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(10/30/13 5:24pm)
The Middlebury women’s soccer team finished the regular season at the top of the NESCAC, remaining unbeaten in its past 13 games. The Panthers capped off a successful fall break with a 1-0 win over Bates on Saturday, Oct. 19 before besting Williams in a thriller on Tuesday, Oct. 22 and finishing off with a tie against Wesleyan on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Middlebury cruised to a comfortable victory against Bates, with Julia Favorito ’14 scoring the only goal of the game in the 53rd minute for her fourth tally of the season. On the play, Jamie Soroka ’16 originally fired a shot at goal that was parried away by Bates goalkeeper Anabel Schmelz. As the ball remained loose in the box, the rebound found Favorito who slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.
The visitors kept the pressure on after the goal, as Scarlett Kirk ’14 recorded three of her game-high eight shots in a five-minute period, underlining a bigger trend of the game of being unable to capitalize on numerous created chances.
Bates almost found an equalizer in the 86th minute after Lily Peterson nodded in a cross from Leah Humes, but the Bobcat was deemed offside.
The Panthers carried the momentum from the win against Bates into a season-defining game against Williams. At the start of the first half, both teams failed to establish a dominant presence, with much of the battle being fought in the midfield. Williams failed to capitalise on three straight corner kicks while Kirk saw her powerful strike just graze over the crossbar in the 38th minute to leave the score goalless at the half.
The second half again provided few scoring chances, as the game looked like it was proceeding into overtime. However, with just 50 seconds left on the clock, Carter Talgo ’15 played a ball up the left side to Kirk who ran onto the ball just inside the box. The striker coolly chipped a shot over the oncoming Williams’ keeper to claim a last minute victory for her team. The win ensured the Panthers the top spot in the NESCAC and a quarterfinal on home turf.
“It felt good [to score the winning goal], mostly because I was just relieved that we wouldn’t have to go into overtime,” Kirk said. “It was a very hard fought game and we were all getting tired by the end of the game. Carter took the ball all the way up the field and her perfect pass made it a very easy finish for me.”
Middlebury held a 13-4 shot advantage in the game as Elizabeth Foody ’14 made three stops in goals for her seventh shutout of the season.
Middlebury was unable to add another win to its record and had to settle for a 1-1 tie at Wesleyan. The Cardinals controlled the play for much of the first half and were especially boosted by an early penalty miss by the Panthers. Moria Sloan ’14 was unable to find a way past Wesleyan keeper Jessica Tollman who assertively knocked her shot away. The Cardinals used the momentum to score less than five minutes later. Sarah Sylla took a hard crossing pass from Hannah Stone and banged it low to the right of Foody.
The Panthers came out of the break unshaken from Wesleyan’s goal, and scored less than six minutes into the second half. Soroka beat the Cardinal defense and slid a shot past Tollman. Soroka continued to dominate the Wesleyan defense, but both teams were unable to break the deadlock in the final minutes. Middlebury had only two shots in overtime with neither team able to mount a sustained attack.
Head coach Peter Kim is looking for his team to continue doing the little things right such as playing as a unit and solid defense, while learning from mistakes made in the previous games.
“Looking ahead to Saturday, we want to play beautifully while generating more quality goal scoring opportunities,” Kim said. “Every team we could face has a strong back line and excellent goalkeeping, so we’ll need to up our attacking game in order to earn the win.”
The Panthers return to action on Saturday, Oct. 2 in the NESCAC quarterfinal against the eighth seed. Despite claiming the top seed, Kim is cautious of expectations.
“It’s always nice to earn the regular season title,” Kim said. “However, we’ve been here before and know that our seeding doesn’t mean anything. “We’re in it to win it, and will have a very strong opponent in the first round of the NESCAC tournament, regardless of who takes the eighth seed.”
The conference tournament opens up this weekend, with NESCAC quarterfinals slated for this coming Saturday, Nov. 2.
(10/16/13 5:44pm)
The Middlebury women’s soccer team established its place at the top of the NESCAC with a 2-0 victory over Trinity on Saturday, Oct. 12 and a 1-0 overtime win against Hamilton on Sunday, Oct. 13.
The Panthers went into the double header with cautious optimism.
“Going into the weekend we were tied for first place in the NESCAC with Trinity, and we knew that both games were really important and neither team would be easy to beat,“ co-captain Moria Sloan ’15 said.
Saturday’s game started as an unsettled affair with neither team able to string passes together. The Panthers soon grew into the game, dominating the majority of forward possession and keeping good pressure when Trinity had the ball.
Middlebury’s dominance was rewarded in the 18th minute when Julia Favorito ’14 scored the first goal of the game. Favorito found herself with time and space to take a touch before unleashing a 25-yard screamer over Bantam keeper Monica DiFoiri’s head. After the first goal, as neither team was able to string together enough possession for a while.
Trinity had a good chance to equalize after turning a Panthers defender inside the box, but could only watch as the ball bounced off the crossbar. However, Middlebury continued to run the show after powerful attempts on goal from Hannah Robinson ’16 and Jamie Soroka ’16, who managed to weave through three defenders and get off a shot despite losing her balance.
The Panthers kept the pressure on Trinity at the start of the second half with instant rewards. Just two minutes in, after good build-up around the box, Sloan launched a rocket into the top right corner, leaving DiFiori helpless.
Middlebury grew in confidence after the second goal, refusing to sit back but rather continuing to attack. The Panthers frustrated Trinity with clean and precise passing, limiting the Bantams to just two shots on goal in the second half.
Scarlett Kirk ’14, the NESCAC’s leading scorer, was denied a goal in the final moments of the game after a last ditch tackle from a defender sent the ball out for a corner.
After such dramatic victories, a comfortable win soothed some Panther nerves.
“While pulling out those tough wins is a crucial strength for a team to have, I believe our focus will be on finding our rhythm up top so that we are able to confidently to put away games early rather than waiting until the last few moments of the game to score,” Favorito said.
The young team showed discipline to hang on for the win against one of its biggest competitors in the NESCAC.
“I was impressed by the entire team’s performance,” head coach Peter Kim said. “They defended extremely well, and moved the ball sharply all over the field. The goals were pure class. Both Favorito and Sloan spend extra time perfecting different types of shots, and it was nice to see them reward themselves for their hard work.”
The Panthers weren’t able to replicate such a comfortable win on Sunday, as Hamilton forced them into overtime.
Kirk had instant opportunity to put the Panthers ahead after beating the last defender, but after mistiming her run, Continentals goalie Liza Gergenti made up for the mistake with a crucial tackle to divert the ball away.
The game proceeded with a good pace, as Middlebury looked to open up space on the field by constantly reserving the ball and angling passes. Hamilton meanwhile predominantly relied on long balls, using a resilient defense as a source of attack.
In the 20th minute, Hamilton nearly scored against the run of play after confusion in the Middlebury box from a poor clearance allowed Kendall Daly to latch onto a loose ball. But Panther keeper Kate Reinmuth ’17 produced strong hands.
Minutes later, Sarah Noble ’14 nearly converted a corner kick from Ali Omsberg ’15, but the shot went over the net. The last real chance of the half came after Soroka cut back the ball with her left foot just ahead to an oncoming Omsberg.
The second half was an extremely quiet affair, as both teams were unable to break down the respective defenses. Kirk yet again had a “nearly,” but her shot hit the inside of the right post before bouncing out. Favorito was also unable to break the deadlock, ast her blast from 25 yards out was tipped over the crossbar by Gergenti.
Middlebury finally showed its dominance in overtime, as the Panthers overwhelmed the Continentals with an attacking onslaught. Gergenti made a point-blank save from Adrianna Gildner’s ’17 shot, before the post saved the Hamilton keeper once again after Robinson’s shot hit frame before bouncing away.
The Panthers finally found the back of the net in 98th minute. Gildner found herself in space 15 yards out after a pace from Robinson, and coolly slotted the ball into the net after help from a bounce off the post.
“I was impressed by the team’s determination,” Kim said. “Our back line held strong despite playing a lot of minutes the day before, and we were bolstered by solid play from many of our substitutes. Both matches were great team efforts.”
Despite clinching a spot in the playoffs, co-captain Lindsay Kingston ’14 is making sure her team doesn’t get ahead of itself.
“Although we are incredibly excited for the post-season tournament, we are focused on taking it a game at a time and not overlooking any team,” Kingston said. “We are looking to continue to utilize as many players as possible and improve our connectivity with each other on the field. Most importantly we want to play our style of game against all of our competitors, even the most disruptive teams.
The Panthers move into the final stages of conference play with games against Bates on Saturday, Oct. 19 and Williams on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
(10/09/13 11:09pm)
For the third time in as many NESCAC games, the Middlebury women’s soccer team scored in the final minutes to ensure a 2-1 road victory – this time against Tufts on Saturday, Oct. 5.
The Panthers were hit with a sense of déjà vu from last week’s game against Colby, as, despite a strong start, the team conceded a first half goal 17 minutes in. Jumbo Carla Kruyff slotted a pass through to Anya Kaufman who was able to tap the ball past Middlebury keeper Elizabeth Foody ’14.
“I think Tufts scoring early on in the game didn’t shake our confidence too much because we had been in that position before,” Julia Favorito ’14 said. “We obviously weren’t happy that we let in a goal, but we also knew that coming back from a 1-0 deficit was not an impossible challenge.”
Middlebury showed the drive to get back into the game early in the second half. Nine minutes in, Hannah Robinson ’16 went at it alone to give Middlebury an equaliser. Robinson’s shot hit the far right post before bouncing into the back of the net.
