48 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/18/16 3:55am)
The men’s squash team ended J-term with a couple of eventful weeks. It first concluded the regular season schedule by defeating then 14th-ranked Navy 5-4 on Friday, Jan. 29 at the Yale round robin in New Haven, Conn. and moving past the Midshipmen in the national rankings. The following weekend, Feb. 5-6, the Panthers traveled to Hartford to compete for the NESCAC Championship. The team entered NESCACs as the tour- nament’s second seed – the highest the men’s squad has ever been seeded.
Bates knocked off the Panthers 6-3 in the semifinals, but Middlebury made the most of the weekend on Sunday as the team garnered its second win over Williams this season with a 5-4 win in the third place match. The third place finish is the team’s best in the conference tournament since finishing third in the 2010-11 season.
After a whirlwind J-term schedule, the team has two weeks off before nationals, which will be held at Yale on Feb. 25-27. “I think that these two weeks will work to our advantage — we were all pretty beat up after NESCACs and needed some rest,” Wyatt French ’17 said. “However, we need to be really focused and smart about how we practice during these two weeks to make sure that we are sharp for nationals.”
The only downside to the time off is that the Panthers have been on a tear recently. French has been at the center of this tear, winning each of the last five matches he has played for the Panthers in the third spot of the lineup.
After French managed to get through NESCACs without dropping a single set, he said that “it feels good to be playing well near the end of the year. I was a lot more confident in my drop shot, trickle boast and attacking boast so I was able to attack all four corners of the court well.”
“The third place finish is disappoint- ing because we beat Bates earlier in the season, but they are a really good team and we knew that it was going to be hard to beat them again,” French said. “It was satisfying to beat Williams in the third place playoff. This is the first year that we have beaten Williams and it feels great to beat them twice in one season.”
The only “disappointment” for the Panthers heading into nationals was that they finished third at NESCACs. However, beating a team of Bates’ caliber twice in the same season is a tall order. Bates’ top player is Ahmed Abdel Khalek from Cairo – a three time all-American, three time NESCAC Player of the Year and the men’s defending national champion who appeared in the “Faces in the Crowd” feature in the Apr. 6 edition of Sports Illustrated after his undefeated campaign last season.
Looking forward, the Panthers are currently ranked 15th nationally in the most recent College Squash Association, dropping one spot down after Navy’s win over Franklin and Marshall and Middlebury’s loss to Bates. The Panthers’ rank of 14th heading into NESCACs was its highest since the 2010-11 season which was the last time the team qualified for the B division at nationals. With 16th- ranked Brown as the only challenger behind Middlebury for its 15th ranking, and with the team’s 5-4 head-to-head win over the Bears earlier this season, the Panthers look to be a lock for the 15th ranking at nationals.
For seniors like Cromwell, French and Harrison Croll ‘16 who have won the C bracket at the end of each of their three seasons with the team, a chance to break into the second bracket (played by the teams that finish the regular season ranked nine through sixteen) would be rewarding.
“It is hard to know, but whomever we play in the first round will be beatable and it is up to us to prepare well for that match,” French said.
(01/28/16 12:05am)
Last Saturday, Jan. 23 marked a historic day for the men’s squash team: their first-ever match victory against Williams, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, no less. The men’s team won 7-2, while the women’s side fell 7-2 for their third-straight loss.
This team-first for the men’s side came just a week after both the Williams and Panther men lost 6-3 to 10th-ranked Franklin and Marshall. With a loss to a common opponent, the Panthers’ win over the Ephs gives them an edge over Williams as the season inches closer to the release date of the final regular season rankings after the NESCAC Championships Feb. 5-7, which will be held in Hartford.
A win for the 15th-ranked Panther men over a Navy team only one spot ahead of them would give the Panthers more cushion entering the NESCACs in their quest to qualify for the second division.
It the third trip for both teams down U.S. Route 7 toward Williamstown this season, but the first time they played the Ephs. Their two previous were for the Williams Round Robin tournament and the match against Franklin and Marshall.
Given both the men’s and women’s teams are rounding out their schedules with top-line opponents, Coach Mark Lewis said that he is looking to prepare his players for the NESCAC Championships.
“How do I define success [for the men as they round out their schedule] against [Williams and Navy]? It’s by winning them, simple. And how we get ready for the NESCACs is what matters,” Lewis said Friday afternoon at practice as his team prepared to leave for Williamstown early Saturday.
Senior David Cromwell ’16 and junior Wyatt French ’17 continued their impressive seasons with straight-set victories in the second and third places on the ladder, respectively. Will Kurth ’18 and Robert Rohrbach ’19 also won in straight sets at the bottom of the ladder for the Panthers. Andrew Cadienhead ’17 bounced back from a tough five-set loss against Brown two weeks ago with a four-set victory in the fourth slot.
Cromwell’s continued success remains the story of the season for the Panthers. To put it in perspective, just 11 months ago he lost a five-set match against Williams from the sixth slot at last season’s NESCAC tournament. Now Cromwell won in straight sets in the second slot against Williams’ top first-year and prized offseason recruit.
“It means a whole lot,” Cromwell said of finally beating the Ephs. “Williams has been on our radar since the days of the bubble. To finally eclipse them with such a strong performance up and down the ladder was very satisfying.”
“I knew heading into my match that I had an opportunity to seal the deal because three, six and nine swept the first matches and Kurth is pretty much a guaranteed win at eight,” Cromwell said. “I really wanted to finish it off for the guys. You always want to be in that kind of position for your team.”
Winning the decisive match against the Ephs earned Cromwell NESCAC player of the week. While he acknowledged that his hard work has paid off, Cromwell said the highlight of this season is the team’s overall success.
“My favorite part about this year is our cohesion as a team," Cromwell said. “We are tough, battle tested, and believe in each other. I certainly wouldnt want to play us.”
The third straight loss for the women’s side comes on the heels of their dropping a spot in the rankings after a loss to Franklin and Marshall, with whom they swapped the 14th and 15th spot in the rankings. Although they dropped to 15th and lost to Williams, the Panther women appear safely in position to qualify for the second division again this year because they already have a dominant 8-1 victory over 16th-ranked Amherst.
The bright spots for the women’s squad were first-year Alexa Comai ’19 and senior Zoe Carey ’16. Comai came away with a closely contested straight-set victory, while Carey traded 11-9 games with her opponent before clinching the match in the fourth game, 11-3.
Comai pulled through when it mattered most Saturday, winning in straight sets. After Comai won the first two sets 14-12, she was able to outlast her opponent from Williams in an 11-9 nail biter in the decisive game three.
“I had success when I stepped up and volleyed more than her and tried to control the T,” Comai said. “When I was in front of her and was able to dominate the play I kept her in the back of the court and was able to attack more.”
A recurring theme that both teams have attributed to their success throughout the year, fitness, was once again in play for Comai against Williams.
“Going into the third game [after back-to-back 14-12 sets] all I was thinking was that I was exhausted and really did not want to have to play another game, so I wanted to give that game everything I had,” Comai said.
Carey attributed her success to the mental side of the game.
“As the season has progressed, I find that if I go into a match confident that I am going to win, I often do,” Carey said. “I try not to let the opponent get in my head, and I trust that my skills and mental ability will get me through the match.
“In the last game, my opponent clearly lost her momentum,” Carey continued. “She seemed exhausted from the previous games, and I used that to my advantage.”
One of three seniors on the women’s roster, Carey has experience with the grind that comes with the end of a squash season. Especially this year, as the injuries have piled up for the women’s side, Carey says that the team is not fading.
“Physically, our team is tough,” said Carey, despite injuries and fatigue the team has dealt with since returning to action earlier this month. “I believe that our physical fitness is as strong as ever. We had a period of time a few weeks ago when we played [seven matches in nine days].” Carey says that she knows the team is physically ready for the upcoming Yale Round Robin and the NESCACs.
Carey added, “I don’t think our team is worn out and has hit a wall. I have been so impressed by the way my team has been playing, and a few losses doesn’t change that. Although the scores may not show it, our matches with Williams and F&M were close, and I believe that we have the ability to beat both those teams. Going into the next few weeks, I think we will prepare by making sure that every injured player do whatever she needs to feel healthy and at her best again before going into NESCACs and Nationals.”
With the women matching up against 11th-ranked Williams last Saturday, and 10th-ranked Dartmouth and fourth-ranked Yale this Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Yale Round Robin, Lewis said that the team can gauge where they heading into NESCACs.
“I am not defining the success [for the women’s team] based on the wins and losses,” said Lewis, who acknowledged that Dartmouth and Yale, especially, are stretches. “I think of those matches as tests, to see how we are doing physically and see how our bodies are holding up the week before the NESCAC Championships.”
Going into the stretch run, Lewis said mental preparation will go a long way to determining the Panthers’ success. “How do you prepare for a team you know is strong especially at the top and you know you had a close match? I think getting them mentally ready. Either through conversations or through mental sessions,” Lewis said.
