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(04/22/10 4:01am)
Answers to the crossword will be posted here at 7 a.m. on April 23.
Across
1. NaCl
5. Stats for Mayweather
8. Alf or E.T.
13. Greek portico
14. “Habanera” from “Carmen”, e.g.
16. Stuff to capacity, like with food
17. Yao Ming’s fireworks?
20. Salmon breed
21. Internazionale striker Samuel
22. Danson or Nugent
23. Carmelo’s Dollar Menu favorite
27. Former Chinese Chairman Zedong
28. Viewed
29. Folk singer Guthrie
30. Currencies from Bombay, for short
32. Currently
34. To be’s in Paris
38. Dwayne Wade just hates the Florida weather?
42. Schneider and Benítez
43. ‘Date’ or ‘process’ preceeder
44. Microsoft Word action
45. Carbonated quaff
48. ‘Path’ in Confucianism
50. Perfect score in many competitions
51. What Josh Boone would say if he ever scored?
56. ‘Blind _____ bat’
57. ‘I see.’
58. Gooey flowering plant (Var.)
59. Jason Kidd’s imitation of Sarah Palin?
65. Lotion additives
66. Wise man
67. “______ Day” Vitamins (2 words)
68. Sods
69. Egg-layer
70. Abbreviation on an invitation
Down
1. It followed U, in Moscow?
2. 2002 FIFA World Cup mascot
3. What two bulls may do
4. “Star Trek” actor George
5. Boxing stats.
6. Emergency room for dr.’s
7. Alert system for patrol cars
8. Type of demand curve in econ.
9. ‘That’s so funny!’ on AIM
10. Economic tool for the Fed, briefly
11. Large, white-plumed bird
12. Necessities
15. Health insurance giant
18. List enders (Abbrv.)
19. Day, to Pierre
23. Panama or Suez, notably
24. “Star Wars” creature of Endor
25. Unbridled happiness
26. Emo kids
27. Hole-dwelling, cheese-loving critters
31. Secret cache
33. Exchange vows
35. Get back again
36. Roof edges
37. British submachine gun in WWII
39. Russian rock pioneer Viktor
40. Layered skirt for a ballerina
41. Baking instruction starter, maybe
46. A pair of double-helixes?
47. Ottoman Military officers
49. First word in Poe’s “The Raven”
51. Cobras, if called by their Genus
52. Neapolitan song “_____ Mio” (2 words)
53. Popular lake near Reno
54. Hebrew locale of idol worship
55. Mistake, like on a calculator
60. 1998’s “Waking ____ Devine”
61. NASA’s orbiting base
62. What birthday candles denote
63. Space exploration vehicle proposed by Bush in 2004 (Abbrv.)
64. Take pictures using a glider (Abbrv.)
(04/22/10 4:00am)
Exhibit reception
April 22, 5 – 7 p.m.
Get your weekly dose of culture at the reception for “Invisible Odysseys,” an art collaboration between Lincoln Community School fifth- and sixth-graders and migrant Mexican farm workers in Vermont at the Vermont Folklife Center. The exhibit closes April 23, so check it out before it’s gone.
“The Sound of Music”
April 22, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
The Middlebury Community Players will present the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic at the Town Hall Theater. The show will run April 22-25 and April 29-May 2, so if you can’t see it this weekend, be sure to catch it next weekend. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under, and they are available at the THT box office,
(802) 382-9222 or
http://www.townhalltheater.org.
Contradance
April 24, 8 – 9 p.m.
This month’s fourth Saturday Contradance will be in Starksboro at the town hall instead of its usual location in Bristol. Calling this month by Lausanne Allen with music by Toss the Feathers. Newcomers are welcome, as always, and please wear soft-soled shoes. Admission is $6. For more information, call (802) 453-4613.
Middlebury Maple Run
April 25, 9 a.m.
If you feel up for 13.1 miles on a Sunday morning, bring $50 to the start at Porter Medical Center by 8:30 a.m. on race day and get ready to run! If you’d rather cheer for your fit and fierce friends, find a good place on the course to set up camp. Runners will come through downtown and cross the Pulp Mill Covered Bridge into Weybridge, and after passing UVM’s Morgan Horse Farm they will make their way back toward campus. Watch the awards back at the start and enjoy music by the Horsetraders until 1:30 for $10 a ticket. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, HOPE and the Open Door Clinic, and you can find more information online at
http://www.middleburymaplerun.com
Earth Day celebration
April 25, 1 – 4 p.m.
Honor the commitment of Middlebury-area individuals and groups to make Addison County a leader in renewable energy, local food and conservation on the town green. Enjoy drumming, live music, local food, seed and plant exchange, and more, with a children’s procession at 1 p.m. Call (802) 388-9478.
Spring handbell concert
April 25, 7 – 8 p.m.
Don’t miss the spring handbell concert at the Middlebury Congregational Church presented by the Middlebury Bell Choirs and the Weybridge Parish Bells. Entry is free. For more information call
(802) 545-2474.
(04/22/10 3:59am)
So much for the T.A.M. Last week, Middlebury cyclists spent their workouts biking to Uganda!
Not literally, of course. Proctor Terrace played host to several exercise bikes last week as part of the campus-wide Bike to Uganda fundraiser.
Hosted by Middlebury’s chapter of Building Tomorrow (BT), a nonprofit focused on building schools in Africa, the event challenged Middlebury students to collectively bike the roughly 7,000 miles from Vermont to Uganda.
Not even five years old, BT got its start in 2005 when founder George Srour, at the time a recent graduate from the College of William and Mary, started the organization in an empty room in his parents’ house.
To date the nonprofit has built four schools in Uganda and provided classroom space for 1,250 underprivileged children. Over 20 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada boast chapters of Building Tomorrow.
The Middlebury community has Jessi Stevens ’12 to thank for BT’s presence on campus. A native of Indianapolis (where BT has its headquarters), Stevens started Middlebury’s chapter last spring after a high school coach recommended her to the organization. Since then, the club has raised over $2,500 for BT and run two major events: Bike for Tomorrow and last fall’s Brick by Brick campaign.
Stevens credits the nonprofit’s dignity and transparency as an organization for her dedication to Building Tomorrow.
“I think that service should be a partnership and that respect — equal respect — should be held on the sides of giver and recipient,” she said.
“I think that you should realize that both sides of this relationship have equal amounts to give. Building Tomorrow literally does that.”
Stevens is referring to BT’s unique relationship with the communities it serves. Entirely focused on meeting Uganda’s needs as defined by Uganda, BT enters only communities that actively request and are in need of a school.
“It’s not a bunch of Americans coming in, describing what we think Uganda needs and then subsequently giving it to them,” Stevens said.
Quite the contrary — the Ugandan community takes the lead in almost every stage of the process. Besides seeking the funds from Building Tomorrow, they volunteer their time to actually construct each school.
The BT academies are staffed by Ugandan citizens paid by the Ugandan Ministry of Education, which partners with Building Tomorrow.
“Our goal is to build a school by the end of four years,” Stevens said. She believes that as Middlebury’s chapter continues to grow, raising the $45,000 will become a feasible goal.