With the game tied at one goal apiece, play became a constant back-and-forth with both teams looking to penetrate strong defensive play. The Jumbos were denied a lead when Jess Capone was unable to capitalize on a break away after her shot was parried away by Foody.
Then, with less than two minutes left in the game, Middlebury was finally able to convert a chance from a number of strong corner kicks. After Jamie Soroka ’16 swung in the ball, several Panthers ran to open up the space. Despite the efforts of frantic Jumbos defenders, the ball fell to the feet of Sophia Kliger ’15. The junior stayed composed to score her first goal of her Middlebury career.
“It felt unreal to score my first career goal, especially in such a high stakes situation,” Kliger said. “As a center defender I don’t really get the chance to enter the attack all that much except for corner kicks and to be able to capitalize on my opportunity was incredibly exciting … We had just worked on corner kicks in practice on Friday and it was really exciting to see our hard work pay off.”
The close victories are a source of pride as well as encouragement for head coach Peter Kim. As a normally very “precise” team, the Panthers have worked to add a battling spirit to their game that now needs to be reconciled with the team’s technical prowess.
“We haven’t yet put together a top-class performance,” Kim said. “We’ve played well in spurts and certain aspects of our game, but not all of it yet. We’re hitting our stride at the right time, but it’s a matter of playing the beautiful game while keeping the edge to win.”
Favorito echoed her coach’s feelings, reflecting on the halfway point of the season.
“While pulling out those tough wins is a crucial strength for a team to have, I believe our focus will be on finding our rhythm up top so that we are able to confidently put away games early rather than waiting until the last few moments of the game to score,” Favorito said.
The Panthers, now ranked 23rd nationally, have shown a strong desire to get the result and to ensure peak fitness to score in the final minutes. The Panthers return to action for back-to-back games at home against NESCAC top-ranked Trinity on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Hamilton on Sunday, Oct. 13.
(10/02/13 5:32pm)
The Middlebury women’s soccer team came from behind in the final minutes to stun Colby with a 2-1 victory on Saturday, Sept. 28.
The Mules took control of the game in the opening stages, and converted their only shot of the first half just four minutes into the match. Annie Papadellis capitalised on a miscommunication by the Panther defense that left her open in the box, scoring with a low shot into the right corner.
Despite going behind so early in the game, Middlebury began to grow into the contest, controlling the lion’s share of possession.
The Panthers committed a lot of bodies forward seeking an equaliser, and sometimes left themselves open to the counterattack. The Panthers’ defense was especially troubled by the pace of Papadellis, as the Mules forward continuously weaved around the back line.
Middlebury was left to rue many missed opportunities towards the end of the first half, as the quick feet of Colby keeper Emily Brook and numerous bodies in the Colby box limited the amount of Middlebury shots on goal.
Scarlett Kirk ’14, currently tied with the school’s scoring record, was unable to put away her chances, frustrated by Colby’s double-teams. Her best chance came in the 32nd minute as she split the defense after a feed from Julia Favorito ’14, but could only watch as her shot just went wide. Just minutes from the break, Kirk was able to round the keeper after she had mistimed her run, but her shot bounced off a defender for a corner. While Middlebury looked threatening on all their corners, the Panthers were unable to rectify the 0-1 score line by the end of the the half.
Middlebury was unable to settle into the start of the second half, with impatient play that often resulted in passes to Colby players. However, the Panthers calmed their nerves and pressured the Mules deep into their own half. In the 52nd minute, Kirk forced the Colby keeper into a double save before the ball bounced to Kate Raszka ’17. Raszka ran into the shot from the top of the box, able to hit a fizzer with her first touch into the top right corner with Mules keeper still out of position from Kirk’s attempts on goal.
As well as being able to help her team, Raszka’s goal also gave her a sense of individual accomplishment.
“I had my mid-season meeting on Thursday and one of my goals was to score,” Raszka said. “It felt great to accomplish this and hopefully it will be a good starting point for me to continue off of.”
The Panthers were bolstered by the equaliser, and began to look more confident in the game. Middlebury continued to pressure Colby and looked likely to go ahead several times. Kirk was thwarted yet again, this time by the bar, in the 70th minute after a through ball from Carter Talgo ’15.
Middlebury’s breakthrough finally came in the 85th minute, after a cross from senior captain Moria Sloan ’14 found its way over Kirk and Mules keeper to Katlyn Casey ’15 waiting at the back post.
“I was so excited that I almost threw up,” Casey said.
The Panthers finished the game strong, refusing to sit back and instead continued to attack, something that head coach Peter Kim think bodes favorably for the team’s future.
“I think coming back so late demonstrates our resilience and resolve,” Kim said. “They know that they have lots to learn and improve on, but it shows a commitment to get a result, and courage to come back so late in the game.”
The team is in a strong position in the NESCAC standings and will travel to Tufts on Saturday, Oct. 5.
(09/25/13 7:54pm)
The Middlebury women’s soccer team scored with 3:29 left on the clock to ensure a 2-1 road victory over Bowdoin on Saturday, Sept. 21. The Panthers built on a strong non-conference record with a 5-0 win on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Middlebury started the game as the stronger side. Less than 15 minutes into the half, the Panthers were denied an opening goal, as Bowdoin keeper Bridget McCarthy did well to get down and parry the ball away for a corner. Middlebury continued to control play in the opening half with a 5-1 advantage in shots on net.
The first goal of the game came as Amy Martin ’14 launched a shot that ricocheted off the crossbar. After a scramble in the box, the ball came to senior captain Julia Favorito ’14 who was able to tuck the ball away in the bottom corner.
The Panthers were unable to replicate their dominant first half performance in the opening minutes of the second half, as Bowdoin came out strong. The Polar Bears first came close with a shot toward the top left hand corner from Maya Norman, forcing Elizabeth Foody ’14 into a diving save. The Panthers keeper was able to tip the ball onto the crossbar and out for a corner.
Bowdoin’s breakthrough came with under seven minutes remaining after a foul by Middlebury gave the Polar Bear’s a free kick in the center of the 18. Jamie Hofstetter capitalized on the good position by curling the ball into the back of Foody’s net.
However, Middlebury was not rattled by the late equaliser. Just three minutes after the last goal, Scarlett Kirk ’14 passed the ball to Favorito at the top of the box. She was able to turn and launch a shot into the top right corner.
“It was probably one of the most exciting goals I’ve ever scored,” Favorito said. “The win felt well deserved based on the way we had played the entire match, so I was glad I could come through for them. I was very proud of how our team did not fall apart when Bowdoin scored an equalizer late in the game. Even while under pressure everyone remained focused and continued to play our style game. “
Kirk and Favorito are proving to be a deadly duo in the beginning of the season, playing a part in 12 of Middlebury’s 19 goals, and combining together for the two of them.
“I’ve had a lot of fun playing up top this year,” Favorito said. I love our system because of how dynamic it is and how many people get to join the attack. I love playing with Scarlett up top because we play off of each other really well."
The Panthers held a 17-10 shot advantage over Bowdoin, with eight shots coming on net for Middlebury to only five for Bowdoin. McCarthy had six stops to Foody’s four.
Kirk continued to dominate offensively, after tying the school record with her second hat trick of the season on Tuesday.
The senior striker netted four goals in the game, her first coming just seven minutes into the game. She showed her pace and power, twice scoring solo goals after out-muscling defenders to get in one-on-one situations with the keeper.
Hannah Robinson ’16 also played an active role in the game, assisting one of Kirk’s goals and also being converted from the penalty spot.
Co-captain Lindsay Kingston ’14 is confident that her team can compete with anyone in the NESCAC.
“We expect to be a top competitor in the NESCAC,” Kingston said. “We prioritize shut outs, but are obviously looking to really score a lot of goals. Our first years are a huge part of our team and we expect them to step up.”
The Panther’s return to action Saturday, Sept. 28 against Colby.
(09/18/13 11:59pm)
Almost one year after Connecticut College ended Middlebury’s nine game unbeaten streak, the Panthers were able to enact revenge with a 1-0 victory on Saturday, Sept. 14. Middlebury followed up with a 10-0 victory over Norwich on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
While Saturday’s victory definitely brought a feeling of retribution for Middlebury’s returning players, co-captain Lindsay Kingston ’14 felt that it also signified something more important.
“There was definitely a sense of the need for redemption among the returners for this year’s [Connecticut College] game,” Kingston said. “However, the large incoming class created balance that focused more on the present and less on our loss from last year. In the end it was not the redemption that made Saturday’s win so great, but the fact that we, as a whole team, had just won our first game of the season on our home turf and with a number of our newcomers making a major impact on the field.”
Play started off in a frenetic manner and the fast tempo caused several turnovers. Middlebury tried to control the game with patient passing in midfield, as head coach Peter Kim barked instructions to keep the ball moving forward and “break the line.”
Middlebury had several opportunities in the first half including hitting the post and a scramble in the box in the 39th minute after the initial shot had been thwarted by Camels keeper Bella Hall.
The Panther’s breakthrough came with one minute left in the half. The Camels defenders were caught sleeping as Julia Favorito ’14 lifted a cross from just outside the box to find Scarlett Kirk ’14 unguarded. The powerful forward was able to coolly slot the ball into the left-hand corner.
Middlebury came out of the break lifted by the first half performance and looked to immediately pick up where they had left off. Adrianna Gildner ’17 was involved in the early action first directing a cross into the box that was headed just wide by Hannah Robinson ’16 before just minutes later being unable to convert a cross from Kirk. Jamie Soroka ’16 was also denied twice by the crossbar in the space of 10 minutes, with the Panthers in the box unable to finish off the rebound.