“I act as more of just a reminder. Just [saying to his players] ‘hey guys remember when you did this or you did that really well?’ And that worked out really well.’ It doesn’t have to be really complicated,” Lewis said about game planning and tactics. “The game is much too fluid or too fast to do that. But if they had a feeling like, ‘Ah, when I played Bates the last time earlier this year and I played well,’ what does that mean?” is what Lewis believes the players should be reflecting on before NESCACs when they will match up with opponents they have already played this year.
Lewis continued, “It’s about each of them realizing that ‘I played well because I volleyed a lot. [Or] I played well because I hit the back to corners a real lot.’ Those are two things that are really important in any match. If they are reminded of those things, specific things that they can do, that they have confidence in, I’m pretty confident in them.”
The Panthers round out regular season play this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29-30, at the Yale Round Robin in New Haven. The men’s squad plays its final match of the regular season Friday evening at 5 p.m. when they take on Navy. The women’s squad will play two matches at the round robin Saturday afternoon against Yale at noon and Dartmouth at 3 p.m.
(01/21/16 12:09am)
The first few weeks of the New Year have been busy for the men’s and women’s squash teams, as both played over half of their schedules in nine days from Jan. 8 through Jan. 17. The trip to Maine before the end of winter break and a pair of 8-1 wins over Amherst this past Tuesday, Jan. 12 were highlights for both teams. Last Saturday’s matchups with Brown were nail-biters for both teams. The 16th-ranked men’s squad defeated 15th-ranked Brown 5-4, and the 14th-ranked women’s squad fell 6-3 to a strong 11th-ranked Brown team.
The men’s 5-4 triumph over Brown on Saturday will likely see them move into the 15th spot in the CSA standings. At the beginning of the year, one of the team goals was to finish in the second division after winning five of the last eight Summers’ Cups awarded to the top finisher in the third division. The team needs to be ranked 16th or higher to qualify for the second division.
David Cromwell ’16 and Wyatt French ’17 continued their strong seasons in the Panthers’ victory over the Bears, but Will Kurth ’18’s gutsy victory over Charlie Blasberg was the difference maker in the 5-4 victory.
Kurth jumped on Blasberg in the first game, outpacing his opponent and forcing Blasberg to run up and down the court. Kurth extended several rallies and hit high quality low shots right above the tin that kept Blasberg on his toes. Although Kurth still looked like the stronger of the two, Blasberg won the second game as unforced errors cost Kurth. Kurth was not far off though, as a few of his errors came within an eyelash of missing the tin.
Kurth gave the crowd their money’s worth in games three and four, winning both 12-10. Kurth won the deciding fourth game by scoring on a shot he beautifully hit to the back of the right wall, just out of Blasberg’s reach, forcing a bad return which earned Kurth the victory.
“I definitely didn’t want to have to go to a fifth game,” said an exhausted Kurth. “I tried to control the pace and be speedy to wear him down. Both of us were exhausted.”
Kurth described his strategy, “like a game of chess.” He said that in the final two games, he felt he was getting to the ball and hitting it to the right place at the right pace. “It was frustrating because he was getting to all of my shots. In the end I decided there was no reason not to go for it. After a while, when I had the chance, I mixed it up and slid in some no look shots to throw him off.”
In the second slot on the ladder, Cromwell was able to finish off his opponent in four games.
“I concentrated on hitting better quality shots than him,” Cromwell after the match said.
In the deciding fourth game, Cromwell won the first point with a brilliant shot that caromed at the base of the back wall just under the racquet of his opponent. After a serve from the left box that was hit above the boundary line, Cromwell showed no signs of letting the rare mistake affect his focus. On the subsequent rally, Cromwell and his opponent exchanged shots on the left wall until Cromwell forced him to the back so he could deliver a perfect low shot to the front left corner. Similar to what Kurth said about his Brown performance, Cromwell won the point like it was a game of chess against an outmatched opponent.
Over the course of the match, Cromwell seemed to know what his opponent was going to do next. When asked if the two had played each other in the past, Cromwell at first said no. Then he remembered, “Well, I played him once at a squash camp a long time ago. He was way better than me then.”
Coach Mark Lewis described the effort Cromwell has put in since the end of last season as “inspiring.” “He really puts in the work. He wants it. If there is something that needs to be fixed, or if we want him to address a specific part of his game, he works tirelessly on it,” Lewis said. Cromwell played most of last season in the eighth slot, but his efforts have precipitated his rise to the second spot on the ladder where he has won six of 11 matches this season.
Although the women’s team did not earn a victory, Lewis said, “I have no problem with us walking away today 1-1,” as both of Brown’s teams are among the country’s best. Despite losing 6-3, the women’s team played Brown closely. They were also without Lucy Bostwick ’18, who has emerged as one of the most dependable players on the team, and a key to the Panthers’ success at the bottom of the ladder.
Alexa Comai ’19 continued her tremendous first-year campaign, collecting a five game win for the Panthers. Down 10-6 in the second game, Comai was in danger of falling down two games to zero for the first time all season after losing the first game 11-9. Yet Comai did not give in and registered six straight points to the second game 12-10 to the tune of loud cheers from the crowd. By the time she pushed the match to a fifth game, Comai knew she had her opponent where she wanted.
“We were fairly evenly matched, but she was more tired than I was going into that last game,” Comai said. Comai moved her opponent around the court, mixing in more and more boasts as the rubber-match went on.
“I decided that it was best to attack and that’s why you saw me boast more to get her out of position,” Comai said. “I tried to play with more tempo hoping she would have a harder time keeping up.”
Comai won the decisive fifth game 11-8, tallying the first win of the day for the women’s squad.
Over the course of the nine day grind, the only losses the men suffered came against sixth-ranked St. Lawrence (9-0) and tenth-ranked Franklin and Marshall (6-3). Their wins over Bates, the higher ranked of the two when the Panthers travelled to Lewiston, and their win over Brown put them in a good position to try and clinch a berth in the second division.
The women’s team, however, lost Sunday, Jan. 17, the last of the matches for the nine day whirlwind, to a lower ranked opponent for the first time all season. Ranked 15th, one spot below Middlebury, Franklin and Marshall was able to knock off the Panthers last Sunday 7-2. Although the Panthers remained without Bostwick and are still trying to deal with lingering injuries, they will likely move down to 15th when the next set of rankings comes out.
“Keeping people healthy for the final stretch run and heading into national’s remains a top priority,” said Lewis after the Brown match. “I need to push them in the right ways so that they improve and keep up our fitness, but also avoid injuries. If I can do that and if they can stay mentally focused, we still have our best squash ahead of us.”
Both teams are in action this Saturday, Jan. 23 in Williamstown, Mass. where they will take on Williams at 2 p.m.
(12/09/15 8:02pm)
On Saturday, Dec. 5, the men’s and women’s squash teams headed to Clinton, New York to take part in matches at Hamilton College. The women’s squad bounced back from a tough loss to Cornell on Nov. 21 to defeat Hamilton 6-3, and the men’s team dominated both their opponents, Hamilton and Hobart, 9-0.
“Cornell was our opening match and our first trip traveling, so getting back into the swing of things as well as getting rid of all the nerves and anxiety of our opening match, was a big thing,” said Tiffany Hau ’16, a team captain.
With the women’s squad’s win over Hamilton, the fourteenth-ranked Panthers continued their streak of dominance over the Continentals, defeating them for the fourth consecutive time in three years. Middlebury swept all matches in the second through seventh slots on the ladder. Bea Kuijpers ’19 and Alexa Comai ’19 provided the Panthers with strong performances as they both captured their first victories of their college careers, (11-2, 11-3, 11-6) and (11-8, 11-5, 11-8) respectively, and captains Zoe Carey ’16 and Hau provided the Panthers with a punch in the top-middle of the ladder, winning their matches in the third and fourth spots, (12-10, 11-9, 11-2) and (11-6, 11-1, 11-5).
“I’ve really been working on my mental game,” Carey said. “During the Cornell match, once I convinced myself that I could win, I was better able to stay in points and give her a good fight. I was a bit more shaky due to nerves going into the Hamilton match against Lillie Simourian, but I won the big points when I had to and became more confident as the match progressed.”
Getting stronger going into January will be a key for the Panthers’ overall success going forward. They play important matches against Bates, ranked fifteenth-nationally, and Brown, ranked eleventh-nationally, on Jan. 8 and 16 respectively.
“We’ve been training really hard and our team has been really building confidence as the season is progressing,” Hau said. “It’s definitely always tough having the holiday break for winter sports,” Carey said.
“We have been training hard to improve our overall level of fitness,” Carey added. “I know this will show through during our matches against Bates and Brown.”