Contributing to the Middlebury chapter’s efforts is BT’s simple donation system. With its operational costs covered entirely by private donations and grants, BT can send all money raised by individual chapters directly to Uganda.
“It’s really efficient,” explained Sarah King ’12, a member of the Middlebury chapter.
“Giving a small donation makes an impact.”
She cited the Brick by Brick campaign as an example, in which a mere $5 donation purchased nine pounds of bricks in Uganda.
Middlebury’s money is well spent. Roughly 41 million children in sub-Saharan Africa live each day without access to public education. This crisis is especially problematic in Uganda, where over half the population is under the age of 15. This makes Uganda the youngest country in the world.
“It’s important for schools like Middlebury to realize that they can do really small things to [affect] people in different parts of the world who don’t have access to education like we do,” said King, describing her enthusiasm for Building Tomorrow.
Each BT school provides the Ugandan community with seven classrooms, a headmaster’s office, a library, toilets and a soccer field. A single BT academy serves 325 Ugandan children. Not bad for a country where barely half of all youth are able to complete primary school.
As they look toward the future, Middlebury’s Building
Tomorrow intends to make Bike to Uganda and Brick by Brick annual events.
In addition, the group is planning a newsletter campaign for the near future and next year hope to expand their fundraising into the greater Middlebury community, focusing particularly on the school communities.
While Middlebury didn’t quite make it all the way to Uganda, teams of cyclists collectively covered 3,700 miles, enough to reach the African coast. The members of team Steven Glansburg can enjoy their bragging rights as the group that biked the greatest distance, while 2 Live Crew came in second. Middlebury’s Building Tomorrow hopes that next year, as the organization grows, it’ll make it all the way to Uganda. Until then, the chapter can enjoy the success of its Bike to Uganda fundraiser, which succeeded in part due to the sheer simplicity of its design.
“That’s the draw of it — that it’s convenient,” said Christina Fox ’13.5 and Kari Nielsen ’13.5 as they biked their way through a late afternoon work-out.
Middlebury students have finally mastered multitasking. Now even their workouts are committed to social justice.
(04/22/10 3:59am)
The Middlebury softball team suffered a pair of losses last weekend to NESCAC West division rival Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. The Panthers won the first game of the three-game series before dropping the next two.
The teams played twice on Friday and once more on Sunday, after adjusting the game schedule due to inclement weather. After the series, Middlebury’s record stands at 15-8 overall and 6-3 in the division. Williams improves to 9-17 overall and 4-2 in the NESCAC West.
In the first game, Geena Constantin ’11 pitched for the Panthers, who had not surrendered a run in three games. Constantin allowed three hits and two earned runs over seven innings while striking out 10 batters. At the plate, Constantin drove in three runs, two on a home run in the top of a four-run fourth inning for the Panthers, and catcher Alyson Downing ’12 knocked in two. Middlebury won the game 6-2.
The second game went to the Ephs 7-5 as the Panthers stranded eight runners on base over seven innings. Middlebury failed to score with runners on base in the second half of Friday’s doubleheader. After jumping out to an early 2-0 lead off of a Williams defensive error, the Panthers struggled to execute for the rest of the game.
A timely, bases-loaded single by Amanda Correnti in the third inning plated three runs for the Ephs, who would relinquish the lead in the fifth and regain it for good in the sixth. Middlebury starting pitcher Ali McAnaney ’11 lost for just the third time this season, allowing 11 hits and five runs over five innings. Downing and Megan Margel ’11 each had two hits, but the Panthers could not overcome costly fielding errors and stellar Williams offense.
Williams won the Sunday finale 7-6 in a 10-inning marathon game. Middlebury third baseman Sarah Boylan ’13 drove in three runs for the visitors, who returned to Williamstown on Sunday afternoon after spending Saturday night back in Middlebury.
“Whether it was Nellie Wood’s ’11 diving catch in the outfield or Geena Constantin’s ’11 nine strikeouts, everyone on the team contributed in one way or another,” Boylan said.
“Although we were down by a few runs early in the game, we never gave up and everyone stepped up in big spots to make the plays to keep us going.”
The Panthers took a one-run lead into the bottom of the unprecedented 10th inning, only to have a near victory slip away after Williams generated some offense.
Constantin pitched nine and one-third innings for the Panthers, who once again lost the season series to Williams for the second time in as many years. Despite the disappointing outcome, team co-captain Sophie Dorot ’10 was proud of the Panthers’ effort. “We fought till the very end and showed a lot of heart,” she said.
The Panthers almost had the victory wrapped up in the seventh inning, scoring twice in the top half of the frame. Boylan hammered a two-run home run that seemed to have put Middlebury ahead for good. Williams was able to sneak in a run in the bottom half of the inning, prolonging the rubber match for an additional two and one-third innings. Margel drove in a run in the top of the 10th inning, putting the Panthers up 6-5. A lead-off double in the bottom of the inning by Williams second baseman Allison Hart spurred the hosts’ offense. The Ephs scored twice in the inning to win the game 7-6 and the series 2-1.
“Geena pitched a great game and everyone kept fighting and refused to give up while we were behind,” said co-captain Kristin Maletsky ’10. “The outcome was certainly disappointing, but it just showed us again that we refuse to give up.”
Middlebury returns to action on Wednesday, facing Union College for a two-game series at home. A weekend homestand of four games kicks off on Saturday, as the Panthers will face Castleton State University and Plymouth State University twice each over two days.
(04/22/10 3:59am)
The Middlebury College Rugby Club (MCRC) saw their hopes at a repeat national championship come to an end last weekend, as the team failed to advance out of the Sweet 16 round. Thirteenth-seeded Middlebury faced off against fourth-seeded Miami of Ohio in Saturday’s matchup, a game that turned out to be far closer than the disparity in the teams’ rankings would imply.
In an extremely hard-fought, gut-wrenching performance, the Middlebury side left everything on the field despite a rocky first-half performance.
Both teams came out of the gates hard, and the Middlebury offense was spearheaded by the dominating kicking performance of captain Brian Sirkia ’12.5 as well as the speedy play of winger Zach Withers ’11.5.
The score remained close until the final 10 minutes of the opening period, in which the Blue defense allowed its opponents 17 points, losing their 10-7 advantage to end the half behind 24-10.
The second half, however, saw a rejuvenated Middlebury team regain the field and its honor. Infused with fresh legs in the form of the fearlessly aggressive Sam Harrison ’11, club president Blake Hinckley ’10 and new Feb Ben Stasiuk ’13.5, the team put Miami of Ohio under pressure early and was relentless for the remainder of the game.
The Blue limited their foe to three points in the half, and meanwhile demonstrated continued strong kicking and an incredible comeback drive.
“In the second half we fought back and salvaged our character,” said Kelner.
“In the end we only lost by four and I think that is a testament to the mental strength of the guys on the field.”
The match came down to the final play of the game, yet despite a brilliant effort the MCRC fell 27-23, resulting in its elimination from the tournament.
The team played a consolation game on Sunday morning, in which it took out the full fury of its disappointing loss from the day before, crushing Cal Maritime 40-22.
“The consolation game was a really important win for the club,” said Kelner.
“To go out on a high note after the disappointment of Saturday really salvaged the weekend for us.”