The last 20 minutes became an unsettled affair as neither team could keep the ball for very long. The Camels grew into the game in the last 10 minutes as they pushed for an equaliser. They almost got one, as Leah Salituro ripped a shot towards the top right hand corner, but rookie Kate Reinmuth ’17 produced an impressive save as she was able to get a hand onto the ball and tip it over the crossbar. Connecticut College’s attack came too late as Middlebury showed calm and composure in the final minutes.
Despite struggling to find the back of the net against the Camels, the Panthers were unable to stop scoring in a 10-0 victory over Norwich on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Middlebury enjoyed a rampant first half, scoring eight goals, before scoring two more in the second half for a 10-0 win.
Kirk netted a hat trick; the senior is now tied second all-time in goals scored in program history with 35 career goals. Favorito also played herself into the record books, as three assists bumped her into third all-time in assists with 18.
Underclassmen Soroka, Krystina Reynolds ’17 and Gildner all found the back of the net with two goals each. Gildner and Reynolds scored their first goals a mere 43 seconds apart from one another. Reinmuth, meanwhile, recorded her second consecutive clean sheet.
While Kim wants to continue working on being better at keeping the ball and converting more chances, he felt that the relatively young team is starting to integrate well.
“We’re a team that prides itself on taking care of one another,” Kim said. “Team chemistry is extremely important to who we are and how we play, and I think that new players are doing extremely well.”
Middlebury will return to action against Bowdoin on Saturday, Sept. 21.
(09/13/13 1:03am)
The Middlebury Women’s soccer team started their season with an overtime 1-0 loss to Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 7, after losing 11 first-years to mandatory MiddView orientation trips.
Looking to build on an impressive season last year, over one-third of the team was absent from the first game of NESCAC play. After replacing the optional OINK program from years past, members of the class of 2017 were required to attend MiddView, a series of orientation trips focused on community engagement, Vermont exploration and wilderness exploration.
“Missing the opening game against Amherst was terrible,” Amanda Haik ’17 said, “We all know how big of a rival Amherst is … so to miss it was really heart-breaking. Not to mention, that was all we were thinking about on our trip, we just felt so useless and anxious.”
Day Robins ’17 also believed that the placement of MiddView was a very unfortunate scheduling error.
“Whether our presence at these [games] would have impacted the results had we been able to attend doesn’t matter, what matters is the fact that we were robbed of the opportunity to support our teams in arguably the most important game of the season.”
The challenge of MiddView forced coach Peter Kim to run pre-season in a way he had never done before, focusing more on injury prevention than outright preparing for the game against Amherst.
“There was a lot of important pre-season training that we just didn’t get to. A combination of team integration that we still have to do that we would have liked to have done already and the fact that playing against Amherst, a physical and direct team, where we could have definitely used reinforcements, definitely gave us a challenge.”
An attacking prowess was definitely missed as the first half produced only five shots total, three coming from Middlebury. Despite a strong start to the second half, the Panthers were still unable to break down Amherst’s defense. After a goalless 90 minutes, Megan Kim netted the only goal of the game seven minutes into overtime to hand the Jeffs their first victory of the season.
The Panthers finished the game with nine shots and four cornerkicks while Elizabeth Foody ’14 had four saves.
Despite the loss, Kim believed that his side was the better team.
“I feel that the loss was a little bit unjust, that a tie would have been justified because we still have to work out the kinks of our attack … but it was a disappointment for sure.”
While MiddView might have helped with first-year cohesion, Haik believes that it was detrimental to team spirit and should be changed for the future.
“It takes away from creating a cohesive team when all the [first-years] are separated at the beginning of the season … varsity athletes should not have to miss their first game,” said Haik.
The Panthers returned to action against Keene State on Wednesday, Sept. 11. NESCAC play resumes on Saturday, Sept. 14 against Connecticut College.
(09/12/13 1:08am)
The Middlebury Women’s soccer team started their season with an overtime 1-0 loss to Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 7, after losing 11 first-years to mandatory MiddView orientation trips.
Looking to build on an impressive season last year, over one-third of the team was absent from the first game of NESCAC play. After replacing the optional OINK program from years past, members of the class of 2017 were required to attend MiddView, a series of orientation trips focused on community engagement, Vermont exploration and wilderness exploration.
“Missing the opening game against Amherst was terrible,” Amanda Haik ’17 said, “We all know how big of a rival Amherst is … so to miss it was really heart-breaking. Not to mention, that was all we were thinking about on our trip, we just felt so useless and anxious.”
Day Robins ’17 also believed that the placement of MiddView was a very unfortunate scheduling error.
“Whether our presence at these [games] would have impacted the results had we been able to attend doesn’t matter, what matters is the fact that we were robbed of the opportunity to support our teams in arguably the most important game of the season.”
The challenge of MiddView forced coach Peter Kim to run pre-season in a way he had never done before, focusing more on injury prevention than outright preparing for the game against Amherst.
“There was a lot of important pre-season training that we just didn’t get to. A combination of team integration that we still have to do that we would have liked to have done already and the fact that playing against Amherst, a physical and direct team, where we could have definitely used reinforcements, definitely gave us a challenge.”
An attacking prowess was definitely missed as the first half produced only five shots total, three coming from Middlebury. Despite a strong start to the second half, the Panthers were still unable to break down Amherst’s defense. After a goalless 90 minutes, Megan Kim netted the only goal of the game seven minutes into overtime to hand the Jeffs their first victory of the season.
The Panthers finished the game with nine shots and four cornerkicks while Elizabeth Foody ’14 had four saves.
Despite the loss, Kim believed that his side was the better team.
“I feel that the loss was a little bit unjust, that a tie would have been justified because we still have to work out the kinks of our attack … but it was a disappointment for sure.”
While MiddView might have helped with first-year cohesion, Haik believes that it was detrimental to team spirit and should be changed for the future.
“It takes away from creating a cohesive team when all the [first-years] are separated at the beginning of the season … varsity athletes should not have to miss their first game,” said Haik.
The Panthers returned to action against Keene State on Wednesday, Sept. 11. NESCAC play resumes on Saturday, Sept. 14 against Connecticut College.
(05/09/13 3:20am)
Despite a strong start to the NESCAC Tournament, the Middlebury softball team was unable to progress beyond the semifinal round, falling to Tufts and Bowdoin on the second day of play of the double-elimination tournament. The Panthers advanced in the winner’s bracket on Friday, May 3, after defeating Bowdoin 3-0.
A double from Jessica Poracky ’13 opened up the scoring in the third inning, bringing home Jackie Stern ’16 and Jessa Hoffman ’13 after they pieced together consecutive singles. Middlebury added an insurance run in the fifth as Stern led off with a bunt single. She was brought home when Poracky scored her second double of the game.
Pitcher Elizabeth Morris ’14 was the story of the game, finishing with 13 strikeouts and just one walk in seven innings while improving her record to 12-1 on the season. Poracky went two-for-three from the plate with three RBI while Stern also had two hits in three at bats.
Middlebury advanced to play the eventual champions Tufts Jumbos on Saturday, May 4, falling 1-0 in a pitchers’ duel. Tufts scored the only run of the game in the top of the first. Sara Hedtler led off with a bunt single and scored when Emily Beinecke doubled to right field.
While Tufts’ Allyson Fournier pitched a two-hit shutout, Panthers’ starter Alexa Lesenskyj ’14 took the loss, allowing four hits and one run in four innings of work.
In a rematch, Bowdoin was able to come from behind to earn a place in the NESCAC championship game, beating the Panthers 5-1.
Middlebury started off the scoring when Emily Kraytenberg ’14 led off with a walk, and later scored on double by Sarah Boylan ’13. Despite this, Bowdoin pitcher Julia Geaumont was able to keep the Panthers off the bases for the most part, allowing just two hits and no walks the rest of the way.
The Polar Bears clawed their way back in the fifth inning, scoring three runs. A single from Toni DaCampo secured two runs before she scored on a single from Gen Barlow. Bowdoin added two more runs in the sixth after a double from Casey Correa scored Adriane Krul and Victoria Rusch.
Morris took the loss for Middlebury, surrendering seven hits and three runs with five strikeouts in five-and-two-thirds innings.
Despite falling just a game short of playing in the NESCAC championship game, members of the team said that they were pleased with the season they have had overall.
“We have unity and support that goes so deep, from each of the 18 girls on the team to our three coaches, and such supportive families and friends,” Kimber Sable ’14 said. “We all work together and each individual is an integral part of our success.”
As the team looks forward to next season, they will have to replace a class of four seniors which includes 2012 All-NESCAC first team member and Defensive Player of the Year Hoffman as well as Poracky, a second-team all-conference selection a year ago.
(05/01/13 7:53pm)
Middlebury swept Wesleyan in a three game series on Friday and Saturday, April 26-27, securing a spot in the NESCAC Tournament and improving to 23-9 overall. With these wins the team earned the top spot in the NESCAC West going into the playoffs. Middlebury then put themselves in a strong position for their first NESCAC tournament game against Bowdoin with two wins against Johnson State on Tuesday, April 30.
Middlebury opened up the scoring in the top of the fourth with a triple from Kimber Sable ’14, who was then brought home on a sacrifice fly by Jessa Hoffman ’13. The offensive charge continued in the top of the fifth as RBI singles from Sable, Jackie Stern ’16 and Hoffman added three more runs.