On the men’s side this weekend, the Panthers swept both Hamilton and Hobart 9-0. The team dropped only two games in its defeat of Hamilton and only three against Hobart.
The middle of the ladder continued to be a strength for the Panthers. Against Hamilton, Harrison Croll ’16 bounced back from losing his first game to take the next three and the win (9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 13-11). Henry Pearson ’17 dominated in the sixth slot (11-3, 11-3, 11-2), while first-year Robert Rohrbach ’19 earned a win in the ninth spot (11-4, 11-1, 12-10) his first collegiate action.
In the match against Hobart, co-Captain David Cromwell ’16 (11-7, 14-12, 13-11) and Wyatt French ’17 (11-1, 11-4, 11-6) swept their opponents to continue their winning ways in the second and third slots respectively.
Will Kurth ’18 continues to stand out at the bottom of the ladder for the Panthers throughout the early part of the season, sweeping both of his opponents (11-4, 11-7, 12-10) and (11-3, 11-6, 13-11).
“I was more fit than Dietz and I knew if I could focus on implementing my game plan I would beat him,” Kurth said. “When I think too critically about a part of my swing or my movement during a match, I tend to mess up strategically. This past weekend, I stopped worrying about the technicalities and just played my game. I felt like my old self and won defiantly. It gives me confidence to work super hard from now until January.”
Although he may show up lower on the lineup card than last season, Kurth provides insurance for the Panthers that they will win their matches at the bottom of the ladder.
“It’s important not to think selfishly and think of this as a good thing,” Kurth said. “It means other guys on the team have raised their game. My team has confidence that I will win my matches at the eighth position, and I plan to do just that.”
The squash teams are off until the end of the break when they travel to Maine to take on Bates on Friday, Jan. 8 and Colby and Hamilton on Saturday, Jan. 9 to start the critical stretch of their season.
“Bates, Bowdoin and Colby will be grueling matches that demand focused preparation and training,” Kurth said. “We are looking forward to the challenge, especially for another chance to beat Bates.”
(12/03/15 1:09am)
Before Thanksgiving break, men’s and women’s squash travelled down U.S. Route 7 to Williamstown, Mass. for a tournament at Williams College on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Panther men and women were in action against Cornell Saturday afternoon, and the men’s squad also took the court against Western Ontario in a pivotal match for year-end national tournament seeding.
For both the men and women, Cornell was going to be a tough match from the outset. The Cornell women entered the day ranked sixth in the country, while the Cornell men ranked 12th.
The women’s squad dropped all nine of their matches; although this seems like a tough way to start the season, the Panthers saw plenty of bright spots. Most notable was the play of two first-years, Bea Kuijpers ’19 and Alexa Comai ’19, who were second and fifth in Middlebury’s ladder.
Kuijpers gave Cornell junior Rachel Scherman a very good match, even taking the first game 14-12. While Kuijpers lost the next three sets — tallying six, four and five points respectively — she put up an impressive fight in her first collegiate match against a competitor ranked 28th in the nation.
Like Kuijpers in the second slot, Comai pushed Cornell sophomore Charlotte Knaggs to her limit in the fifth slot. Comai also won the first set of her collegiate career 14-12 before narrowly surrendering three games in a row. She dropped the second set and the decisive fourth set to Knaggs 11-6. The real turning point of the match was when Comai lost the third game 11-9, falling just short of a 2-1 lead that would’ve carried her into the fourth game.
“I felt strongest when I controlled the pace of the game and made [Knaggs] play my game instead of hers,” Comai said. “I thought the strongest part of my game was changing directions and moving her up and down the court ... to set up opportunities for ... attacking shots.”
Moving forward into their tough schedule to come, women’s squash knows they are still in a good position for success this season.
Senior co-Captain Tiffany Hau ’16, who held the fourth slot on the ladder against Cornell, explained that the team has “never been more fit,” which is very important in “such a physically demanding sport.”
“I think it’s great that we are able to play some of the stronger teams early on in the season because it prepares us for later on in the season when we play some of our closer rivals such as Bates and Williams,” Comai said.
The men’s squad did not fare much better than the Panther women against Cornell, with Wyatt French ’17 tallying the lone match victory for the Panthers. French clinched a win in four sets, winning three straight after dropping the first game 8-11. His three straight wins (11-6, 11-5 and 11-9) did not come easily, but French’s adjustment to a more patient pace allowed him a match victory against Cornell first-year Perry Hanson.
“In the first game against Hanson I played well but I made a couple of bad decisions going for kill shots at the wrong time and hitting the tin,” French said. “In the next couple of games I decided to be more patient and really wait until the perfect opportunity to attack. I was able to control the pace and retrieve most of his attacking shots and he started to get impatient and hit some tins.”
Regardless of Middlebury’s performance against Cornell, the men’s match against Western Ontario held the most importance in regards to post-season seeding. The Panthers rebounded from their 8-1 loss to the Big Red with an equally decisive 8-1 victory over the 19th-ranked Mustangs.
Once again, French led the way for the Panthers from the third slot on the ladder with a dominant three-set sweep (11-3, 11-4 and 11-6).
“Defensive game and movement were working well for me,” French said, reflecting on his first weekend of play at Williams. “Williams’ courts are hot and fast, which really helped me execute my defensive, up-tempo game.”
With solid performances from Henry Pearson ’17, Will Kurth ’18, Ben Krant ’17 and Sam Giddins ’18 on the bottom half of the ladder, French’s continued improvement would sure-up the top of the Panthers’ lineup as the season continues to heat up.
“My defensive game has always been my strength, and to have a more well rounded game I need to attack more,” French said.
Head Coach Mark Lewis has implemented specific exercises in practice to help French and his team strengthen their attacking game.
As a result of this training, French says he “will look to attack more and build confidence in [his] drops and volley drops” in the next few matches.
The Squash teams will head to Clinton, N.Y. to play at Hamilton College this Saturday, Dec. 5. Both squads face Hamilton at 2 p.m., and the men will play a second match against Hobart at 5 p.m.
(11/05/15 1:05am)
Men’s Soccer
Both of the Panthers’ losses this season came in 1-0 road losses against Amherst and Tufts. Amherst ended the regular season undefeated and as the top-ranked squad nationally, while Tufts began the campaign as the pre-season number one. Yet, after the both squads were improbably bounced from the conference tournament on the first weekend, Middlebury (13-2-1, 7-2-1 NESCAC) appears to have jumped onto the fast track to its first conference title since the 2010 edition of the team squeaked by Bowdoin on penalty kicks.
The Panthers are set to take on Wesleyan this Saturday Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. at the soccer field. Wesleyan was the team responsible for knocking off the top-ranked Lord Jeffs. In their first match up this season, Greg Conrad ’17 headed in a beautifully centered ball by Philip Skayne ’17 in the 80th minute to seal a 2-1 victory for the Panthers.
Saturday’s match figures to be high scoring as well, as Middlebury’s 2.49 goals-per-game average is the highest in the conference, while Wesleyan’s 1.9 goals-per-game is the third-highest. Defensively, however, the Panthers hold the edge over Wesleyan by a wide margin, as Middlebury’s goals-against-average is under half a goal-per-game, while Wesleyan’s 1.5 goals-against-average ranks in the bottom half of the conference.
Rounding out his 31st season at the helm of the men’s soccer squad, head coach David Saward’s team knows all it needs to do this weekend is execute and he will be heading to his 11th trip to the NCAA tournament.
“I think their record completely belies their ability,” Saward says of Wesleyan. “I think they’re really a very good team. Beating Amherst on Saturday does not surprise me…I think they’ve got a number of very good players. It’s not going to be easy. They’re going to come full of confidence now even though they’ve had a tough run. I know a number of their players, and I really think they’re very, very good. Well-coached. I think it will be a very even game. It’s going to be who can find the special moment to win the game.”
If the Panthers execute against Wesleyan on Saturday, they would take the field again Sunday Nov. 8, playing either Connecticut College or Bowdoin for the NESCAC title.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team (7-4-5, 4-3-3 NESCAC) heads to Bowdoin this weekend on the heels of its 3-2 upset over Amherst on Halloween.
Turning attention to the task that awaits them in Williamstown, Captain Katherine Hobbs ’17 said that although the Amherst game was more nerve-wracking than the team would have hoped, it provided a spark for the team.
Hobbs emphasized that “by coming back from behind and battling through the final minute, we proved to ourselves that we can get the job done when it counts most.”
The Panthers face a tall task this Saturday Nov. 7 when they head to Williamstown to take on the Ephs, who were undefeated until last week then the Panthers knocked of Williams at home 2-0. Last week’s result against Williams proved that though the Panthers are the sixth seed in the NESCAC tournament, they are certainly a legitimate contender.
“Saturday’s game is going to be another huge battle and is going to come down to little moments like those that won us the game this past weekend at Amherst. We definitely rattled Williams this past week,” Hobbs said.