Seniors Blake Hinckley ’10 and Brendan Leanos ’10, captaining the team in their final career game, delivered standout performances, and the team cruised to a satisfying victory.
Although the team’s championship dreams were foiled, the MCRC ended the season on a high note in terms of the drive and determination they exhibited in the tournament. The team graduates one starter and two substitutes, and given its plethora of young talent, the future looks bright for the club.
(04/15/10 4:00am)
The Middlebury women’s lacrosse team posted an overwhelming 18-7 win over the Bowdoin College Polar Bears last Saturday. Bowdoin is currently ranked second in the NESCAC, while Middlebury is at sixth, so the win was a big statement for the Panthers. With the win, Middlebury ended Bowdoin’s five-game winning streak and improved to 5-3 on the season.
Senior tri-Captain Dana Heritage ’10 played a part in nine of 18 goals scored by the Panthers, with four goals and five assists in Middlebury’s win. Heritage was named NESCAC Player of the Week for her outstanding performance.
It was clear from the start of the game that Middlebury had come to play. Although Bowdoin scored the first goal, Middlebury answered with three right away by three different Panthers. First-year Margaret Souther ’13, Heritage and Chase Delano ’11 each chipped in a goal to gain a 3-1 lead over Bowdoin. The Polar Bears were able to strike once more, but it would prove to be their last tally of the first half, as Middlebury went on a five-goal scoring streak before the intermission.
The second half brought more of the same. Middlebury controlled the play throughout. Bowdoin was able to put five goals on the scoreboard, but each Polar Bear goal was countered by a flurry of Middlebury offense, led largely by Heritage. At one point, Middlebury held an 11 goal advantage over Bowdoin.
“Dana was unbelievable,” said Chase Delano ’11. “She played a part in half of the goals that we scored, but her contributions weren’t limited to the scoreboard. She was also very consistent in draw controls and played a vital role in our smooth transitions from defense to offense. She had an impact all over the field.”
Heritage wasn’t the only Panther to score multiple goals in the win. Delano, Sally Ryan ’11 and Michaela Colbert ’13 each added three goals for Middlebury. First-year Souther also turned in an impressive overall performance for Middlebury, scoring two goals and adding four assists.
A key part of the Panthers’ convincing win was the defense. Led by tri-captains Carrie Sparkes ’10 and Catherine Gotwald ’10, Middlebury’s defense was all over Bowdoin, limiting them to only 18 shots on net for the duration of the game.
“Bowdoin could barely get a shot off,” commented Delano. “Our defense played the way that they did against Gettysburg, which was another great win for us this season. They definitely brought their best game against Bowdoin and it showed in the score.”
The defense was also anchored by Lily Nguyen ’12 between the pipes. “Lily played so well,” said Delano. “The team has so much confidence in her in net.” Nguyen made 11 crucial saves for Middlebury. She currently has the highest save percentage in the NESCAC. Middlebury’s other goalie, Becca Shaw ’12, played the final minutes for the Panthers.
Middlebury proved that when their defense and their offense combine, they are virtually unstoppable. Middlebury will have another chance to prove they can contend with the best of the NESCAC this weekend, when they hit the road to take on Trinity College, ranked first in the NESCAC, at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
(04/15/10 4:00am)
The Bowdoin Polar Bears swept the Panthers’ baseball team last weekend, and as a result, Middlebury dropped to 5-11 on the year. Last week marked the first home action for the Panthers on the season, as they opened play at Forbes Field with a 10-7 loss to Castleton State before beating Plymouth State by a score of 15-7 last Wednesday. Bowdoin, coming off a series win over fourth-ranked Trinity, proved to be a much more formidable challenge for the Panthers, who lost all three weekend games by scores of 7-3, 21-6, and 14-13.
“It was definitely a disappointing series,” said sophomore pitcher Dirk Van Duym ’12. “There’s not a whole lot else to say besides that.”
In game one of the series, Middlebury pulled within one run in the bottom of the second inning on a Joe Conway ’13 home run and a Joey Liberator ’11 walk with the bases loaded, but were unable to pull ahead as the Polar Bears added three more runs in their half of the sixth inning on their way to the victory. Game two was a Bowdoin rout from start to finish, as they led 17-2 after four innings en route to scoring 21, their highest scoring total in four years.
“Game two was one of those games that just snowballed,” said Matt Wassel ’12. “One thing led to another and suddenly we were down big.” Conway and fellow first-year Michael Morris ’13 had two RBIs apiece in the game, leading the Panthers in that category. The third and final outing of the series was a wild, back-and-forth affair, with the outcome in doubt up until the final at-bat. Middlebury trailed 4-3 going into the bottom of the fifth, when they erupted for seven runs courtesy of two sacrifice flies from Erich Enns ’10 and Tyler Wark ’12 and RBI singles from Peter Baumann ’10 and Thomas Driscoll ’13.
The offensive explosion put the Panthers ahead 10-4 with four innings to play, but Bowdoin struck back in the seventh with their own seven-run inning to go ahead 11-10. After Driscoll doubled home the tying run in the bottom of the seventh, recording his second RBI of the game, the teams went scoreless in the eighth before the Polar Bears opened up a 14-11 lead in the top of the ninth.
The Middlebury half of the inning was a tense, dramatic affair, as Conway led off with a single and was followed by another single from Andrew Lind ’13. Driscoll added a third consecutive single, driving home a run in the process. Lind would eventually score on a wild pitch after Wark sacrificed him to third base, cutting the score to just one run. However, with the tying run on third and just one out, Wassel struck out and Donny McKillop ’11 grounded out to second, ending the Panthers’ comeback effort.
“The third game was really tough,” said Van Duym. Baumann finished the game with three RBIs, and Driscoll had four hits. One bright spot of the weekend was the return of leadoff hitter Wark, who leads the team in batting average at .462 after missing half the season with a shoulder injury. Next weekend, the Panthers will play Amherst at home, a crucial series in which Middlebury will look to improve its record in league play and potential playoff standing for the NESCAC tournament.
“When you play a season as short as ours, you understand the gravity of every game,” said Wassel. “Having Amherst coming in this weekend is a good medicine for us right now. They are a solid team and big rivals of ours. It’s crucial that we are playing our best baseball when we start the series this weekend.”
(04/15/10 4:00am)
The Middlebury softball team outscored Hamilton College 21-0 last weekend, en route to a three-game series sweep of the visiting Continentals. The series was the first at home for the Panthers in the 2010 season, as the teams played once on Friday afternoon and twice on Saturday.
Once again, the Panther offense excelled while the starting pitching and defense shut down the visitors, pushing Middlebury’s record to 14-6 overall and 5-1 in the NESCAC West division. The highlight of the series came in game two, when pitcher Geena Constantin ’11 recorded a perfect game for the Panthers.
“I would have to give the credit for the perfect game to the team as a whole,” Constantin said. “Our defense was so flawless, especially in the middle infield––and with the help of some great plays in the outfield and behind the plate, we had the perfect game,” noted the junior.