Wesleyan fought back in the bottom of the fifth, racking up seven runs from four hits with three Panther errors. Five of the runs were scored unearned off Elizabeth Morris ’14, giving the Cardinals their first lead of the game.
The Panthers weren’t behind for long, as a single from Alex Scibetta ’14 plated Carlyn Vachow ’16 before a grand slam over the centerfield fence by Sable secured Middlebury the win, 8-7.
Sable finished the game 3-4 with a triple, homer, three runs scored and four RBIs while Scibetta went 2-3 with two runs scored.
Although the team secured a spot in the upcoming NESCAC tournament with a win in the weekend’s first game against Wesleyan, Middlebury didn’t look to back down on day two, starting the day with a 10-2 blowout.
With the score tied at 2-2 after runs from Sable and Hoffman, the Panthers erupted, bringing in eight runs in the fifth inning.
Hoffman started the charge with her fourth home run of the season, before a sacrifice fly by Vachow following a double by Emily Kraytenberg ’14 made it 4-2.
Sarah Boylan ’13 added a triple before an RBI single from Emma Katz ’13 extended the lead to 6-2. An error from the Wesleyan fielders allowed four more unearned runs to cross the plate, a two-run double by Kraytenberg tying things up for the Panthers.
Alexa Lesenskyj (6-6) ’14 pitched the first four innings to get the win. Hoffman went 2-3 with two RBIs and one home run, while Jessica Poracky ’13 went 2-3 with one RBI.
Middlebury was not able to repeat a similar scoring feat in the second game, recording just one run for the final win of the series.
To start the 11th inning, a dropped pop-up and awalk got runners to first and second base for Middlebury, before an RBI single down the third-base line from Poracky scored Kelsey Martel.
Morris tossed the final seven innings for Middlebury, sprinkling just two hits and a walk over that stretch while recording five strikeouts. Morris did not allow any runs over that seven-inning stretch, and earned the win for her effort.
Coach Kelly Bevere expressed that tough games against Wesleyan have prepared the team well for the upcoming NESCAC tournament.
“Our team is ready for NESCACs,” said Bevere. “We have been on a mission since the beginning of the season and we’ve really progressed and improved each day. Its important for us to just have some fun and play together; that is the only expectation I have.”
The mid-week game on April 30 just reinforced the team’s confidence going into the NESCAC tournament.
In the first game of the day, Middlebury showed their ruthlessness offensively, racking up 17 runs. Boylan finished 3-4 with two runs and six RBIs while Hoffman went 2-5 with three runs and two RBIs. Rookies Neve Stearns ’16 and Kat Maehr ’16 earned the win for Middlebury, only allowing two hits in the entire game between them.
Middlebury wasn’t able to recreate the same scoring prowess in the second game, hanging on to a tightly contested 3-2 victory. Vachow went 3-4 with one RBI while Sable went 3-4. Lesenskyj went 6.1 allowing five hits and one run before Stearns earned the win.
The Panthers open up their tournament against Bowdoin on Friday, May 3, at Tufts.
(04/25/13 1:05am)
Middlebury continued its impressive streak with a string of wins consisting of a double header against Plymouth on Wednesday, April 17 and a series win against Williams on Friday and Saturday April 19-20. Middlebury was unable to build off a strong showing against Williams, falling 2-0 in their double header against Keene State on Tuesday, April 23.
The Panthers started with a 4-2 win over Plymouth. They scored two quick runs in the first inning as Jessica Poracky ’13 plated two runners. Jackie Stern ’16 also got on the scoreboard, driven in by Christina Bicks’s ’15 triple to left-center. Middlebury finished scoring after Poracky singled before being pushed home over a double from Emily Kraytenberg ’14.
Plymouth were unable to get a run off pitcher Alex Lesenskyj ’14 until the fifth inning after a homer from Calli DeGrace earned Plymouth two runs. Lesenskyj tossed seven innings, scattered six hits, allowed two earned runs and struck out three.
Poracky finished 2-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Kraytenberg with a double and Bicks with a triple each added an RBI.
Middlebury picked up where they left off in the second game, putting four runs on the board in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Kraytenberg delivered an infield single for an RBI. Carlyn Vachow ’16 followed with a two-RBI double down the left field line. A fielding error allowed Kraytenberg to score from third for the fourth run of the inning. Plymouth brought home its only run of the game off an RBI single from Cynthia Barata.
After Plymouth pulled off a rare triple play, the hosts added their final run in the sixth as Kimber Sable ’14 slammed an RBI double to center, scoring Bicks. Sable finished 3-3 with a pair of singles and an RBI double while Kraytenberg went 2-2 with a triple and an RBI with two runs scored. Kat Maehr ’16 went 4.2 innings allowing one earned run and striking out three as Neve Stearns ’16 picked up her first career save, tossing 2.1 innings and striking out two.
The Panthers started their series against Williams with a 3-0 win on Friday, April 19. With a runner on second in the bottom of the first, Jessa Hoffman ’13 hit a one-out RBI double to the gap in left field. Middlebury added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Stern earned a walk before moving to second on a put-out and to third on a wild pitch. Poracky followed with an RBI single to drive in Stern. Poracky was pulled for pinch-runner Kelsey Martel ’15 who moved to second on a wild pitch and later scored on a throwing error.
Five Panthers had hits in the game, led by Hoffman’s RBI double. Elizabeth Morris ’14 pitched the whole game, allowing six hits over seven scoreless innings and struck out four.
Middlebury wasn’t able to continue its 14-game winning streak, falling in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader. The Ephs scored three runs unanswered in the first four innings. In the fifth, the Panthers were able to get a run back as Poracky hit a sacrifice fly to right with the bases loaded. Williams added its final run in the top of the seventh after Kacy Cramer doubled in Ali Graebner.
Vachow’s double highlighted the four hits for the Panthers while Lesenskyj went four innings, allowing three runs and one strike before Stearns pitched the final three innings in relief, striking out one and allowing one earned run.
The Panthers were able to reverse their fortunes in the second game with a 10-2 win. In particularly spectacular fashion, the Panthers scored four runs in the second, with Hoffman recording her school-record 176th hit – a two-RBI single – to make it a 5-0 game. Adding a run in the third and fourth, Morris rested on a 7-0 lead, allowing a pair of runs in the sixth and two runs scored.
Middlebury ended the game in the sixth, scoring three in the frame. After Sable opened with a single while Hoffman hit a one-out single, both were brought in by RBI singles, one from Poracky and the other from Kraytenberg. With the bases loaded, Sarah Boylan ’13 hit an RBI single to bring in the final run of the game.
Hoffman finished her historic game with two hits and two RBI, while Sable went 3-3 with a triple and three runs scored. Morris went six innings, striking out three and allowing two earned.
Middlebury returns to action against Wesleyan on Friday, April 26 to determine its place in the NESCAC Tournament.
“This is a great opportunity for us,” said head coach Kelly Bevere. “We’ve worked with a theme of improving each game all year and now we are in a position where we control our own destiny. It’s important to just stay the course and go out there and do what we’ve been doing all season long.”
In Tuesday’s double header against Keene State, the Panthers opened up the scoring in the top of the first as a double to right field from Poracky allowed Vachow to score. They added to their score after Hoffman hit a homer to center field, bringing in Vachow from second base. Middlebury then lost grip on their lead, giving up four Keene State runs on three hits in the bottom of the third.
Vachow finished 1-2 while Hoffman went 1-3 with two RBIs. Lesenskyj took the loss for Middlebury, allowing seven hits and four runs.
The nightcap was also a low-scoring affair, as Middlebury was unable to get on the board. The Panther batswomen were unable to connect with Owls pitcher Katie Newell, who only gave up one hit in the entire game while striking out fives.
In the bottom of the third, Keene State was first able to score through an error in the field, before a single RBI from Sara Bracken brought in Anna Glassman for the final run of the game.
Kraytenberg went 1-2 while pitcher Stearns allowed five hits and two runs scored.
(04/17/13 11:17pm)
The Middlebury softball team extended its winning streak to 11 games unbeaten with a strong run of games against Skidmore on Wednesday, April 10 and a three-game sweep over Hamilton on Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15.
The Panthers dominated Skidmore in a double-header sweep, winning the opener 9-0 in six innings and took the night-cap 8-0 in five innings. Middlebury scored the opening runs of the game with a bases-loaded walk by Christina Bicks ’15 and an RBI single to center by Sarah Boylan ’13. Jessica Poracky ’13 hit her first home run of the game in the third inning to make it a 3-0 game.
Middlebury pulled away from Skidmore in the fifth inning, knocking in four runs on four hits. After a walk by Poracky and singles by Jessa Hoffman ’13 and Carlyn Vachow ’16, Emily Kraytenberg ’14 brought them in with a two-run triple down the right field line. Alex Scibetta ’14 then singled in Kraytenberg.
Poracky ended the contest as her second homer of the game plated two runs. Alexa Lesenskyj ’14 scattered four hits over six innings of work to pick up the win. Poracky finished 2-2 with three RBIs and three runs scored while Hoffman went 2-4 with three runs scored.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Panthers picked up where they finished the first game by scoring two early runs. Middlebury then racked up three more in the third inning to take a 5-0 lead. Kimber Sable ’14 scored on a one-out double by Hoffman, before a single from Poracky advanced Hoffman to third.
With runners on the corners, the Panthers successfully executed a double-steal of home. While Poracky was thrown out at second base, Hoffman scored from third giving Middlebury a 4-0 lead. Vachow then belted a triple to left-center and made her way home on an RBI from Boylan.