The Panthers shut-out Williams in last week’s match, which was only the second time this season that Williams failed to find the back of the net for only the fourth time over the last three seasons, and it was Kate Reinmuth’s ’17 fourth clean sheet of the season.
“Williams is certainly a worthy opponent,” said Reinmuth, who saved all three shots on goal registered by the Ephs. “We know that it’s going to be a battle every time we face them, no matter the week or the field – or the year for that matter. We beat them last week, but that’s no guarantee of anything, so we’re working to fine tune our game in anticipation of Saturday.”
The Panthers’ defense needs to limit Williams’ dangerous duo of junior forwards, Audrey Thomas and Kriste Kirshe – the top two goal scorers in the NESCAC – as they did in their first meeting when Thomas and Kirshe were held without a shot-on-goal.
Hobbs reflected how the team is embracing the rematch with the top-ranked Ephs, who she says “will be coming into this rematch with a vengeance, but that makes the game that much more fun. We have already taken away their perfect season and now we are excited to end their NESCAC run as well.
Field Hockey:
If the Panthers (15-1, 9-1 NESCAC) are going to repeat as NESCAC tournament champions, the odds are that they will likely have to go through Bowdoin, as the last four NESCAC tournament finals pitted Panthers against Polar Bears. The Panthers have only been the higher seed in two out of the six meetings between Middlebury and Bowdoin in the finals.
Field hockey almost certainly does not need to win its game Saturday Nov. 7 in Brunswick, Maine against Tufts to guarantee it a spot in the NCAA tournament; however, the team would relish a chance to avenge its only loss of the season, off of a penalty stroke in the last minute, to Bowdoin in Brunswick on Sept. 26.
If the Panthers are going to repeat as NESCAC tournament champions, the odds are that they will likely have to go through Bowdoin, as the last four NESCAC tournament finals pitted Panthers against Polar Bears.
After easily handling Hamilton last Saturday afternoon Middlebury leads the nation by wide a wide margin in assists-per-game with 3.63, more than half an assist better than the next-best team. The Panthers also lead the nation in average margin of victory at almost 4 goals-per-game and rank fourth in goals scored per game at 4.56.
Moreover, it could easily be argued the Panthers have the best scoring duo in the country in Pam Schulman ’17 and Annie Leonard ’18 with 33 combined goals on the year thus far. The Panthers’ goalkeeper, Emily Miller ’17 is also having a tremendous year for the Panthers, as she ranks 8th in the nation in goals-against-average, having allowed only 11 goals in 977 minutes.
Nevertheless, Leonard says that the team is not looking beyond the next game.
“We are just focused on taking everything day by day and not looking too far ahead,” she said. “The team is working hard to get better, and we are just focusing on doing our jobs. We can only control what we do as a team, so we’re working our hardest to prepare ourselves. We are certainly excited for the road ahead.”
Volleyball:
The volleyball squad (17-6, 7-3 NESCAC) has enjoyed a successful regular season especially for such a young team: the Panthers have no seniors on this year’s roster.
The talented young team is headlined by Becca Raffel ’18 who currently leads the NESCAC in kills with 334, and has more than avoided a “sophomore slump” after being named co-Rookie of the Year in 2014. Raffel is joined by veteran presence Melanie English ’17, who is also the conference blocks leader, as well as fellow outside hitter Emily Kolodka ’18 and Hannah Blackburn ’17 as the team’s key contributors.
Middlebury enters the NESCAC tournament as the fourth seed for the second straight year. No one on the current roster has advanced passed the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC tournament, but their match with Tufts this Friday evening Nov. 6 in Brunswick, Maine provides an opportunity for this team to have a breakthrough.
“Tufts is a very strong team,” Raffel said in preparing for the Jumbos early this week. “We had a competitive match with them last week and [so] we know their tendencies and their game. It’s nice to be able to go into the game having proved to ourselves that we are capable of beating them, but at the same time it’s never easy to beat a good team twice, especially at NESCACs.”
The Panthers’ mental toughness certainly cannot be questioned, especially with the way that it handled the highs and lows of this season. At the times when the Panthers faltered they got right back up again – the most notable example being how they followed losing two-straight hard-fought matches to NYU and Bowdoin in mid-September with a ten match winning streak.
“No one on our team has won a NESCAC championship,” Kolodka. “We are hungry for the opportunity to play Saturday and Sunday, and that’s driving us to bring our best volleyball on Friday.”
(10/22/15 12:47am)
The women’s golf team wrapped up its fall season in Wellesley, Massachusetts last weekend, Oct. 19-20, at the Nehoiden Golf Club for the Ann S. Batchelder Golf Invitational. The Panthers finished third out of nine teams, collectively shooting a 640 to put them at 64 over par for the weekend. The Panthers finished 31 shots behind Williams, who set the pace at 33 shots over par with a total score of 609 for the weekend, which ended with the familiar sight of the Ephs taking home the tournament trophy.
NYU shot a 629 and finished second, 11 shots ahead of the Panthers. Middlebury was able to beat out rival Amherst for the second straight weekend, as the Lord Jeffs shot a 661, 21 behind the Panthers. After a fifth-place finish in their first tournament of the fall season one month ago, Sept. 19-20, at the NYU Invitational, the Panthers have managed to finish third in every tournament since.
Head Coach Bill Mandigo “thought [the team] played better down the stretch,” in the Batchelder Invitational than it had in previous tournaments this fall. This likely helped the Panthers to edge out Amherst, their main competition, from a spot on the podium.
“I was very pleased for Lilia Everson [’19] this past weekend. She had two great days,” Mandigo said. “Katharine Fortin [’18] and Helen Dailey [’19] have been very consistent the past few weeks and will continue to improve,” Mandigo added, hinting at the prospect of continued success in the spring.
Indeed, freshmen Everson and Dailey, as well as Fortin, stood out for the Panthers in the Batchelder Invitational. Everson and Dailey had the best rounds of their fledgling collegiate careers.
Everson finished fourth on the individual leader board as she shot back-to-back 77s for a 154 on the weekend. Fortin maintained her consistency this fall with back-to-back 79s for a 158 on the weekend, again shooting her name onto the individual leaderboard with her eighth-place overall finish. Meanwhile, Dailey shot an 81 in Saturday’s round and an 80 in Sunday’s for a weekend finish of 161. Though she was just three strokes behind Fortin, Dailey placed just outside the top 10, tying with Catherina Li of NYU for 11th.
Sophomore Hope Matthews ’18 was the other Panther who counted on the score sheet. She shot a 167 — 82 on Saturday and 85 on Sunday. Matthews had a very strong first-year campaign, but has struggled to break 80 in her sophomore fall. Monica Chow ’18, the team’s lone senior, finished shot back-to-back 85s to finish the weekend with a 170. Though Chow tied for 24th individually (in a tournament with 62 participating golfers), her score did not factor on the Panthers’ team scorecard.
Sunday’s round was the second this season in which Williams shot 300 or lower as a team and was the fourth time that each of the Ephs who counted on the score sheet finished in the tournament’s top 10 individual finishers. In fact, a Williams player has clinched the individual title of every tournament held this fall. The closest the Ephs’ streak came to being snapped was at Middlebury’s invite, when Fortin and Amherst’s Devyn Gardner finished in a four-way tie for first with Phoebe Mattana and Elizabeth Gudas of Williams.
Although the men’s squad has already packed their clubs away for the winter, the all-Conference squad was released last week. Scott Guidotti ’19 won NESCAC Player and Rookie of the Year honors, while Bill Beaney was tabbed as NESCAC Coach of the Year. The eight-man first team all-NESCAC squad indicates that when teams let their first-years play it has had a big impact. To be sure, Middlebury is the trend-setter: Guidotti, Phil Morin ’19 and Reid Buzby ’19 are the Panthers’ three representatives on the NESCAC first-team squad. Joining the class of ’19’s trio in post-season recognition, Rodrigo Andrade ’17 earned a spot on the second all-NESCAC team.
“Being able to win as a team feels so much better than simply doing well as an individual,” Buzby said as he reflected on his first season. “The upperclassmen have made the transition from junior golf to college golf very easy; they are always willing to help out. I have just been very happy to be able to contribute to the team the last few tournaments.”
(10/15/15 12:12am)
The men’s squad traveled to Bernardston, Mass. for the ECAC DIII Championship tournament, where its first-years continued to dominate en route to a narrow two stroke victory over conference rival Trinity for its second ECAC tournament victory in three years. The women’s squad competed in the first ever NESCAC Women’s Golf Championship at the Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, placing 2nd in NESCAC play and 3rd overall.
The men shot a collective 591 for the weekend to take home the trophy just a week after winning the NESCAC qualifier.