Ali McAnaney ’11 delivered the first pitch of the series on Friday afternoon in a game that the hosts would go on to win 8-0. Constantin batted in three runs in the game from the designated player position. In softball, the designated player hits for a selected defensive player; Constantin batted for second baseman Kelsey Chisolm ’11. Three other Panthers had multiple-hit games while McAnaney allowed just three hits over six innings from the circle.
Constantin pitched the second game in the series, which Middlebury won 6-0. In the effort, Constantin delivered her perfect game for the Panthers, allowing no hits and surrendering no walks over seven innings. The Panthers complemented Constantin’s feat with six runs on 13 hits. Co-captain Sophie Dorot ’10 called Geena’s performance “incredible.”
In the series finale, Constantin and McAnaney each pitched as Middlebury cruised to a 7-0 victory. Designated player and first baseman Megan Margel ’11 had two runs batted in on three hits. The team once again displayed its balanced offense as several players had multiple hits.
“It was a terrific weekend for us,” said Dorot ’10. “We really played together as a team, our bats were on, our defense was solid, and we stayed focused and energetic throughout all three games,” she added.
Defensively, the Panthers have hit their stride. Shortstop Jessa Hoffman ’13 recorded three putouts and assisted on four additional outs in the final game of the weekend. Many of the outs that Middlebury recorded were at first base, particularly in Constantin’s perfect game. Because McAnaney and Constantin combined for 14 strikeouts on the weekend, the defense needed to be on its toes to record the remaining outs.
The Panther bats did their part during the series. Hoffman and fellow first-years Jessica Poracky ’13 and Emma Katz ’13 each had multiple-base knocks in the series, virtually guaranteeing hitting prominence for the Panthers in future seasons. Right now, however, the young team is enjoying a significant amount of success.
After finishing 2009 with 17 wins, Middlebury’s 2010 squad looks poised to shatter last season’s high-water mark having tallied 14 victories through 20 games so far this year. In NESCAC play, Middlebury has won five of six divisional games, positioning itself well for the post-season.
The Panthers will play a three-game series in Williamstown, Mass., over two days on April 16-17 against Williams College. Middlebury will face its NESCAC West foe for the first time in 2010 after losing two of three to the Ephs a year ago. The team returns home the following week for a two-game series against Union College.
(04/15/10 4:00am)
Whatever the obstacle –– be it an injury, a crowd of raucous heckling frat boys or starvation –– Middlebury men’s tennis rises to the challenge. Even if the results might exhibit a continuous lack of competition.
The Panthers cruised through another undefeated weekend at Trinity and Wesleyan, racking up 8-1 and 9-0 wins, respectively. Middlebury improved to a NESCAC-leading 11-2 on the season, with a winning percentage superior to those of Amherst (17-6), Bowdoin (8-3) and Trinity (7-3). Amherst remains the only other team besides the Panthers without a NESCAC loss.
The aforementioned Bantams of Trinity provided the first test of the weekend, clearly showing they meant business before the match even started. A throng of fraternity brothers, armed with information from Middlebury-to-Trinity transfer Rich Bonfiglio, continuously peppered Middlebury players with personal and discouraging remarks. But the Panthers remained unfazed, rallying to win all of their singles matches and despite an early #3 doubles loss and never looked back.
“[The home fans] were all obnoxious and knew a lot of stuff about us,” said co-captain Peter Odell ’10, “but everyone managed the crowd well and there were no problems.” If anything, uncomfortable atmospheres during the regular season will only better prepare the Panthers for more competitive match play in the future. “This made the match more intense and fun,” added co-captain Andrew Thomson ’10, “because I had to expend all my energy to stay focused on my game and to ignore the comments of opposing fans.”
Despite an injury (hand) to co-captain Chris Mason ’10, other Panthers displayed the same ferocious intensity and dominance that they have all season, including co-captain Andrew Lee ’10.
“Lee had an incredible come-from-behind victory and showed his mental fortitude to come up with a win on a day he was not playing his best,” noted Thomson. Co-captain Conrad Olson ’10 exacted some revenge on Bonfiglio in #3 singles, dispatching him easily with a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Alec Parower ’13 and Odell also triumphed in straight-set victories. In doubles play, the #1-ranked pairing of Thomson and Lee and Panther combo Olson and co-captain Eliot Jia ’10 won competitive matches.
The Panthers traveled to Wesleyan the following day, tired and hungry after the Trinity match.
“The only problem was that we did not stop to get food before the match,” remarked Odell, “and so some of the players were starving and lacked energy.” Of course, this did not prevent the Panthers from crushing each Cardinal opponent. A slow start to the first doubles match was the only concern, but Panther combo Lee and Thomson soon started to control the points and posted an 8-4 victory. Also in doubles, pairings Jia and Odell and Eric Vehovec ’12 and Andrew Peters ’11 were each victorious without losing one game. Six Middlebury players rounded out the day with wins in singles play, including a dominant 6-0, 6-0 beatdown by Chris Schlabach ’13.
Much of Middlebury’s squad was able to rest during the Wesleyan match, showing once again the remarkable depth and versatility of this year’s Panther team. The starting lineup still remains dominant, with four out of six Middlebury starters undefeated in Division III singles play thus far.
“Our singles lineup has been pretty dominant so far,” said Thomson, “and although our doubles has been much improved since last year, we would like to reach a level where our doubles play is as strong as our singles play.” Thomson, as always, remains focused on the big picture. “While we are currently playing well, we will need to stay focused on our goals and continue to put in the efforts that have made us successful this season.”
The Panthers swing through Maine this weekend to take on Colby and Bowdoin, the latter one of Middlebury’s chief rivals this spring.
(04/08/10 4:00am)
Across
1. Declare
5. Middle-Earth continent
9. It’s the key to playing keys in the right key?
14. Flat-topped hill
15. Famous showgirl
16. Brit’s paparazzo fling Ghalib
17. City in southern Israel
18. Weather meas.
19. Four, Prefix
20. Track 10 on “Blood on the Tracks”
23. N.A.S.A.’s alien robot
24. Its capital is Vientiane
25. ‘With _________ home, like a complete unknown’
30. Stat. variation value
33. ‘Psh, yeah right.’
34. Popular X-Box game, briefly
35. Suburban metro in Germany
37. Royal name in Norway
38. D-Day locale
41. “_____ to piss in” (2 words)
42. Brawl
44. Doze off
45. Belgian river
46. Big org. in April
47. Homage song to folkie Guthrie
51. Tennis great Arthur
52. Datum for a tanner
53. Collaboration with “The Band”
59. Hopefully not a ‘Hopeful’ in 2012
60. Heidi Klum’s beau
61. Ninth letter in the Greek alphabet
63. Son of Abraham
64. Border circling a shield
65. Chew on
66. Parisian waterway
67. Hiking program for Febs, maybe
68. 9-digit identification (Abbrev.)
Down
1. Org. for 26-across
2. 1-across, e.g.
