final pair of conference games.
Back in action on Tuesday night, Feb. 11, for a home matchup with Suffolk, the Middlebury women again struggled, falling 56-53 in the seniors’ final home game.
In first-half action, Middlebury struggled mightily from the floor, shooting just 18.9 percent in the period, including misses on all eight of their three-point attempts. Kirk’s tenacity on the boards again was a bright spot for the Panthers, helping them to keep the game close even when the shots weren’t falling. Middlebury went into the half trailing 22-16.
Coming out of the break, hot shooting from Marcus helped Middlebury crawl back into the game. Marcus hit a jumper with 2:06 remaining in the game to cut the lead to one at 50-49, but that would be as close as the Panthers would come. Timely free-throw shooting down the stretch helped Suffolk lock down the eventual victory.
Marcus led Middlebury with 18 points on 8-18 shooting, including going 7-11 from the floor in the second half.
Kirk finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds against Suffolk for another double-double, single-handedly helping Middlebury to keep the rebounding margin close. Forward Alexis Coolidge ’15 added eight points off the bench for Middlebury.
The Panthers wrap up their season with a tough pair of NESCAC road games, travelling to face Trinity and twelfth-ranked Amherst on Friday and Sunday, Feb. 14 and 16.