Once again, Panther first-years sat at the top of the individual leader board, as Scott Guidotti ’19 shot a 141 (three-under par), the only score under par on the weekend, and Reid Buzby ’19 shot a 145 for the weekend. Guidotti has now won both tournaments he has played in as a Panther.
After Saturday’s round, the Panthers sat five shots off Trinity’s lead, as the Bantams’ Will Rosenfield shot a 69 and Jeff Durkin shot a 73. Although Rosenfield and Durkin set the pace through the first round of play, Guidotti and Buzby were not far behind with their first round scores of 71 and 75, respectively. Like Buzby, fellow first-year Phil Morin ’19 and junior Rodrigo Andrade ’17 also shot 75’s in the first round.
“It feels pretty good to know that I was able to contribute to the team,” Morin said. “All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my college career here at Midd.”
Sunday, once again, belonged to Guidotti. He cut a stroke from Saturday’s round and shot a 70, while Trinity’s Will Rosenfield fell far off his torrid first round pace with a 75. Buzby tied Guidotti and two others for the low round, 70, on Sunday. The performances by Guidotti and Buzby were enough for the Panthers to make up the five stroke deficit they faced heading into the second day of competition.
The team’s first-years have certainly provided a youthful enthusiasm in their first semester on the team.
“Being a part of the golf team for this first month of school has been an absolute blast,” Morin said. “I can’t imagine having a better and more diverse group of guys to hang out with ... All of the upperclassmen are always willing to give me advice on just about anything.”
The men’s team will return to the course when it tries to defend its NESCAC title and win the conference for the fifth time in six years.
“We are excited for the accomplishments we have had so far in the season and definitely looking forward for the upcoming spring,” Andrade said.
The women finished second at the Taconic Golf club this weekend, punctuating an excellent fall season.
After beating Amherst in the first tournament of their fall season, the women’s golf team finished behind the Lord Jeffs in each of their next two tournaments before topping their rival in their final weekend of the fall season.
The Panthers finished with a weekend total of 663, 46 shots behind Williams, but nine shots ahead of Amherst. After the first day of play, the Panthers held a slim, two-shot advantage over Amherst after a first round total of 328.
“We were in 2nd place going into Sunday’s round again,” Katharine Fortin ’18 said, reflecting on last weekend’s Middlebury Invitational where the Panthers were in striking distance on Amherst before a poor round on Sunday. “Most of us played match-play in our heads against our Amherst competitor [for Sunday’s round] because we knew it would be a tight race.”
Williams finished the weekend with a 617 and were paced by tournament individual champion Cordelia Chan who recovered from a rough two days at Ralph Myhre last weekend to finish at nine over par shooting a 151 for the weekend. Fortin was the closest Panther to Chan on the leaderboard, as she shot back-to-back rounds of 79 to finish with a 158 and 16 over par for the weekend.
Other Panthers who factored into the successful result were Helen Dailey ’19, Hope Matthews ’18, Monica Chow ’16 and Theodora Yoch ’17. Dailey continued her successful start to her Middlebury career with rounds of 81 and 82. Key players Chow and Matthews battled through tough rounds as they shot 173 and 176 respectively, while Yoch shot rounds of 81 and 89 to finish the weekend with a 170.
“Williams is a very impressive team, so 2nd was a solid finish ... The greens are fast and sloped, and this weekend, we were playing very firm. We are proud of how we all played and stuck with it through Sunday’s round. It was perfect weather and we all had a lot fun together and on the course with our competitors,” Fortin said.
The women’s squad will head back to Massachusetts this weekend, Oct. 17-18, to wrap up its season in Wellesley for the Ann S. Batchelder Invitational, while the men’s squad puts up their clubs for the winter.
(10/07/15 11:38pm)
The men’s and women’s golf teams both had a very productive Fall Family Weekend, Oct. 3-4, on the course. The women’s golf team placed third in its own Middlebury Invitational at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course, while the men’s team took its first step toward defending its NESCAC title by winning the NESCAC qualifiers at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Mass.
It was only three weeks ago that the men’s squad finished behind Trinity, Hamilton, Amherst and Williams’ A and B teams when they struggled to a 12th place finish at Taconic. As the last decade of Middlebury men’s golf has shown, this team is resilient and at its best when it really counts.
The program’s trend of first-years contributing at the big tournaments was also on display again last weekend, as Scott Guidotti ’19, Philip Morin ’19 and Reid Buzby ’19 shot the top three scores for the Panthers.
When the first round of the qualifier ended Saturday, the “big three” of Panther first-years sat at the top off the leader board, as Buzby and Morin shot 75s putting them one shot back of the leader Guidotti. Guidotti finished the weekend at the top of the individual leader board and 4 strokes over par. He shot an impressive 74 on Saturday, and followed that up with an outstanding round of 72 on Sunday. Buzby followed his 75 on Saturday with a 76 on Sunday to lock up a second place finish individually. Although Morin fell off the pace his teammates set Sunday, he shot a 78 to finish his successful weekend shooting a combined 153 for third place.
Rodrigo Andrade ’17 shot a 157 (78, 79) and Bennett Doherty ’18 shot a 159 (76, 83) to round out the Middlebury top five in the winning effort.
The Panthers’ first-place finish at the qualifier gives them home course advantage for the NESCAC championship tournament in the spring (Apr. 30 – May 1).
Last weekend was a successful one for the women’s squad as well. The Panthers finished 3rd at their annual invitational, 12 shots back of second-place Amherst and 26 shots off the pace set by Williams.
Katharine Fortin ’18 was the highlight for the Panthers. She continued her success this fall by finishing the weekend with a two day total of 160 and in a four-way tie for first place atop the individual leaderboard.
The conditions on the course tested players on all teams this weekend, especially on Saturday.
Due to the windy and chilly conditions, Head Coach Bill Mandigo said his players had mixed feelings about their play. “Some of [the players] were disappointed and some were okay,” Mandigo said as players began walking off the course Sunday.
Fortin added that the team enjoyed playing on its home course, and the experience will be useful heading into next weekend’s NESCAC tournament.
“The course was playing very difficult for every player yesterday because of the north wind. It’s a long and challenging course, but it is certainly fun to play and beautiful at this time of year,” Fortin said. “We had home advantage, which helps with putting and yardage. The team was hitting the ball well, but struggled in other areas that lead to scores being higher than we wanted.”
Fortin pointed out that the Panthers still have room to improve upon their third place finish, considering they finished behind two NESCAC teams.
“We had expectations to put some pressure on Williams after day one because they are the team to beat and had hopes of at least finishing second,” said Fortin on how the team reflected on the weekend. “Unfortunately it didn’t come together and Amherst stayed ahead of us.”
Mandigo said his players are looking forward to the challenge of heading to Taconic next weekend for NESCAC’s. “It’s going to be tough for the younger players who haven’t been down to Williams yet,” Mandigo acknowledged. “And Williams has a very talented group.”
The Panthers can look forward to the challenge after a third-straight week of improvement and a solid outing at their invitational as they attempt to qualify for NESCAC championships in the spring.
This weekend, Oct. 10-11, both the men’s and women’s squads will head south to Massachusetts. The women’s squad tees off Saturday at the Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown for the NESCAC championships, and the men’s squad tees off Saturday in Southwick for the ECAC Division III championships.
(09/24/15 12:58am)
Middlebury’s men’s and women’s golf teams were both in action last weekend, as the men’s team hosted the 32nd Annual Duke Nelson Invitational and the women’s team took part in the NYU Invitational at Spook Rock Golf Course. The Panther women collectively carded a two-day score of 659 which put them at 83 over. The men’s team finished with a two-day score of 629, 61 over for the weekend.
Katharine Fortin ’18 and Hope Matthews ’18 were the low scorers for the Panthers in the team’s first tournament action of the fall season. Fortin finished the weekend with a two-day score of 154, good for 10 over. She followed her Saturday round of 78 by registering a 76 in Sunday’s round, punctuated by two birdies on the back nine. Matthews was 15 over on the weekend and carded a two-day score of 159. She shaved five strokes off of her 82-stroke Saturday round by shooting a 77 on Sunday.
“I was more comfortable on the course today,” Matthews said after Sunday’s round. “I was able to build off the specific yardages and ball positions I used yesterday which was particularly helpful for a few of the blind shots. I also feel that my short game was stronger today.”
One of the most inspirational performances of the weekend came from Theodora Yoch ’17. She entered the field as an individual and recorded a 93 in her first round; however, she shot a 77 on Sunday and shaved 16 strokes off Saturday’s round – good for the best day-over-day improvement of any player on the course.
“We expect everyone to contribute immediately,” said Bill Mandigo, who enters his eighth season as the team’s head coach. “We have a good, young group and I am excited to watch them compete on a weekly basis.”
The Panthers round of 321 on Sunday sealed their fifth-place finish, fourteen shots back of fourth-place Amherst. Williams shot a two-day total of 614 and finished 38 over to take home the win.