3. Jacob’s twin
4. “Harry Potter” actor Daniel
5. Clark Kent to Superman, e.g.
6. Dom Pérignon producer
7. Charity for the beleaguered
8. Birthplace of pizza, to Italians
9. Supporters
10. Lightbulbs, maybe?
11. Against
12. “Babylon 5” alien race
13. ‘I’m a man ____ mission’ (2 words)
21. First Professor of U.N.C. David
22. _____ Schwarz
25. “The Ring” actress Watts
26. ‘Father of Modern Medicine’ William
27. Calls
28. Website ender, often
29. Banjo resonance, colloquially
30. Trinidadian music style
31. Put a slipper on
32. Data inclusion
36. Kennedy’s foreign policy fiasco
39. Topper for Sabathia
40. Peter and James
43. Basically, with ‘in’
48. Resistance measure
49. “Schindler’s List” actor Liam
50. Largest New Deal prgm.
51. P.F. Chang cuisine
53. Military post
54. Jai _____
55. Last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty
56. Like some tales
57. Ages
58. Musial or Lee
59. French idiom ‘de mal en ____”
62. Reactions to a newborn
(04/08/10 3:59am)
The men’s lacrosse team accrued an impressive 4-0 start that included big wins over Wesleyan, ranked 10th a year ago, and Washington and Lee, who finished last season ranked sixth.
Having proven they could blow away the bad teams and win close ones over good teams, the Panthers were excited for battles against NESCAC rivals and up-and-coming programs Connecticut College and Colby.
The game against Connecticut College was a battle to be the last undefeated NESCAC team. The Camels’ 5-0 start was their best start in years, especially considering that the team only won six total games last year.
The first half went according to the historical script. Middlebury jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead on goals from Chris Teves ’10, Alex Englert ’12 and Jack Balaban ’11. After exchanging two goals a side, Conn. College drew within one with 15 seconds remaining in the first half.
Net minder Ryan Deane ’11.5 kept up his great form from the first four games and recorded six saves to four goals against in the first half.
The script says the Panthers, with all their big-game experience, should have come out and opened up a lead right out of the gates, but letting opponents like this stick around always increases their confidence.
The Camels came out of the half fired up. Nine minutes into the second half, Conn. College finally translated that confidence into two quick goals.
Though the Panthers were able to re-tie the game on a goal from Andrew Conner ’11, the momentum had obviously shifted toward the Camels.
After exchanging goals in the final period to create the fourth and final tie of the game, the Camels sealed their victory on a goal with two minutes remaining.
What had been some of the keys to Middlebury’s early success –– staunch goal tending and efficient face-offs –– eluded them in this match. Deane only managed one save in the second half, compared to four goals.
Face-off guru Brian Foster ’13 was held to only 6-18 at the cross.
The Panthers also failed to convert on two late extra-man opportunities in the fourth quarter.
These little things, often overlooked by a casual observer, decide these close games; usually, though, Middlebury is on the right side of them.
The Panthers traveled to Maine last Saturday looking to avenge their first loss of the season against an upstart Colby team. While the Mules were 4-3 heading into the NESCAC matchup, they had lost those three games by a combined three goals and had finally won a close game, 8-7 in OT against Trinity the game before.
Middlebury, which has only lost to Colby once in the past 13 years, was instantly reminded of the ever-improving parity in NESCAC lacrosse as Colby scored a mere six seconds into the contest.
After exchanging two goals per side in the first quarter, Colby first-year John Jennings tallied three times in the second quarter to push the Mule lead to 6-2 at the half.
The details said it all. Again, the Panthers were out-shot 15-12, made fewer saves (5-4), were out-hustled on ground balls (18-16) and beat-up in the face-off circle, winning only two of 10 face-offs. The Panthers were lucky to be within four after an abysmal start, but good teams fight back.
After a Colby score pushed the lead to 7-2, Pete Smith ’10, David Hild ’11 and Erich Pfeffer ’13 scored to pull the Panthers within two. An extra-strength goal, just before the close of the third quarter, and a quick tally in the fourth again pushed the Colby lead to four, but the Panthers were not done.
Bart Witmer ’10 scored his second goal of the season and Balaban, who has posted an impressive eight points in six games in his first season as a starter, added two quick ones to pull the Panthers within one.
But the comeback ran out of steam.
The Panthers again failed to convert a fourth quarter extra-man opportunity and did not win the face-off, ground ball or save battle in any individual quarter, let alone the game.The Panthers have shown they can score and defend, but the question now becomes, can they do the little things?
If they hope to beat Bowdoin, reigning NESCAC semifinalist, this Saturday at home, the answer to that question needs to be a resounding yes.
(04/08/10 3:59am)
Middlebury men’s tennis has been on the grind of late, racking up multiple victories in the past couple weeks to earn a well-justified number one national ranking.
Much of the team’s success stems from talented senior leadership, as five of the six seniors captain the team.
After an exhibition win over Glendale and despite an initial National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) loss against Azusa Pacific (CA) –– which was riding its longest winning streak in three years –– Middlebury made its biggest national splash of the season by flooring last year’s number-one ranked team, UC Santa Cruz, over its Spring Break trip to California. The Panthers entered the trip ranked fourth in the nation.
Coach Schwarz’s squad lost just one close match in the key victory. After doubles play, Middlebury held just a 2-1 victory but started to pull away with a momentum-swinging, come-from-behind victory by co-captain Andrew Thomson ’10.
Thomson won consecutive sets 6-0, 6-0 after dropping his first. Co-captain Peter Odell ’10 followed with a 7-5, 6-4 victory to give the Panthers a 5-1 lead.
From then on, Middlebury swept the rest of the singles matches, including notably dominant triumphs by #1 singles player Andrew Peters ’11 and co-captain and #2 Andrew Lee ’10 en route to an 8-1 victory.
The Panthers followed up the UCSC victory with a 7-2 win over Redlands and another tough NAIA match, which ended in a 7-2 defeat against Vanguard. They completed the trip with an 8-1 victory over Pomona-Pitzer, a 7-2 exhibition triumph over Cerritos, and another 7-2 domination of Claremont. In this last match, #3 singles player Conrad Olson ’10 sealed it with 6-2, 6-2 victories as the Panthers won five of six singles matches.
Middlebury returned with a 7-2 record and a #1 Division III ranking in the March 30 national poll.
Upon returning from the trip, Thomson was pleased with the results but wary of the pitfalls of becoming complacent.
“Our team is not looking to let up, even after such a solid trip,” said Thomson. “We are still going to focus on one match at a time and bring it every day to practice.”
His attitude is certainly one shared by the rest of the team, as Middlebury continued its impressive performance with 9-0 and 8-1 NESCAC road victories over Tufts and Bates, respectively, last weekend at Bates.
The Jumbos were quite a pushover as the Panthers won a quick two of three doubles matches and dominated in five of six singles matches in straight sets.
Alec Parower ’13 posted a remarkably hard-fought 6-2, 6-4 victory over Tufts junior Tony Carucci in the longest match of the day. Middlebury improved to 8-2 as Tufts dropped to 3-3.
Bates, ranked 29th in the country, provided a tougher test for Middlebury, but hardly pressured the Panthers over the course of the day.
Top doubles team Thomson and Lee maintained winning form, as did pairs Olson and co-captain Eliot Jia ’10 and Peters and Eric Vehovec ’12. Peters, Lee, Olson, Odell and Jia all posted victories in singles play. Bates dropped to 6-3 overall as Middlebury improved to a NESCAC-leading 9-2.