In the fourth, Bicks laid down a sacrifice bunt with Panthers on second and third to add another run to the scoreboard. Hoffman followed with a stand-up triple to left-center to bring yet another Panther home for a 7-0 advantage.
Middlebury ended the game in the fifth inning after Boylan brought in Vachow after she led off the inning with a triple to left-center.
Hoffman went 3-3 in game two, recording a single, double and her school-record 23rd triple, adding two RBIs and two runs scored. Vachow, meanwhile, finished 2-3 with a triple and two runs scored.
Elizabeth Morris ’14 recorded the win, allowing a lone double and struck out three in three innings. Neve Stearns ’16 provided effective relief, pitching the final two scoreless innings, walking one and striking out another.
“Against Skidmore we had some great pitching in both games, and people really stepped up at bat,” said coach Kelly Bvere. “We had 11 hits in both games, so we did a nice job of being consistent.”
Due to weather conditions, the Panthers’ weekend series against Hamilton was moved from New York to Middlebury’s fields. On Saturday April 14, the Panthers cleaned up against the Continentals, claiming the first day with a 4-2 and 10-1 win before finishing the series sweep with a 10-8 win on Sunday, Apil. 15.
In the opening game of the series, Poracky gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the first when she singled in Jackie Stern ’16 who had tripled. Hamilton tied the game in the bottom of inning as Olivia Gozdz scored on a field error. Sable and Stern led off the third with back-to-back singles, before Hoffman hit a two-run triple to secure a two-run lead. Hoffman then scored on a groundout to second by Vachow. While Hamilton cut the lead to two with a run in the fourth, Middlebury managed to hang on for the 4-2 win.
Stern finished the game with two runs scored, while Hoffman drove in a pair. Morris struck out six and allowed just one earned run en route to her seventh win of the season.
The Panthers started off the second game slowly, scoring one run in the third on a Poracky RBI single. However, Middlebury ran away from Hamilton in the fifth inning scoring four runs. Poracky initiated the offense, driving in both Stern and Hoffman on a double. Vachow followed with another double to score Hoffman. Kraytenberg finally brought Vachow home with an RBI single.
In the top of the sixth, the Panthers drove in five more runs on six hits to take a 10-0 lead. After singles from Sable and Stern, Hoffman added another single to plate Sable. Poracky then drove in both Stern and Hoffman with another single. Bicks pinch ran for Poracky followed by a one-out walk to Boylan. Another single from Scibetta then scored Bicks. With the bases loaded, a single from Sable pushed Boylan home. Hamilton finished the game with one run on the board in the home half of the sixth inning.
Poracky had three hits including a double with five RBI. Sable finished with three singles, an RBI and two runs. Lesenskyj earned the win evening her record at 4-4, scattering seven hits and striking out one.
Hamilton looked to bounce back the second day, opening up a 3-2 lead after four innings, before Middlebury scored four runs in the top of fifth through an RBI from Hoffman, a double from Poracky and a single from Boylan.
The Continentals benefited from fielding errors in the bottom of the sixth, as they scored two runs without garnering a hit. However, Middlebury added an insurance run in the top of seventh with a home run from Vachow.
Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh, Hamilton came back to score two runs to tie the game.
In extra innings, Middlebury led off with singles from Sable and Stern. Hoffman was plunked to load the bases for Poracky who skied a high fly to center field, advancing all runners and scoring Sable. A single from Vachow scored both Stern and Hoffman, giving the Panthers 10-7 lead.
In the bottom of the frame an errant throw to first allowed a final Hamilton run to be scored, but the Continentals were unable to extend the game further.
Vachow went 2-4 with a homer and three RBI, while Poracky went 2-4 with a double and three RBI. Stearns went the first three-and-two-thirds innings allowing three earned runs, before being relieved by Morris who went the final four-and-a-third innings allowing five runs.
Despite extending their unbeaten streak to 11 games, the Panthers are still looking to improve on various aspects of their game.
“We are hoping to improve on getting ahead early in games and staying ahead by scoring in every inning and staying aggressive at the plate,” co-captain Emma Katz ’13 said. “We also want to continue our success by staying relaxed and coming through on the defensive end as well.”
(04/10/13 9:51pm)
After a strong start to the season during spring break where the Middlebury softball team posted a record of 5-5 on its Florida trip, the Panthers went on to collect two wins against Castleton and Union during the week of April 2. This puts the team in a strong position to play Hamilton this coming weekend, April 12 and 13.
Head coach Kelly Bevere outlined some of the team’s expectations heading into the regular season.
“Going into Florida, we were working off some injuries, so we were looking to get players back into action,” said Bevere.
The team opened up its season with a 12-3 win over Western Connecticut in Clermont, Florida. Pitcher Kat Maehr ’16 earned the win in her collegiate debut, allowing three runs over four innings. Sarah Boylan ’13 went 2-3 with two doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs, while Emma Katz ’13 was 2-2 with a double and four RBIs.
Middlebury fell 6-5 to Tufts in the second game of break and first game against a NESCAC opponent after a hard-fought battle. With the game tied at 4-4, the Jumbos scored solo runs in the fifth and seventh innings before holding off a Panther charge in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jessa Hoffman ’13 went 3-4 with a double and two RBIs in the game, while Kimber Sable ’14 was 2-3 with a double and two runs scored.
While Middlebury fell 12-5 to Oberlin on day two of spring break, the Panthers bounced back beating Grove City 11-2. Middlebury held a 9-0 early lead in the five-inning contest as Elizabeth Morris ’14 allowed one run in four innings and Jessica Poracky ’13 went 2-2 with a double and two runs scored. Carlyn Vachow ’16 went 2-3 with a double, two runs scored and three RBIs.
Middlebury continued its strong spring break with a 6-5 win over Colby and an 8-4 win over Eastern Connecticut. Against Colby, Vachow went 2-3 with a double while Hoffman was 2-4 with a triple. The Panthers built up a 5-0 lead over Eastern Connecticut as Sable went 3-3 in the game, while Hoffman was 2-3 with a triple and Morris picked up the complete game win as pitcher.
Middlebury was unable to build off these wins, falling to both Union and Luther. Against Union, the team gave up four runs in the seventh and then one in the eighth as they dropped an extra-inning affair. The Panthers gave up seven runs in the third inning against Luther as Hoffman went 2-2 in the game with a double while Poracky also doubled.
The Panthers then managed an 11-3 win over Elmhurst in which Morris earned the win with five innings of work. Jackie Stern ’16 finished the game 3-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs. The team was unable to end their visit to Florida with a win, dropping their final game of the trip 9-0 to Wisconsin-Whitewater in six innings. Poracky finished 2-3 in the game, while four other Middlebury players singled.
Middlebury capped the spring break trip with a 2-1 series win over Amherst. The Panthers faltered with an opening loss, despite rallying in the bottom of the seventh trailing 4-0 to score three runs. Hoffman went 4-4 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Boylan claimed a double.
The Panthers bounced back on the second day of their three-game affair against the Jeffs. Middlebury scored 21 runs on 23 hits to claim two victories, taking the first game 10-4 before earning an 11-3 win in game two. Hoffman finished the three-game series going 8-10 with three doubles, five runs scored and five RBIs. This performance put her batting average at .545 on the season to earn NESCAC Player of the Week Honors.
Middlebury continued non-conference play after spring break spring starting with a doubleheader win against Castleton on Tuesday, April 2, earning a 10-2 win in five innings for a game one victory and a 7-0 win in the nightcap.
The Panthers scored in each of the five innings of their first game, starting with an RBI single in the top of the first by Poracky that drove in Sable. They then added an unearned run in the top of second and three more tallies in the top of the third. Vachow knocked a run with a single in the top of the fourth and came around to score on error before Hoffman ripped a two-run single to center, and was then driven in by Vachow on sacrifice fly to extend their lead to 10-0.
The Spartans notched their only runs in the bottom of the fifth to break-up the shutout in which Maehr held them to just five hits, allowing two unearned runs and striking out six. Hoffman finished the game 3-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Vachow went 2-3 with three RBIs.
In game two, the Panthers started with a two-run home run by Boylan in the top of the second inning, adding to their lead in the fifth after a double from Vachow. In the next inning Poracky popped an RBI double to center and was driven in by Alex Scibetta ’15 on a sacrifice fly to gain a 6-0 lead. Poracky finished the scoring earning another RBI on a single to left-center in the top of the seventh.
The Spartans were held to just three hits by Alexa Lesenskyj ’14 and Neve Stearns ’16, who combined to pitch a shutout. Poracky finished 2-3 with two runs scored and two driven in.
Middlebury finished off the week strong with a two-game sweep at Union on Thursday, April 4, ending the first game 7-1 before only needing six innings to pick up a 10-2 victory in the second game.
The Panthers jumped out to an early lead through a long ball from Hoffman, before she struck again in the top of the third with a single good enough to double the lead. A solo shot from Sable gave the Panthers a 3-1 edge before Stern followed up with a home run. Poracky extended the lead with a RBI single to score in Stern, before Middlebury added yet another run as Vachow lined the ball down left field to bring Stern home. Hoffman hit her second home run of the game to tie the school record on a two-run shot to finish off the scoring for Middlebury.
Morris shut down the Dutchwomen offense, limiting Union to just four hits in the game and one run.
The Panthers followed up their first win with another strong showing, responding in the first inning with an RBI single from Stern. Hoffman continued the surge with a double to the gap to level the score. Middlebury was able to add on three more runs with RBI singles by Emily Kraytenberg ’14 and Alex Scibetta ’14. Vachow was able to get Hoffman home as she reached on a double before Sable added on her RBI tally in the top of the fifth as she doubled to score in two more runs. Middlebury added a final run to make it 10-2 as Sable reach on an error.