Unlike the women’s team, the men’s squad did not have to travel far, as they hosted the 32nd Annual Duke Nelson Invitational at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course.
The team is competing without last season’s top-ranked player, Fitz Bowen ’17.
“Certainly Fitz is one of the best golfers that I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach at Middlebury College,” said 22-year Head Coach Bill Beaney. “He led with his hard work, course management and high level of skill. Mostly he set a great example with his tireless preparation.”
Without Bowen in the field, Rodrigo Andrade ’17 was the highlight for the Panthers. He followed a Saturday round of 78 by shooting a 73 on Sunday, tied for the lowest round of the entire field and a seventh-overall finish. Reid Buzby ’19 also helped lead the way for the Panthers last weekend. In his collegiate debut he recorded the Panthers’ second-lowest two-day score with a 157 by shooting a 78 Saturday and a 79 Sunday. Bennett Doherty ’18 finished two strokes behind Buzby with a 159.
One week before heading to NESCAC qualifiers and beginning their title defense, the Panthers managed to finish ninth after shaving 11 strokes off their day one score in Sunday’s round. They finished 15 strokes behind tournament champion Williams, which shot 614 at 46 over. The Panthers finished fourth among the seven NESCAC teams that competed as they continue to adjust to life with Bowen abroad.
Beaney still remains optimistic about his team’s chances to finish in the top four at next weekend’s qualifier to earn the squad a birth into the NESCAC Championship.
“The current group we have is a nice blend of experienced players that have worked hard to get their chance and first year players who come in with a great resumes, Beaney said. “The team has an awareness and understanding of what it takes to be successful at this level.”
Next up for the women’s squad is the Mt. Holyoke Invitational Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 28 at The Orchards in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The men next compete at the NESCAC qualifiers Saturday and Sunday at Williams.
(09/18/15 12:44am)
The men’s golf team began the fall season teeing off in Williamstown, Mass. at the Williams Fall Invitational at Taconic Golf Club last weekend, Sept. 12-13.
The Panthers shot 630 for the weekend and finished twelfth in the 20 team field, 29 shots back of Trinity, which carded a 601 en route to victory. Other NESCAC notables included place Williams (605), ninth place Hamilton (623), 10th place Amherst (625) and 13th place Tufts (632).
Joe Ko '18 shot a 156 and was the low scorer for the Panthers. He shot a 75 on Sunday, good for the seventh lowest score of the day, as he bounced back from shooting an 81 on Saturday. However, Graham Kenter ’17.5, Rodrigo Andrade ’17 and defending co-NESCAC champion Bennett Doherty ’18 all finished within three strokes of Ko’s team low. Kenter shot a 157, Andrade carded a 158 and Doherty carded a 159. Much like Ko, Doherty managed to recover from an 81 on Saturday with a round in the 70s Sunday. Trinity’s Will Rosenfield finished atop the leader board at one over with a 143.
The weekend posed many unique challenges to the Panthers. The team competed without Matt Marra ’17 and two-time defending NESCAC champion Fitz Bowen ’17, who are both abroad, and also played without its talented crop of first year students who were on their Middview trips.
The players who were able to make the trip to northwestern Massachusetts were greeted with inclement weather.
“It rained off and on the whole round on Saturday, and Sunday was windy and threatening rain the whole round," Kenter said.
"We all struggled with the greens - Williams is the hardest and longest course we play all year and the conditions didn't help. Everyone’s excited about playing at home this weekend, and we’re also looking forward to returning to Williams in two weeks to play again in the NESCAC qualifier,” he added. Despite carding the lowest round for the Panthers, Ko may have been the most affected by the weather.
“Despite good ball-striking, my putting was a bit rusty,” Ko said. “For two days, I had a total of thirteen 3-putts.”
As the qualifier approaches Doherty says he wants to get better off the tee, while Ko aims to improve his putting. However, Doherty, Ko and Kenter all talked about one area in particular that the team is highly motivated to improve: consistency, which could be a challenge for a young team like the Panthers.
Doherty admits that the fall season will pose unique challenges.
“We only have five returning players in the fall and, therefore, we have much less overall experience than teams in the past,” Doherty said. “That being said, we are also very excited about the strong group of freshmen coming in and we are ready to work at it to play our best despite the lack of experience.” The goal for the fall season is “to play our best and work hard to put ourselves in position to win NESCAC’s,” Doherty said. This first tournament may have been a frustrating one for the men’s golf squad, but it is only the beginning of a long road to this spring’s NESCAC Tournament and the NCAAs.
“We have the same expectations as every year — we want to win the NESCAC’s and make it to the NCAA tournament, and then make the cut at Nationals,” Kenter said.
The Panthers will take to the Ralph Myhre Golf Course this weekend as they host the annual Duke Nelson Invitational, which tees off at 9 a.m.
(04/29/15 6:30pm)
The Panther men’s golf team won its fourth NESCAC title in the last five years last weekend, April 25-26, on their home Ralph Myhre Golf Course. The victory clinches a trip to the NCAA Division-III Championship tournament at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina to take place from May 12-15.
The Panthers played host to Williams, Trinity and Hamilton – the three other teams that made the cut for the NESCAC Championship tournament at the qualifier in October. The Panthers finished the weekend with a team total of 595, a 14-shot cushion over second-place Williams. Trinity and Hamilton spent the majority of the weekend out of contention, finishing with team scores of 624 and 633 respectively.
When all was said and done after play concluded on Sunday, Fitz Bowen ’17 and Bennett Doherty ’18 shared the crown of individual NESCAC champion after shooting 147s. Bowen shot a 75 on day one, good enough to go into the clubhouse tied for second with teammate John Louie ’15. Bowen had the low score, a 72, on the second day to repeat as the individual champion. Doherty’s 74 on day one locked him in a three way tie with teammate Charlie Garcia ’15 and Williams’ Jake Goldenring. Doherty improved by one shot on day two, as he fired a 73 that was one stroke behind Bowen and Trinity’s Nick Buenaventura for the low score of the day and allowed him to stake his claim to the NESCAC individual crown.
“Golf is a crazy mental game, and I think the many hours we put into mental preparation was as important as anything,” Doherty said. “Once the tournament came, we were able to play our own game, and ultimately just have fun with it.”
The Panthers shot a 298 on day one, which gave them a five-stroke cushion over Williams. On day two the Panthers shot a 297, a stroke improvement despite tough weather conditions. Williams was unable to close the gap on the Panthers, as they registered a 306, three shots worse than their first day. Trinity came in on the second day of play two shots better than day one with a 311 for a two-day total of 624, and Hamilton shaved seven strokes off its day one total and shot a 313 to finish at 633 on the weekend.
Despite the cool and damp conditions, Williams’ Grant Raffel was tied for the low round of the day on Sunday with Trinity’s Buenaventura and Bowen, as all three shot 72s. Raffel finished with a two-day total of 148, while Buenaventura used a strong day two to rebound from shooting an 80 on day one to finish with a score of 152.
Louie, Garcia and Eric Laorr ’15 each were playing in their final NESCAC Tournaments. Louie finished with the third-best score of a 150 after shooting a 75 on both days. Garcia was unable to follow up on his brilliant first round of play in the damp conditions on Sunday, as he finished shot an 83 and tied for ninth place with a 157. Laorr finished in a tie for 14th after being bitten by several unlucky shots on day one when he shot an 82. However, he rebounded on day two and shot a 77 to finish with a 159.
“This is by far the most satisfying win for us as seniors,” Garcia said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more. It was a great way to end a great career. Winning three out of four NESCACs was amazing but the group of guys we have on the team is what makes it special.”
The Panther women wrapped up their season last weekend, April 25-26 when they played in the Williams Spring Invitational in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The team finished in third place, registering a 643 for the weekend. Finishing behind two teams from Williams, the Panthers shot 324 on day one, and were neck and neck with the two Williams squads and Amherst, each of which were within eight strokes of each other. The Panthers managed to shave five strokes off of their day two score, registering a 319 that put into perspective just how well the Williams A-team played on day two. Jordan Glatt ’15 and Michelle Peng ’15 played in their final tournament for the Panthers. Glatt, who took home the individual honors in the tournament at Amherst two weeks ago, finished in 10th. She rebounded from shooting an 83 on day one with a 77 on day two, carding a 160 to wrap up her career. Peng finished her career with a second place finish as she carded a 153, following a 79 on day one with a brilliant 74 on day two, one stroke off of Williams’ Phoebe Mattana.
(04/22/15 1:51pm)
The women’s golf team was in central Massachusetts last Saturday, April 18, where they finished tied with Williams for second in Amherst’s Jack Leaman Invitational. The NESCAC rivals finished with 325 strokes apiece, only one stroke behind the tournament champions, Ithaca College. Rounding out the top five were NYU and Mount Holyoke, finishing with 330 and 332 respectively. The host Lord Jeffs finished sixth with 335.