The Panthers visit Trinity and Wesleyan this weekend.
(04/08/10 3:59am)
The Middlebury College baseball team took one of three from Wesleyan last weekend in Connecticut, dropping its record to 4-7 on the season after starting 3-5 in Arizona over spring break.
The Cardinals won the first two contests of the series by scores of 7-6 and 10-2 before the Panthers took the final outing 7-2.
“There have been times when this team looks like it can beat anyone in the NESCAC but we need to find a way to start playing that way every game,” said shortstop Will Baine ’12.
Third baseman Donnie McKillop ’11 expressed the same sentiment, saying “overall we have shown great potential to be a good team,” but adding that the Panthers “need to learn how to finish a team when we have the opportunity.”
McKillop’s concerns about the team’s finishing ability proved all too true in game one of the series, when the Panthers jumped out to 6-2 lead after a Joey Liberator ’11 home run in the fourth inning, but could not hold on for the victory as Wesleyan scored five runs in the next three innings.
“The key to our future success will be getting all parts of our game working for nine innings,” said McKillop, who had three RBIs in the first game.
The second game of the series, the first of a Saturday doubleheader, was tight early on but turned into a rout as Wesleyan pulled away in the middle innings. Tri-captains McKillop and Danny Seymour ’10 both tallied RBIs for Middlebury in the third inning, tying the score at two, but the Cardinals struck back in the fourth with six runs to gain an 8-2 advantage that they would not relinquish, eventually winning 10-2.
The Panthers finally notched a victory in game three of the series, their fourth of the season and second in NESCAC play (Middlebury went 1-2 versus Williams in a three-game series played over spring break).
Stellar pitching from Matt Lowes ’10, who allowed only two earned runs and struck out three in a complete-game effort, and two RBIs apiece from sophomores Zach Roeder ’12 and Matt Wassel ’12 propelled the Panthers to a convincing win over the Cardinals.
Middlebury tallied runs in six of nine innings, which characterized the kind of “consistent pressure with no let-up” that McKillop said was crucial to the team’s future success.
“Winning only one game in the series leaves us in a tough hole and makes our series against Amherst in two weeks huge,” said Baine, adding, “we are young and getting better.”
The Panthers have been getting contributions from players all over the depth chart, and at times have featured as many as four first-years in their lineup.
McKillop leads all hitters in batting average, hitting .400 through the first 11 games of the season.
He is followed by first-year Joe Conway ’13, who is hitting .325. Lowes and Nick Angstman ’11 have ERAs of 3.74 and 3.72, respectively, and have combined for all of the Panthers’ four wins this season.
Middlebury plays Castleton State in its home opener this week before a weekend series with Bowdoin, who just took two of three from fourth-ranked Trinity.
“Bowdoin should be a really good test for us this weekend,” said Baine.
The Panthers have lost two of their conference games by one run and look to further improve their consistency as they continue to grow as a young team.
(04/08/10 3:59am)
Middlebury dropped a road game to Babson College on April Fool’s Day, finishing just two goals behind in a 15-13 score. Senior co-Captain Dana Heritage ’10 ended the game with four goals and one assist, while first-year Michaela Colbert ’13 and sophomore Steph Gill ’12 each added three goals.
However, the impressive scoring efforts by some of the Panthers proved insufficient to best the Babson Beavers, who gained momentum and held possession for most of the second-half.
On Saturday, eighth-ranked Middlebury took the field again to take on the seventh-ranked Colby Mules at home on Kohn Field. In recent years, Middlebury has developed an intense rivalry with Colby.
In the last five meetings between the two teams, Colby has come out on top four times. Last year, however, Middlebury had the chance to avenge a NESCAC semifinal loss to Colby in the NCAA Regional Final and pulled away with the win.
Though Middlebury’s Sally Ryan ’11 struck first, putting Middlebury ahead 1-0, Colby appeared to control the first half. The Mules scored four straight goals to arrive at halftime with a 4-2 lead.
“We got off to a slow start,” said junior Chase Delano ’11, who was responsible for Middlebury’s other goal in the first half. “Colby came on strong right away and we realized we were going to have to pick it up if we wanted to compete.”
Colby appeared to be in control of the second half as well, scoring three goals to Middlebury’s one to take a 7-3 lead with under 25 minutes remaining. However, Middlebury rallied and generated a four-goal run to tie the game at seven.
Ryan set the streak in motion, tallying twice. Delano followed suit, converting a free position with a bounce shot to beat Colby’s Sarah Warnke in net. First-year Michaela Colbert ’13 notched the tying goal at 19:40.
Colby took an unnerving two-goal lead with just over three minutes to go, but Middlebury responded once again. Delano netted another free position shot to bring the Panthers within one goal of the Mules.
With under two minutes remaining, Colbert won control of the draw and scored another tying goal with just 1:19 left in regulation. Colby had control of the ball in the final moments of the game, but Middlebury prevented them from having any good scoring chances.
“We picked up our game at a crucial point in the game,” said Delano. “The offense really came together to generate and convert good scoring chances. We put our best effort out there to take it into overtime.”
The overtime consisted of two three-minute periods. Colby struck first, ending the first overtime period with a 1-0 lead. First-year Margaret Souther answered for the Panthers in the second overtime period, bringing the score to a 1-1 tie. However, Colby’s Amy Campell scored her fifth of the game and second of the overtime to give Colby a 2-1 lead with just 24 seconds remaining in the overtime.
Juniors Delano and Ryan paced the Panthers with three goals apiece, with first-years Colbert and Souther following close behind with two each. First-year Heather Marrison ’13 added a notable four ground balls and caused two turnovers. Lily Nguyen ’12 turned in another great performance for Middlebury, finishing with nine saves in goal.
With the loss, the Panthers fell to 4-3 overall on the season, and 2-2 in the NESCAC.
Middlebury will take the field next in an away game against NESCAC competitor Bowdoin College. The Panthers will face the Polar Bears at 12:00 PM on April 10.
(04/08/10 3:59am)
The Middlebury College softball team beat Amherst in two of three games this weekend in Amherst, Mass., improving the Panthers’ record to 11-6 overall and 2-1 in the NESCAC West division. With the series loss, the Lord Jeffs fall to 9-7 overall and 1-2 in the division.
The teams faced off once on Friday afternoon and twice on Saturday with the Panthers winning all but the finale.
On Friday, Geena Constantin ’11 pitched a complete game shutout for the Panthers, while allowing just two hits and walking two, for her fourth victory against just two losses on the young season.
The 4-0 Middlebury victory was indicative of the team’s style up to this point in the season. The Panthers scored four or more runs for the eighth and ninth times this year with the weekend wins. Going into the season, co-captains Kristin Maletsky ’10.5 and Sophie Dorot ’10 anticipated success at the plate. In the Friday victory, Constantin also connected three times, batting 1.000 in a game largely marked by her shutout performance from the circle.
The first of the two Saturday games also went the Panthers’ way.
Once again, the visiting team’s bats came alive, as both shortstop Jessa Hoffman ’13 and centerfielder Nellie Wood ’11 had three hits each. Hoffman and first baseman Megan Margel ’11 batted in two runs in apiece.