While Bevere is happy with the start her team has made, she knows there is much to be improved upon.
“One thing we’re looking at is communication, [between] outfield and infield and vice versa, staying sharp defensively and being more efficient offensively,” she said.
The Panthers return to action against Skidmore on Wednesday, April 10 before traveling to NESCAC rivals Hamilton on Friday, April 12.
(02/27/13 11:47pm)
Middlebury ended their most successful season since 2002 with a hard-fought 59-49 loss to Williams in the NESCAC semi-final at Amherst on Saturday, Feb. 23.
“I though we played really well against [Williams], but player for player we were just out-manned,” said Coach Noreen Pecsok. “They were just bigger, stronger and faster.”
The Panthers opened up to an early six-point lead as Laura Lowry ’14 put the Panthers up 10-4 with a pair at 14:07. Despite a layup from Eph player Danny Reiner, Middlebury went on a 6-0 run to build a 16-6 advantage with 12:00 left in the half.
A pair of free-throws added to a Panther lead 18-8, but Williams built up considerable momentum, going on a 20-5 run and giving up just two Middlebury field-goals in the final 10:12 of the first half.
Kellie Macdonald gave the Ephs their first lead of the night with a jumper with 2:12 left in the half, after they had managed to claw back from a seven-point deficit. A three point shot from Jennie Harding gave Williams a 28-23 advantage at the half.
Harding opened up the scoring for the Ephs in the second half with another three, and Macdonald followed suit to give Williams an 11-point lead. Determined not to be left behind, Middlebury reeled off an 8-3 spurt, pulling back within six after a layup from Sarah Marcus ’14 at 12:23.
However, Williams scored 13 points over a span of 4:33, led by Macdonald and Grace Rehnquist, to pull away yet again at 41-33. Despite last-gasp efforts from Middlebury, Williams did just enough to hold onto a 10-point victory.
Shooting 30.6 percent from the floor and 7.1 percent from the three-point range, Scarlett Kirk ’14 led Middlebury with a game-high 17 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Marcus had nine points in a collective playing time of 11 minutes.
Looking back on the season, the Panthers achieved many of the goals they set out at the beginning.
“As senior captains we can definitely say that we achieved our initial goal of being able to look back and be really proud of the team that stepped off the court after each and every game,” said co-captain Tracy Borsinger ’13.
As for the future, Pecsok is excited with where the team can go next year.
“I think the future is bright; we took the same kids who struggled last year and with hard work they really shone this year, which shows we can achieve good things with this team,” said Pecsok. “We’re really motivated to get back to the NESCAC final four!”
(02/20/13 6:33pm)
For the first time in 11 years, the women’s basketball team will advance to the NESCAC semifinals after beating Bates 75-64 in the quarterfinal game. This win comes after the team finished off the regular season with a 65-45 loss to Amherst on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Amherst started out strong, limiting Middlebury’s scoring chances with tight defense, as they moved out to a 15-2 lead in the first 11 minutes of play.
Rachel Crews ’15 led a Middlebury surge outscoring the Jeffs 16-9, cutting the lead down to five with 4:30 remaining in the first half. Amherst increased the advantage to nine before a late three by Laura Lowry ’14 cut the lead to 27-21 at the intermission.
Middlebury came out aggressive in the second half, cutting the lead again to five on a three from Lowry with 1:16 gone on the clock. The Panthers later came within three once again when Tracy Borsinger ’13 sunk a three at the 16:24 mark to make it a 32-29 game.
The Jeffs responded with a 17-2 shot advantage over a 6:49 span, led by Jasmine Hardy and Megan Robertson. While the Panthers came within 14 at the 2:53 mark, the Jeffs closed the game on an 8-2 run to come away with the win.
After shooting 32 percent in the first half, the Panthers found a rhythm offensively in the second half improving their overall shooting to 47.6 percent in the game. Despite the hot shooting in the second half, the Panther’s conceded 38 points in the later half, as well as giving up 27 second chance points. Scarlett Kirk ’14 finished with a team high of 14 points, while Lowry and Crews each bagged 10. Jesse Miller ’13 had nine rebounds.
“It was frustrating to hold Amherst close for much of the game but then let the score get away from us, but we still feel that there are many positives to take away from the game,” co-captain Kate Logan ’13 said. “We played very tough defense and tied the Amherst players out through an uptempo game.”
The Panthers did not let this loss get to them as they came out strong in their NESCAC quarterfinal, leading early 8-6, before Bates went on an 8-0 run to open up with a 14-8 advantage after just over six minutes.
Lowry then led the Panthers on a 7-0 spurt, contributing five of the seven points including a three-point play, to cut the lead to 27-26 with 5:04 remaining. Middlebury continued their dominant passage of play, scoring nine of the game’s next 11 points to take a 39-32 advantage with less than a minute to play in the half. A late basket by Crews gave the Panthers a 41-35 lead going into halftime.
Learning from previous mistakes, Middlebury did not let the quality of their play or aggression slip after the break, as a 9-2 run put them up 56-43 with 13:54 left in the game.
However, the Panthers were then unable to connect from the floor, missing the next nine shots as they went nearly 10 minutes without a field goal. Middlebury found themselves tied at 61-61 with 3:58 left in the game when a basket from Lowry ended the drought.
Middlebury then went on a 12-0 run, with seven points coming from Katie Pett ’14 to put Middlebury ahead by 12 points with just seconds left in the game.
“Everyone on the team is willing to do whatever it takes to win, and that’s our greatest strength … we knew that we had the potential to be in this position and it’s great to see all of our hard work pay off,” Lowry said.
Borsinger finished the game with 18 points and seven rebounds closely followed by Lowry who added 17 points and five boards. Pett, meanwhile, finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Middlebury returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Amherst in the NESCAC semi-final against Williams. The conference tournament underwent a considerable shake-up when news broke shortly after Middlebury’s quarterfinal victory over Bates that Tufts, the NESCAC’s top seed and the sixth-ranked team in the country at the time, had lost to eighth-seeded Bowdoin in their quarterfinal matchup. As a result, the second weekend of tournament play shifted from Medford to Amherst.
“We’re going to enjoy this week together, doing what we love to do, and everybody on this team believes that we can beat Williams,” coach Noreen Pecsok said.
(02/13/13 10:43pm)
After two consecutive losses in NESCAC games against Williams and Bowdoin, the women’s basketball team bounced back with wins against Colby and Lyndon State before winning a make-or-break game against Trinity on Sunday, Feb. 10, all but guaranteeing a spot in the NESCAC quarterfinals.
The past four conference games for Middlebury highlight the ups and downs the Panthers have experienced this season.
“The NESCAC has been crazy this year, so I don’t think anyone really knows what place we’ll end up in, but regardless going into the NESCAC tournament with a solid win is a great way to enter,” said Laura Lowry ’14.
In action on Jan. 26, Middlebury was unable to challenge Williams, and the Ephs rushed out to a nine-point lead 3:36 into the game. As Coach Noreen Pecsok tried to settle her team down, Middlebury was able to claw back before a 16-2 run gave Williams full control of the game going into the half, 22-9. Though Tracy Borsinger ’13 rallied the Panthers with a running lay-in and a pair of free throws, Williams sealed the game with a 7-0 run.
Middlebury was unable to turn things around against Bowdoin on Feb. 1. While the Polar Bears carried a six-point lead into halftime, the Panthers were able to trim the deficit to four points following a free throw from Katie Pett ’14 with 15:52 remaining in the second half. Bowdoin quickly pulled away, however, going on a 14-0 run over five minutes to finish the game 60-40.
The Polar Bears held the Panthers to 24 percent shooting in the second half and converted 17 points off of 15 Middlebury turnovers.
The following day, Feb. 2, Middlebury held on for a scrappy win against Colby. The Mules led 17-11 with 8:25 in the first half, but the Panthers went on a 16-8 run to secure a 27-25 margin at intermission, and never allowed Colby to take the lead in the second half. The teams traded buckets for most of the final period as the Mules were able to tie the game with 3:53 left on the clock. An inside basket from Pett gave Middlebury a two-point lead as the final two minutes turned into a hectic battle, and Lowry sealed the game in Middlebury’s favor, 52-48, with two free throws.
Middlebury finished their final non-conference game with a win against Lyndon State on Feb. 5. After trailing 7-3, the Panthers went on a 14-2 run after a pair of threes from Kristina Conroy ’14 to hold a 17-9 lead with 10:33 left in the first half. The Panthers then scored 18 of 22 points starting at the 6:29 mark to go into the break with a 41-25 advantage.
Middlebury scored the first 10 points of the second half, led by Scarlett Kirk ’14. The lead stretched to as much as 31 points after a bucket from Jesse Miller ’13, leading Middlebury to a 74-47 victory.
The win gave the Panthers momentum going into their game against Trinity. In a very evenly contested first half against the Bantams, both teams traded buckets, neither side leading by more than three, until a pair of free throws from Middlebury’s Tracy Borsinger put the Panthers on top 29-25 with 5:15 remaining. Lowry, the player of the game, hit a jumper on the Panther’s next possession to give Middlebury its biggest lead of the half at 31-25. The Bantams came close to tying the game, going into the break just one point behind Middlebury after picking up several points off baseline drives from Hannah Brickley and Taylor Murtaugh.