The men’s team, meanwhile, finished in a tie for fourth at the Wildcat Invitational, hosted by Johnson and Wales.
The highlight of the day for the Panther women was Jordan Glatt ’15. Glatt followed her strong outing at the Vassar two weeks ago by winning the individual competition at the Jack Leaman Invitational. She walked off of the 18th hole having registered an even par, 74 strokes, on the day, putting her team in position to finish in the top three. Glatt finished a stroke ahead of second-place Sophie Kitchen from Williams.
“Everything seemed to click this weekend,” Glatt said. “I was striking the ball solidly and had a lot of lucky breaks. This round will be a great memory to have going forward from my final season.”
The other key Panther contributors were Michelle Peng ’15, who tied for 10th with an 82, and Katharine Fortin ’18, who shot an 84 and tied for 20th. Monica Chow ’16 and Hope Matthews ’18 shot 85s and finished in a three-way tie for 26th with Williams’ Elizabeth Gudas. Theodora Yoch ’17 shot a 93 and Sarah Breckinridge ’18 shot a 96 as individuals.
After finishing fourth behind Williams, Ithaca and NYU in last weekend’s invitational at Vassar, the Panthers caught up with their competition Saturday. Their tie with Williams last Saturday is a mark of tremendous improvement following the Vassar Invite when they finished 44 strokes back of their rivals.
“The team performed well this weekend, and we are looking to work off of that going forward,” Glatt said. “We were confident coming into Saturday’s tournament as a result of a strong week of practice. We felt slightly more pressure this week because the tournament was only one day, but the team was able to remain focused and come out with a strong performance.”
The team has built momentum to make some noise next week when it heads to Williamstown for the Williams Invitational. After finishing a stroke back of Ithaca while playing to a tie with Williams last weekend, there will be extra focus placed in practice this week on emphasizing consistency and mental toughness in its preparation.
“Williams and Ithaca are always two of our strongest competitors, and the outcomes from the past two weekends have only made us more determined to improve next week and overtake them at the top of the leaderboard,” Glatt said.
Glatt and Peng, who are both senior captains, will be competing in the last tournament in their Panther golf careers this weekend.
“This week is going to be incredibly meaningful for me and Michelle,” Glatt said. “We have had four wonderful years on the golf team and are incredibly grateful for our teammates and coaches for making this an absolutely amazing experience.”
In men’s action, John Louie ’15 and Charlie Garcia ’15 paced the Panthers by finishing in a tie for 15th, each shooting a 13-over 155 over two days. After hanging with the leaders through one round by shooting a three-over 74, Louie’s 81 on day two pushed him back into the pack. Garcia was more even in his approach, shooting 77 and 78 on the two days of competition.
Fitz Bowen ’17 tied for 25th in 157, while Eric Laorr ’15 and Bennett Doherty ’18 rounded out the Panther scoring with scores of 158 and 161, respectively.
In the team scoring, the men tied with Salem State for fourth with an overall 622, 12 strokes behind winner Tufts and eight behind rival Williams. Manhattanville College took third to round out the top five teams.
The Panther women tee off on Saturday morning in Williamstown. You can catch the Panther men for the NESCAC championship tournament Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26 at Middlebury’s own Ralph Myhre Golf Course.
(04/15/15 3:49pm)
The men’s and women’s golf teams began the spring season last weekend in the greater New York metro area. The women finished fourth out of the 12 teams competing in the Vassar College Invitational and the men placed third out of the 13 teams competing in the Manhattanville/NYU Spring Invitational.
The women teed off on Saturday in Poughkeepsie at the Casperkill Golf Club in their first match since placing third at Wesleyan’s Ann S. Batchelder Invitational in October and finished the weekend in fourth with a score of 661. Ithaca College edged the Panthers for third with a score of 657, while NYU finished in second, 15 strokes behind Ithaca (632). Williams won with a score of 617.
The top finishers for the Panthers on the women’s side were Jordan Glatt ’15 and Monica Chow ’16, who both shot 161’s for the weekend. Glatt was the Panther with the best round for on day one with a 79, while Chow had the fifth-lowest score in the tournament on the second day of play, shooting a 78. The two finished the tournament tied for 12th place.
Though the Panthers finished 44 strokes off of the lead, they believe they are building momentum that will carry them into next weekend’s Jack Leaman Tounament hosted by Amherst.
The Panthers’ fourth-place finish offers a benchmark for the team to improve, and “it was great to begin competing again, as we haven’t had a tournament since the fall,” Glatt said.
“Even though we haven’t been able to utilize the golf course facilities much in the past couple weeks due to the weather, I was very proud of our team’s performance. The saturation and wind provided significant obstacles, but the team handled the conditions well. It has been a long winter, so we were excited to get outside,” Glatt said.
The men’s squad entered the Manhattanville/NYU Spring Invitational coming off of a first place finish at the Sunshine invitational in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
“The win in Florida provided our team with a great deal of confidence, but at the same time, we knew that the transition back to spring Northeast golf would pose some challenges,” Fitz Bowen ’17 said.
Eric Laorr ’15 was the top Panther last weekend, finishing second among the 74 individuals who competed. He carded a pair of 74’s to finish with a 148, only three strokes back of the top individual, Bayard Geeslin from the Hamilton squad.
Tying for 15th-place was Charlie Garcia ’15, who shot a 79 on day one and took three strokes off his day two score to finish with a 155. John Louie ’15 and Bowen shot 158’s. Louie came in with a 78 on day one and an 80 on day two.
Bowen, who had shot a 72 at the Sunshine Invitational, shot back-to-back rounds of 79. Rounding out the team’s scorers were Bennett Doherty ’18 (164), and Rodrigo Andrade ’17 who (166).
Reflecting on the team’s performance last weekend, Bowen said, “We were only able to hit outdoors on two occasions prior to NYU’s tournament; on days when the weather was not cooperative we resorted to hitting into nets in Nelson. Surely, this forced us all to feel unprepared for the tournament in some way, but we had to make the best of what we had.”
However, Bowen added that the team is “looking at last weekend as a stepping stone for the next few weeks. Each day, our goal is to get a little bit better. If we can do that, then our expectations will definitely be met.”
The Panther men will tee off again at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course next weekend for the NESCAC tournament.
(03/05/15 1:00am)
The Middlebury squash season officially ended last Saturday in Princeton, N.J., where Andrew Jung ’16, Charlotte Dewey ’15 and Saskia Pownall-Grey ’16 competed in the College Squash Association Individual Championships. Jung competed in the men’s “B” bracket for the Molloy Cup in which he advanced to the consolation finals. Dewey and Pownall-Grey competed in the women’s “B” bracket for the Holleran Cup.
The most success was enjoyed by Jung, but Dewey also had a good sending off as she played her last match in a Middlebury uniform Saturday afternoon. Jung posted three wins against two losses and advanced to the consolation final, while Dewey posted two wins against two losses and advanced to the second round consolation quarterfinals. Pownall-Grey lost both of her matches after receiving a bye. She lost in the round of 32 in four sets (11-9, 11-1, 12-14 and 11-3) and then in straight sets in the consolation bracket (13-111, 11-8 and 11-5).
Dewey dominated her first opponent, sandwiching an 11-0 victory in the second set with 11-1 wins. She proceeded to fall in a close, four-set second match (12-10, 11-4, 3-11 and 11-9), sending her to the second round consolation pool. In her first match on Saturday, Dewey made easy work of her opponent (11-5, 11-1 and 11-0), sending her to the quarterfinals. Although the quarterfinals would be the last match she would play in, she gave Dartmouth’s Lydie McKenzie a run for her money in a four-set thriller. They traded 11-9 sets to open the match and then McKenzie took the third set 11-5. The fourth and decisive set, however, saw an epic duel. Dewey fought tooth and nail but came up just short in a 15-13 loss.
Before entering last weekend, knowing it would be her last playing competitive squash, Dewey said, “I just want to have fun in my last real squash tournament.” She added, “I have nothing to lose at this point and everything to gain from playing my last weekend of competitive squash. I want to try and just play my best and keep in mind that why I’m out here in the first place is my love for this sport.”
Jung’s successful weekend started off on a sour note Friday morning when he lost in five sets to Darrius Campbell of Bates. Jung narrowly dropped a closely contested first set 12-10, before he rebounded to dominate the second set 11-4. He traded 11-3 victories with Campbell in the third and fourth sets before falling 11-5 in the final set.
Despite being sent to the consolation pool before Friday afternoon had rolled around, Jung furiously fought back in his next three matches without dropping a set. A quick turnaround could not even derail him as he won his match on Friday afternoon decisively, taking the first two sets 11-5 and then sealing the deal in the third set 11-2. Saturday Jung swept his way through the consolation quarterfinals (11-3, 11-5 and 11-4) and semifinals (a trio of 11-5 victories).