In both the Friday game and the early Saturday game the Panthers scored first and continued to generate offense late in each game.
“Everyone was hitting and our defense was solid,” said Maletsky. With an 8-2 advantage by the bottom of the seventh inning, pitcher Ali McAnaney’s ’11 fourth victory of the season was well in hand. McAnaney was the second Middlebury hurler to go the distance on the weekend, as she allowed just two earned runs on seven hits over seven innings.
In the series finale, Amherst was able to take advantage of Middlebury’s fourth-inning defensive lapse, scoring three runs in the frame as the Panthers’ bats fell silent for just the second time in 17 games. Constantin had the ball once again for the visitors, throwing six innings and allowing three runs on six hits.
The Lord Jeffs’ star pitcher Alex Chang-Graham tallied the complete-game shutout, salvaging the victory for the weekend’s hosts. The Middlebury defense was once again solid, but without any run support, there was little the Panthers could do to try to sweep the series.
The season has been successful so far for the Panthers. Beating Amherst in a series “was huge for us,” Maletsky said.
Earlier in the week, Middlebury split a two-game series with Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The previous week, the NESCAC awarded pitcher of the week honors to McAnaney for her outstanding performances during the Panthers’ 12-game spring break trip in Florida.
“I relied on the spin of my pitches to keep the batters from connecting on big hits,” said McAnaney of her early success. The reality of the team’s batting prowess was not lost on the star pitcher, as she also noted, “we’re an incredible hitting team.”
Finally, McAnaney touted the cooperative nature of her sport, stating modestly, “I could have never received the honor of pitcher of the week without the eight people playing behind me in those five games in Florida.”
The Panthers will play two games at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on April 6 before returning to Middlebury for a three-game series against Hamilton College the following weekend. The latter series will be the home opener for the Panthers, who will continue to play important NESCAC West division games in the ensuing three weeks.
(03/18/10 12:00pm)
Answers to the crossword will be posted here at 7 a.m. on March 19.
Across
1. Dixie’s Republican org.
4. Homo erectus, e.g.
10. Robe accoutrement
14. Paltrow’s ‘Shallow ___’
15. Gin compliments
16. Dunkable dessert
17. Parisian friend
18. Pennsylvania representative at the Second Continental Congress
20. ABC’s ender
21. Prefix: white (Var.)
22. Indigenous Polynesians
23. Four-time winner of the Masters
27. ‘Yes’ or ‘Thank you’ follower, maybe
28. Rhine tributary
29. Pasta recipe queen of Proctor
32. It may be tall
35. 2008’s ‘Zack and ____ Make a Porno’
36. Tommy or Bruce
37. Summer seat
41. What it takes, sometimes
42. 402, to Pontius
43. ‘Golden Triangle’ country
44. Wine, in Bordeaux
45. Time-Warner purchaser
46. Japanese Buddhist sect
49. By the shore
54. Swiftly
57. Pomegranate seed coating
58. Picnic pest
59. Fifth President of 19-down
62. To no degree
63. Declare
64 ‘Brethren of the Common Life’ founder Geert
65. Human embryo length meas.
66. Love letter endings
67. Magazine conglomerate company
68. Squeal from an excited tot, perhaps
Down
1. ‘Tah-dah’!
2. Paparazzo’s tool
3. Societal estrangement
4. Err, as with the clutch
5. Got beat in W.o.W. (Var.)
6. Finish, with ‘at’
7. Around, for a date
8. Middlebury restaurant ‘Fire and ___’
9. N followers, on a compass rose
10. Word followed by power or cell
11. Woody Guthrie’s son
12. Delphi woman
13. Jewish scholar HaM’agel
19. See 59-across
24. Anti-hero from ‘The Wire’
25. Secular
26. Portuguese comedian Nuno
29. 1983 Oscar winner for Best Original Song
30. Ring of flowers
31. Aloft, poetically
33. Finds
34. Equip with a wage
35. ____ Tai
37. S.U.V. of back roads
38. Charge involving a buzz?
39. Spiritual tongue, in Philippine lore
40. Water conveyer
47. Overlook
48. Stinging flora
49. Roddick and Murray
50. Customary kava bowl
51. Statistical estimate margin
52. Brixton and Belfast, notably
53. Rain and snow
54. Trojan War hero
55. Peacock in the southern sky
56. M.C. credit card rival
60. Formula for potential energy due to gravity, with ‘E = ’
61. Mineral payload
(03/18/10 4:59am)
The Middlebury women’s lacrosse team suffered a tough loss to the Bates Bobcats in its season opener on Saturday. As the team took Peter Kohn Field to play its first home game, there was confidence on the Middlebury side, as the Panthers had defeated Bates in the past 17 matchups between the two teams.
However, the Bobcats made it clear that they would not allow Middlebury to walk away with an easy win. It did not hurt that former Middlebury player and assistant coach Heidi Howard ’99 was on the Bates bench, as she now coaches field hockey and lacrosse for the Bobcats.
Middlebury dominated the start of the game, taking a three-goal lead before seven minutes had expired. Attacker Steph Gill ’12 contributed two of the first three and added one more to finish the game with three goals. However, Bates did not let Middlebury’s lead increase much more before starting to respond.
Bates created significant offensive pressure against Middlebury and was able to get three goals on the board before halftime. Though Middlebury did not have too many chances to score, Gill added her third and first-year Michaela Colbert ’13 tallied her first career goal before the first half was up. The intermission saw a 5-3 lead in Middlebury’s favor.
The scoring continued to be back and forth as the second half got underway. Another first-year, Margaret Souther ’13, earned her first career goal as a Panther as Middlebury put two more on the board for a 7-4 lead.
At this point, Bates took control of the game. Bates players Molly Radis and Morgan Maciewicz scored two goals apiece as Bates went on a five-goal streak to take the lead. Middlebury faced a two-goal deficit with 13 minutes remaining.
The first-year players certainly demonstrated that they would be significant contributors to Middlebury’s offense and proved they could step up in times of need. This was especially important as the Bates defenders were closely marking Middlebury’s best-known offensive threats: co-captain Dana Heritage ’10 and Chase Delano ’11.
First-year Souther added another goal in the second half while Colbert made a strong effort to cut Bates’ lead and regain Middlebury’s momentum with two late goals. However, Bates was able to respond and keep the score in its favor. Colbert finished the game with three goals.
“All of the first-year players got into the game and were able to contribute,” said Gill. “It was good to see them making the adjustment to our style of play and to this level of lacrosse.”
As time wound down, Bates executed a stall to run the time on the clock down. The Bobcats added one more goal to increase their lead to two in the final minutes of the game. Middlebury had two chances as the final seconds expired, including a free position attempt, but could not convert either. The final score was 11-9.
Goaltending was strong on both sides of the field, with Middlebury’s Lily Nguyen ’12 and Bates’ Mara Krueger each making nine saves apiece. Nguyen made some crucial saves for the Panthers to minimize Bates’ scoring as the Bobcats were in Middlebury’s defensive zone for the majority of the game.