While Middlebury has at times struggled to maintain their intensity in the second half of games this season, the Panthers turned a 41-41 point tie into a 10-point lead, spurred on by Lowry and Kirk.
While the Bantams were able to manage a 5-0 run, Lowry’s final points of the game gave Middlebury a 68-60 lead at 6:39. The Panthers built their lead back to double-figures with a Pett lay-up at 2:40.
It seemed that the Panthers could possibly suffer the same fate as they did against Hamilton, losing a five point lead in the final three seconds, after Christina Raiti’s three with 53 seconds left on the clock was followed by a pair of free throws by Moriah Sweeney. Middlebury ultimately held on, notching the 81-71 victory.
Free throws played a particularly important role in the game as the Panthers managed 27-36 from the stripe while Trinity managed 16-20 free throws.
Lowry scored a career-best of 25 points, which came on 7-14 shooting. Despite leading her team in scoring, she was quick to praise the efforts of all her teammates.
“The game against Trinity shows how deep we are, and shows how many different ways we can score,” she said. “We’re playing well, and most importantly we’re playing as a team and I wouldn’t want to go into the tournament any other way.”
Three other Middlebury players finished with double digits, as Borsinger and Pett added 16 points while Kirk netted 15. Miller finished with a game-high of 13 rebounds.
Pecsok is looking for more of the same from her team in their upcoming game against Amherst and the NESCAC quarterfinal.
“We will prepare the same way we have been preparing the last couple of weeks,” said Pecsok. “[We] are not done and are not looking at what we have done to this point, only what else we can accomplish.”
(01/23/13 11:43pm)
Despite going 1-1 on the weekend and boasting an improved record of 9-8, the Middlebury women’s basketball team found itself stunned by a last-second NESCAC loss. The Panthers were shocked by a late surge from Hamilton, who lost its third game in conference play on Friday, Jan. 18. Two days later, on Sunday, Jan. 20, the team rebounded from the loss by handling Albany Pharmacy with a score of 75-28.
The Panthers started the game in control against the Continentals, leading Hamilton 13-7 at the 11:35 mark after three-pointers from Sarah Marcus ’14 and Laura Lowry ’14. Hamilton came back to tie the game with 3:03 remaining in the first, however, bringing the score to 22-22. After a pair of Middlebury free throws with 0.1 seconds left in the first half, the teams went into the break with 26 points each.
Middlebury came out of the break strong, going on an 8-0 run including two buckets from Marcus and a three-point play from Tracy Borsinger ’13 to take the lead with 11:48 remaining. The Panthers continued to hold an advantage late into the contest, with the score at 52-44 with 1:19 remaining.
Eliza Howe led an improbable Continentals comeback, sinking two three-pointers and a free throw to bring the Continentals within two points with 38 seconds remaining. Despite Scarlett Kirk ’14 making two free throws after being fouled with 10 seconds left to seemingly ice the victory, Middlebury could not hold on to the win.
Hamilton guard Madie Harlem hit a three-pointer with 3.3 seconds to go to put the Continentals within one. Kim Goidell then stole an inbound pass and outletted it to forward Samantha Graber, who converted a lay-up with 0.7 seconds on the clock, sealing a one-point victory over Middlebury with five points in the game’s final moments.
Lowry led Middlebury with 14 points while Middlebury connected on 42.9 percent of shots from the floor. Kirk and Borsinger both claimed six rebounds.
Head coach Noreen Pecsok accepted that tough losses like the one against Hamilton come with playing basketball.
“I told our team ‘If you do this long enough, you are bound to experience something like we experienced [that] night,” she said. “You have to be willing to have the tough, sometimes painful experiences to have a chance at the thrilling ones.”
In a repeat of last weekend’s fortune, Middlebury was able to bounce back from a tough loss with a commanding win against Albany Pharmacy. Despite a slow start by both teams, Jesse Miller ’13 opened the scoring after a double rebound by Katie Pett ’14.
Middlebury was easily able to work the perimeter and penetrate a weak 2-3 zone. The Panthers especially benefitted from offensive rebounds, getting points off second shots.
A seven-point run from Kate Logan ’13, including a three and points off a steal, epitomised Middlebury’s offensive and defensive prowess. The Panthers went into the break with a 33-21 advantage after back to back threes from Borsinger.
Middlebury came out even stronger in the second half, as Albany Pharmacy failed to gain any momentum. The Panthers held their opponents to three points in 10 minutes, not to mention seven points in the entire half.
The game provided Middlebury an opportunity to incorporate new players and experiment with different partnerships, as Alex Coolidge ’15, Daisy Brown ’16 and Margaret Lindon ’14 all recorded points. In fact, 11 of 12 Middlebury players got on the score sheet.
Borsinger nearly outscored the entire Albany Pharmacy team, netting 24 points in 26 minutes of play.
Now halfway through its NESCAC schedule, Pecsok is taking one game at a time.
“As coaches we will take a look at things we might want to do better,” said Pecsok. “The team will just focus on the things we have focused on all year – getting better, playing for each other and competing in every situation.”
(01/17/13 3:00am)
After starting off the new year strong earning their first win in NESCAC play in over a year against Bates Jan. 4, Middlebury continued with a 60-44 win over Suffolk on Jan. 8. Despite falling to Connecticut College 66-57 on Friday, Jan. 11, Middlebury quickly put the loss behind them to finish the week with a 62-45 victory over Wesleyan on Saturday, Jan. 14.
“We were very pleased to win [our first NESCAC game] this year,” co-captain Jesse Miller ’13 said. “As with any win, we are happy but not satisfied. Each game that we play is important to the success of our season and in becoming the team that we strive to be.”
Middlebury started the game against Suffolk from behind, trailing 17-15 with 6:37 left in the first half. However, spurred on by a two and a three-point play from Katie Pett ’14, the Panthers went on a 7-0 run to hold a 22-17 lead, before going into the break with a 26-22 advantage.
The Panthers started off the second half where they had finished, outscoring the Rams 20-5 in the first 10:31 minutes of play, led by a pair of threes from Tracy Borsinger ’13. Middlebury led by as many as 20 points before coming away with the 60-44 win.
Borsinger led the team with 18 points, while Pett recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.
Middlebury was unable to carry the momentum from the win against Suffolk, losing 66-57 against Connecticut College.
Both teams started off slowly, unable to score until Middlebury opened a 6-0 lead at the 14:58, after a three-point shot finally fell for Borsinger. Conn. College answered with a 16-3 run, led by Caitlin Cimino, who had a strong first half for the Camels.
Borsinger dragged the Panthers back into the game with back-to-back threes, cutting the lead to 16-15 with 6:50. Both teams continued to exchange buckets before the Camels took a 27-26 lead into the break thanks to a buzzer-beating lay-up from Kaitlyn Cresencia.
Middlebury kept Conn. College within grasp in the opening minutes of the second half thanks to shots from Borsinger. However, the Camels began to pull away with a 12-5 run amounting to a 50-43 lead with 8:13 left on the clock.
Two lay-ups from Sarah Marcus ’14, gave Middlebury a boost and kept the Panthers within five. Yet Conn. College continued to penetrate the lane, an area where Middlebury typically struggled on defence, for a 10-3 run and an overall lead of 62-50 with 1:13 remaining. Despite a three from Marcus, Middlebury was only able to cut the lead to nine.
Borsinger led the Panthers with a game high of 21 points, 8-18 from the floor, while Scarlett Kirk ’14 had a team best of nine rebounds and game high of five assists.
In a quick turnaround, Middlebury was able to bounce back against Wesleyan with a comfortable 62-45 win.
Learning from their mistakes against Conn. College, Middlebury established their dominance from the beginning of the game quickly building a 13-5 lead, including four points from both Kirk and Borsinger.
Wesleyan was able to slowly close the gap, eventually taking a 19-18 lead after a pair of free throws by Karly Finison at 6:43. Middlebury answered with a 10-0 run finished by a three-pointer from Borsinger to go into the break with a 28-22 lead.
The Cardinals took the lead in the second half with a 9-2 spree. The teams continued to trade buckets before a free throw from Kate Logan ’13 gave the Panthers the lead for good at 10:17. Middlebury built a 51-40 advantage with 5:09 left in the game with five points from Marcus, before converting well from the line as Wesleyan resorted to fouling in the final minutes.
“We share two very specific goals for the team, which is to play good defense and share the ball on offense, and I thought we did that very well against Wesleyan,” Coach Noreen Pecsok said.
Kirk led the game with 16 points while Marcus contributed 13 off the bench. Pett recorded a career-best of 23 rebounds.
“I just knew we had to limit Wesleyan to one shot on the defensive end and offensive rebounds are huge for our momentum, so I just did my best to make sure those things happened,” Pett said of her new record. “As we head into the rest of our NESCAC games, we’re not looking for moral victories. We want the notches in the win column too.”
Despite beating Colby-Sawyer in their season opening tournament, Middlebury was not able to repeat the performance, falling to a 71-62 non-league road defeat on Tuesday, Jan. 15.
The Chargers started the game with a 5-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game, holding the visitors scoreless until the 16:11 when Borsinger connected on a trey. Colby-Sawyer led by as many as nine when Taylor DeSanty sunk a three-pointer at the 13:26 mark to make it 12-3.
While Middlebury was able to cut the deficit to four points at various occasions during the first half, Colby-Sawyer went into the break with a 26-21 lead. The Panthers were only able to shoot 22.6 percent from the floor, but were able to keep the Chargers within reach after forcing 13 turnovers.
Middlebury was never able to take control of the game, always lagging at least three points behind Colby-Sawyer. While the Chargers shot 62.1% in the second half, Middlebury stayed in contention thanks to 7-12 on three-point shooting. The Chargers finally pulled away with a 7-1 run with 1:23 left.
Borsinger led all scorers with 21 points, adding a team-high of nine rebounds, while Kirk claimed 12 points with Lowry in third with 10 points. The Panthers finished the game with a 32.8 percent shooting accuracy thanks to a total of 20 points off of turnovers.
Middlebury returns to action against Hamilton on Friday, Jan. 18.
“Anytime a NESCAC opponent comes to play on our home court, we feel like we have a real chance of winning,” Pecsok said.
(12/05/12 6:24pm)
The women’s basketball team conceded another away loss, falling to Emmanuel 62-50 on Saturday, Dec. 1, but recovered at home on Tuesday, Dec. 4 with a decisive 72-44 victory over Norwich to improve to 3-4 on the season.
The Panthers controlled the game in its early stages before Saints player Fiona O’Dwyer tied the score at 7-7 with a three-pointer. She followed up with a jumper to give Emmanuel its first lead, before Katie Pett ’14 hit a shot from the wing to bring the score back to 9-9.
After a free throw from Laura Benvenuto to make it 10-9, the Saints never trailed for the rest of the game. After building up a lead of 22-10, Middlebury responded with a 13-2 run to make it a one-point game at 24-23 with just three minutes left in the half.
Emmanuel opened the second half with a 6-0 run to increase their lead to 36-25 after a layup by Liz Daley.
While the Saints managed to keep a double-digit lead for most of the half, the Panthers managed to pull it back to six after a Pett layup with just 12 minutes remaining. However, Emmanuel responded quickly to pull their lead back up to double-figures at 49-39, holding on for the eventual win of 62-50.
“We should come away from this game with the confidence that we can not only stick with but also potentially beat a very good team,” said co-captain Kate Logan ’13. “By focusing on our game plan and forcing Emmanuel to play a style that they were not comfortable with, we very much challenged a strong team that is ranked 16th nationally.”
Tracy Borsinger ’13 led the Panthers with 13 points while Pett claimed 10 rebounds and a pair of steals.
Coach Noreen Pecsok is looking to prepare her team for the final push before winter break.
“Much of our time will be spent in preparation for our opponents,” said Pecsok. “We hope to play well and head into the break with a few wins and some positive momentum.”
Middlebury looked to bounce back with their first home game against Norwich on Tuesday Dec. 4.
The Panthers started off strong as they quickly opened up a 9-0 lead including a jumper on the buzzer from Borsinger and a three from Laura Lowry ’14.
After vowing to work on tightening up their defense, Middlebury looked strong and tight in the back court, forcing travels and air balls from Norwich. The Panthers dominated the boards in the first half, looking to quickly running the floor.
Nora Kelly ’15 made an instant impact off the bench, finding Kristina Conroy ’14 off a backdoor cut, before sinking a three pointer moments later.
Norwich made a run at the end of the half to pull back some points, after a three-point play from Norwich’s Katrina Laidlaw. Scarlett Kirk ’14 finished off the scoring with 37 seconds with a layup bringing the score to 40-19.
Middlebury picked up where they left off in the second half with a 12-0 run, easily opening Norwich on the counter, converting many fast-break points. The Cadets introduced a press, but were unable break down the Panthers.
Pett and Kirk were both strong from the line, and two free-throws from Pett brought the score to 62-37 with 8:28 remaining. The Panthers also had particular success on the baseline with jumpers from Borsinger and Kirk.
Kirk led her team with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Borsinger recorded 15 and 10. Middlebury faces Johnson State at home on Thursday, Dec. 6.
(11/28/12 7:07pm)
The Middlebury women’s basketball team started off the season with disappointment after a 66-61 overtime loss in the Tip-Off Classic against the University of Massachusetts- Boston on Saturday, Nov. 17. The Panthers, however, rebounded to win the consolation game against Colby-Sawyer 59-48. The team continued the season with a 80-47 loss against Smith on Tuesday, Nov. 20 and a 81-73 win against Plattsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 25.
“We are happy but not satisfied by our performances so far this season,” said co-captain Jesse Miller ’13. “We have faced some very good competition so far this season, which has been great to play against no matter the outcome. Every situation is a chance to improve and get one step closer to being the team that we aspire to be this season.”
In their first game of the season against UMass-Boston, the Panthers trailed at the beginning 16-9 before going on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 16-16. They extended the run to 12-1 after a basket from Katie Ritter ’15 gave the Panthers a 21-17 lead at 7:17. Unfortunately, Middlebury was unable to hold the lead after UMass-Boston finished the first half with a 30-25 lead.
After falling behind in the second half, Laura Lowry ’15 hit a three pointer to tie the game at 36-36 at the 14:16 mark. The score continued to yo-yo after Middlebury was able to erase the Beacons’ 10 point lead, when a jump-shot from Ritter tied the game at 52-52 with only 1:35 left to play. UMass-Boston managed to regain the lead with 45 seconds on the clock before a basket from Rachel Crews ’15 sent the game into overtime.
The Beacons went on an 8-0 run in the overtime period after Middlebury was unable to convert their shots and turned over the ball twice.
Three Middlebury players ended the game with double figures, led by Sarah Marcus ’14 who scored a game-high of 17 points. Ritter led the team with seven rebounds while Lowry had four assists.
After the disappointment of Saturday’s game, Middlebury came out strong against Colby-Sawyer. They took a 19-5 lead in the first 9:46 before the Chargers cut the lead to nine. However, Middlebury continued to push and went into the break with a 31-12 lead.
Colby-Sawyer was the more alert of the two teams at the beginning of the second half scoring 14 out of 19 points to cut the advantage to six at 34-28. While the Chargers came within three points on two occasions, Middlebury was able to hang on for its first win of the season.
Tracy Borsinger ’13 was the high scorer for the Panthers with 18 points and also claimed eight boards, while all-tournament team member Marcus was second with 14 points.
The Panthers went into their game against Smith looking to build on the momentum of the win against Colby-Sawyer. However, Middlebury was never really able to challenge the Pioneers.
Middlebury started off the game with a 4-0 lead, but the lead was their last of the game. The Pioneers responded with a 9-0 run after baskets from Rosa Drummond and Paulina Solis. Smith continued to increase their advantage and built their biggest lead of 41-17 after a layup from Bethany Clap, and went into the break with a 43-20 advantage.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first after Smith opened the period with a 10-2 run. The Pioneers led by as much as 37 after another Solis layup went down.
The Panthers struggled on offense, sinking only two out of 11 long-range attempts. Ritter led the attack with nine points, while Borsinger finished with eight rebounds.
Middlebury was able to pick itself up after its loss at Smith, bouncing back with a comfortable win against Plattsburgh.
The Cardinals started off the stronger of teams, opening up the game with an 8-0 run, eventually extending their largest lead to 11-2 after a three-pointer by Brittany Marshall at 15:11.
Plattsburgh continued to dominate the rest of the half holding a 30-22 advantage with 1:07 remaining on the clock, before Marcus hit a pair of triples. Then Nora Kelly ’15 pounded through the Cardinal’s defence, downed a layup, and closed the gap to 32-30.
The Panthers continued to build on this momentum at the onset of the second half, beginning with an 8-0 run on a pair of triples from Lowry and a jumper from Borsinger. Middlebury increased the lead to as much as 10 points just five minutes into the half.
However, on the strength of an offensive surge from Marshall, who went on a 7-0 run at the 8:54 mark, the Cardinals found themselves in the lead for the first time since the halftime break. Their advantaged grew to 66-63 with 4:31 remaining.
But after the Panthers emerged from a key back-and-forth sequence with possession, Middlebury went on a 10-0 run to complete their comeback victory.
Marcus finished with 21 points while Borsinger had 20 points and seven assists.
The Panthers fell victim to a slow start against Castleton State, however, as Middlebury’s resurgence at the end of the game fell just short, as the Panthers fell 62-60 to the Spartans.
While Castleton built an early lead, the game yo-yoed back and forth as the Spartans built a seven-point lead before the Panthers cut it to two, 27-25, with 6:24 left. Castleton went into the break only a basket better than Middlebury, leading 32-30.
Castleton rallied at the start of the second half, however, extending their lead to 10 with a jumper by Alyssa Leonard. Their lead continued to fluctuate as a 4-0 Panther run brought the visitors within a basket at 57-55 with 3:35 remaining in the game. After the teams traded baskets, Scarlett Kirk ’14 again brought the Panthers within one point with just 41 seconds left. After a jumper from Castleton guard Kelly Conway, Kattie Ritter ’15 attempted a game-tying three with 12 seconds left, but the ball rimmed out.
Borsinger led the team with a game high of 25 points, while Katie Pett ’14 finished with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
While the Panthers have had an up-and-down start to the season, head coach Noreen Pecsok sees the opening games as a way to gauge her team’s strengths and set season-long goals.
“We have a lot of people who haven’t played a lot of minutes due to injury in the past, so right now we are figuring out who plays well together,” said Pecsok. “We believe all the things we need to get better at are within our grasp, so everyone is very positive.”
Marcus, echoing her coach’s sentiments stressed the importance of the team maintaining its defenisve intensity.
“This season, we want to be a disruptive, defensive team,” she said. “We want to make it as hard as possible for the other team to score, and if we play tough defense, it will give us energy to push the ball and get easy baskets in transition. I am extremely excited for the rest of the season, and if we continue to stay focused and play hard, good things will come.”
Middlebury returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 1 against Emmanuel.