Middlebury will have a week of practice to work out some of the kinks before the team takes the field again. “We will definitely be working on our transitions between the defensive and offensive ends, which will help us be stronger on defense and generate more offensive chances,” added Gill. The Panthers will play next at Wesleyan at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
(03/18/10 4:59am)
The Panthers enter this season looking to break a couple of current streaks: five years without a championship game appearance, six years without beating any of the perennial powerhouses — Gettysburg, Salisbury or Cortland State, ranked 1, 3, and 4 respectively — and eight years without a championship trophy.
One streak they were looking to keep alive was going 12-0 against Bates since 2000.
This past Saturday, the men did just that, as they beat the host Bobcats 9-6 in the regular season opener. While the rest of campus was celebrating (an early) St. Patrick’s Day, the Panthers were celebrating a good start to what should be a great season.
From the start, it was clear just how much this game and this season mean to the Panthers, and especially to the final recruiting class of the Erin Quinn era. Just 42 seconds into the game, captain Pete Smith ’10, the second-leading scorer and leading assist man from a season ago, found a streaking Matt Virtue ’10. A short-stick defensive and wing faceoff specialist, Virtue matched half his goal total from a season ago, with two goals on the game.
Eight seconds later, a faceoff win by Brian Foster ’13 led to a Jack Balaban ’11 goal. While face-offs have not been the team’s greatest strength since losing Peter Mellen ’07, Foster proved his worth on Saturday by winning 77 percent of his face-offs.
While goals and assists are sure to get you recognized as an individual, it is the little things like face-offs and groundballs that are often the difference between wins and losses. While the Bobcats won the groundball battle 41-35, the Panthers dominated at the cross 15-4, courtesy of Foster and Peter Jennings ’12.
The Bobcats tied it up in the first quarter, thanks to two unassisted goals from David Barrett.
Two minutes into the second quarter, David Hild ’11 found the net for the first time this season. After a strong sophomore campaign in which he netted 26 goals and 33 points, Hild worked hard during his offseason and has been rewarded. Now playing midfield, Hild has proven capable of creating opportunities for himself and others and in the process has become a focal point of the offense.
After Barrett completed his hat trick and tied the game, the Panthers showed a glimpse of the type of well-rounded lacrosse that has kept Middlebury in the top tier of Division III programs in recent memory. Andrew Conner ’11, Alex Englert ’12, Smith and Hild tallied second quarter goals to push the lead to 7-3 at the half.
Four minutes into the second half, Conner scored his second of the day on Middlebury’s only man-up opportunity of the second half.
While it is too early to say anything for sure, this new man-up unit — having lost Matt Ferrer ’09, Skyler Hopkins ’09 and Mike Stone ’09 — looks sharp enough to match the 44 percent conversion rate of a year ago.
During the 5-0 run in the second and third quarters, the Panthers stopped all four Bates man-advantages as well. The continued success of the man-up and man-down units will be critical if Middlebury hopes to achieve its lofty goals.
After stopping eight third-quarter shots, Ryan Deane ’11 gave up three fourth-quarter goals as Bates made a comeback. The Panthers weathered the late storm en route to their 9-6 victory.
While still very early, the Panthers can definitely take away some positives from this win: they have a faceoff man for the future in Foster, the heir to Pete Britt’s ’09 cage emerged as Deane made 20 stops and the man-up and man-down units look strong.
If the Panthers can keep focused and put together 60-minute performances, this win streak over Bates may be one of the few that lasts this season.
(03/11/10 5:00am)
Maribeth Gero’s daughter Jessica was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when she was 13 years old. Jessica has been in remission for 21 months, but her mother remains an advocate of cancer awareness.
“Cancer is extremely hard,” said Maribeth Gero. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
Maribeth Gero joined activists of the same mindset at the Spin for Hope fundraiser on March 7.
The American Cancer Society organized Spin for Hope, which was held at Middlebury Fitness. The Middlebury gym was one of 37 fitness centers across New England hosting the cycling event, which lasted for three hours.
Begun in 2005 with six clubs participating, Spin for Hope exceeded its initial goal, raising $115,000 in its first year. Five years later, the number of clubs has grown to 37. Last year the event raised $350,000.
As of press time, Sunday’s participants have managed to raise $251,175.78 of their $385,000 goal. Individuals and team members were expected to raise $100 each to spin for an hour, in addition to the $25 registration fee.
At Middlebury Fitness, the 12 participants, who were all female, took turns on the spinning machines. Most of them cycled for all three hours. Instructors Janet Morrison, Kathy Reynolds and Laurie Lowy guided the participants through the three -hour ride. The challenge was both physically and mentally demanding, and the women encouraged each other with stories of loved ones who had cancer. They also played uplifting songs, such as “I Run For Hope” by Melissa Etheridge, who had breast cancer.
“This song is inspiring,” Lowy said. “Just change ‘run’ to spin; to spin for hope.”
Maribeth Gero, who is the massage therapist at Middlebury Fitness, cycled all three hours to support Jessica, who also participated. The mother-daughter duo raised over $200 together.
“I am proud of her,” said Maribeth Gero, referring to her daughter. “I know [Jessica] needs to forget, but she also needs to remember.”
Having supported her daughter through the disease, Maribeth understands the importance of creating awareness. She hopes that fundraisers like Spin for Hope will allow for better technology to fight cancer.
(03/11/10 5:00am)
Town swing dance
March 11, 8 – 9 p.m.
The Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble, the College’s big band, is sure to get your feet tapping at the Town Hall Theater. Grab a partner (or just your dancing shoes) and step out to a night on the town. Tickets are $10, $6 for students with ID, and they are available at the THT box office, http://www.townhalltheater.org, (802)382-9222 or at the door.
Zumba lessons
March 12, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Get into the groove at the Municipal Gym and burn some calories in this fusion of Latin and international music that creates a dynamic, exciting and effective fitness system. Lindsey Hescock will lead the free lesson presented by ACT Teens. Please call (802)388-3910 for more information.
Bill Burden benefit recital
March 13, 8 – 9 p.m.
International opera star Bill Burden ’86 will perform at the Town Hall Theater accompanied by Emory Fanning. Tickets are $40, $30 for students, and all proceeds will go towards the Opera Company of Middlebury. Tickets are available at http://www.townhalltheater.org, (802)382-9222, the THT box office or at the door.
Making a living in organic farming
March 14, 2 – 3 p.m.
Richard Wiswall, author of “The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops and the Staff — And Making a Profit,” will give a presentation at the Ilsley Public Library on building a profitable organic farm for area farmers and any other interested parties. Please call (802)388-4095 for more information.
“Iguana Cup Challenge”
March 14, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Bring your skis out to the Snow Bowl one last time for this family-friendly event for skiers, snowboarders and telemark skiers alike. Teams and individual racers will compete for the whimsical Iguana Cup and all proceeds will benefit the Quarry Hill School in Middlebury. Sign up at http://www.quarryhillschool.org/iguana.php or (802)388-7297.
“Creative Repurposing” workshop
March 16, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Learn to reuse materials that might otherwise be thrown away at this informal workshop at the Bixby Memorial Library in Vergennes. Bring in milk jugs, egg cartons, plastic shopping bags, old CDs or anything you think could be turned into something useful again. Pre-register at (802)877-6392.