By the time he reached the finals on Sunday, Jung was out of gas.
“Unfortunately my body broke down pretty fast and I was just out of energy,” Jung said.
Although low on energy, Jung took William McBrian of Colby to five sets. The pair’s previous meeting on Jan. 10 went to McBrian in four sets. After trading 11-9 scores in the first two sets against McBrian, Jung won the third set 11-5 to gain an edge of two sets to one. The close fourth set loss 11-8 is where the fatigue of playing five matches in two days began to set in for Jung and he dropped the final set 11-5.
Exhausted and disappointed, Jung praised McBrian saying, “He’s a tough competitor.” But he added, “McBrian was someone I thought I should have beaten looking back on the regular season, so I was really looking forward to having an opportunity to play him. I think going into the fifth game I was trying to leave that larger perspective out of my head and just focus on what had worked for me in the games I won.”
(02/25/15 3:01pm)
A 6-3 victory over Western Ontario in the “C Division” final on Sunday, Feb. 23, allowed Middlebury’s men’s squash team to claim the “Summers Cup” for the third year in a row. This marks the fifth time in the last seven seasons the men’s team has captured the title. Sunday’s win puts a cap on yet another successful winter for the squash program.
Sunday’s match pitted the Panthers against defending “B Division” champion Western Ontario University, which entered the match with a record of 27-6. The Panthers swept the fifth through ninth slots while Wyatt French ’17 earned Middlebury’s lone point in the first through fourth slots in the lineup (11-7, 11-1, 1-11 and 11-7). In the seventh slot, David Cromwell ’16 gained a point for the Panthers in four sets (11-6, 7-11, 11-3 and 11-8). Ben Krant ’17 scraped out close victories in each of his sets in the eighth slot en route to sweeping his opponent (11-9, 11-5 and 12-10). Will Hanley ’15 and Robert Galluccio ’15 each rounded out their Middlebury careers with four set victories. Hanley gained his point for Middlebury in the sixth slot despite dropping his first set two to 11. He won the next three 11-4, 11-7 and 11-6. Other than an 11-8 loss in his second set, senior co-Captain Galluccio soundly defeated his opponent in the ninth slot with a pair of 11-4 victories and an 11-5 victory in the deciding set.
French, Hanley, Cromwell, Krant and Galluccio all made it through the tournament without dropping a match, a collective performance that ensured the teams success throughout the weekend. Even more impressive were the performances put on by Hanley and Cromwell, as each player dropped only one set the entire weekend.
Leading up to Sunday’s victory over Western Ontario, the Panthers had no problem taking care of NESCAC rivals Wesleyan and Amherst in the quarter and semifinals. Middlebury drubbed Amherst 8-1 in the quarterfinals on the morning of Friday, Feb. 20, giving the Panthers their second victory this season over the Lord Jeffs. Saturday morning’s semifinals match against Wesleyan was the third meeting between the two squads this season. A 6-3 victory allowed the Panthers to complete a season sweep of the Cardinals.
This past weekend’s result allows the squash program to put an exclamation point on a season challenged from the beginning with the death of Coach John Illig. While Illig may no longer be running practice or roaming the squash facility, his message runs deep within the program. John’s spirit served as encouragement for members of both the men’s and women’s teams as they contested the nation’s top teams and players throughout the season, players said.
“If I ever found myself getting discouraged I would think about the people I was playing for – myself, my teammates, and most importantly, John,” said Charlotte Dewey ’15, reflecting on her experience playing squash at Middlebury.
“John always told me that he cared little about whether I won or not — it was things like sportsmanship, attitude, team chemistry and, above all, just enjoying the game of squash which was always most important to him. And if I could carry this into my last and final matches, then I knew I would be giving back and honoring the legacy that John left behind,” Dewey said.
Although last weekend’s victory at the Summers Cup marks the end of the season’s team competition, select individuals from the squad will return to action from Feb. 26 through Mar. 1 at the CSA Individual Championships hosted by Yale.
(02/19/15 12:23am)
Middlebury women’s squash spent their extended weekend in Cambridge, Massachusetts competing in the national tournament for the “B” division’s “Kurtz Cup.” Teams ranked ninth through sixteenth play for the Kurtz Cup on the season’s final weekend.
The Panthers entered the tournament ranked 13th which meant they had to play twelfth ranked NESCAC rival, Williams in the first round. Middlebury looked to avenge their two losses to the Ephs earlier in the season Friday evening, but fell by the final tally of six matches to three.
Charlotte Dewey ’15 and Zoe Carey ’16 won in straight sets for the Panthers. Dewey won 11 to one, 11 to nine and 11 to eight from the third slot and Carey won 11 to seven, 11 to three and 11 to seven in the sixth slot. Dewey remains the only Panther to collect a team point in all three matches against the Ephs this season while Carey continued to have the hottest hand on the team since returning from her semester abroad in January.
“I believe that I have improved over the course of the season,” Carey said. “When I first came back from abroad in January, I felt really rusty because I had only played a few times while I was in Argentina. But because we have been training so hard this winter, I think our whole team has improved.”
The Panthers were certainly frustrated that they could not overtake the Ephs in their third close affair of the season. Carey added, “Williams has a very strong team and we have always had close matches with them. Even though we lost to Williams six to three, three of those matches went to five games, so it was incredibly close. I know that on another day, those matches could have gone our way instead of in favor of Williams.”
Anne Wymard ’15 echoed Carey’s sentiments about the Williams match.
“Talking with [Assistant Coach] Brian [Cady] after the match we both agreed that as a team Williams was stepping forward and trying to end points more quickly than our team ... However, this time around Williams fought our endurance skills by keeping the points short, often shooting first.”
Saturday, the Panthers played in the consolation semifinals against Bates and had the match wrapped up before the snow began. Highlights in the seven to two dismantling of the Bobcats included all of the Panthers from the fifth through ninth slots winning in straight sets. Joining the bottom half of the lineup with a straight set victory was Dewey from the third slot, who won 11 to six in her first two sets and then closed out her opponent with an 11 to seven victory in her third set.
Due to the threat of a severe snowstorm in greater Boston Saturday night into Sunday, Sunday’s consolation final match against the Drexel Dragons was cancelled. The women’s team completes its season with sixteen wins and seven losses. The men’s team will play in their national tournament this coming weekend in New Haven, Connecticut.
(02/11/15 10:29pm)
Before the squash program enjoyed yet another successful weekend, where women’s and men’s teams placed third and fourth respectively in the NESCAC Tournament, “ABC Local 22” Sports Director Erin Cofiell dropped by the squash center to visit with Annie Wymard ’15 and David Cromwell ’16 for the news program’s ‘Darin’ Erin’ segment. Erin went up against Wymard in a best of three matches while Cromwell served as her coach. Though Wymard only needed two of the possible three to knock off Darin’ Erin, Wymard provided good, encouraging and informative instruction to the sports director who had minimal previous exposure to the sport. After the fun on the court was over, Erin asked Cromwell what he thought of her effort against Wymard. With great restraint and a slight smile he responded to what he had witnessed by encouraging Darin’ Erin: “I thought you did well, for a rookie.”
With that serving to loosen them up, the squash program headed to Williamstown, Mass. for the NESCAC tournament.
Highlights on the men’s side included a five to four win over Wesleyan on Saturday in the quarterfinals where Middlebury picked up straight-set victories from Wyatt French ’17 in the third slot (11 to four, 11 to seven and 11 to seven), William Kurth ’18 in the fifth slot (11 to eight, 11 to three and 11 to six) and captain Robert Galluccio ’15 in the eighth slot (11 to four, 11 to five and 11 to seven). Galluccio and French ruled the day for the Panthers. In the afternoon’s narrow five to four semifinals loss against Williams, French and Galluccio recorded their second victories of the day. French earned a point for the Panthers with a four set victory from the third slot, despite dropping his first match (seven to 11, 12 to 10, 11 to seven and 11 to six). Galluccio was slotted ninth for the Panthers against Williams and won in four sets (11 to nine, 11 to eight, eight to 11 and 13 to 11). Sunday, the Panthers lost the third place match to Bates by a tally of six to three, although it was just two weeks ago when the score was flipped and Middlebury got a home win in the squash center.
The weekend was even brighter for the women’s side as the team placed third in the tournament after defeating Bates seven to two on Sunday. The Panthers success was spearheaded by the aforementioned Wymard as well as Charlotte Dewey ’15 and Zoe Carey ’16. The trio earned victories in all three matches the team played at the tournament. In Friday’s nine to zero quarterfinals victory over Hamilton, Dewey dominated her opponent from the third slot 11 to two, 11 to four and 11 to five. Carey also won in straight sets 11 to seven, 11 to nine and 11 to five from the sixth slot. Wymard battled back from a 12 to 10 loss in her first set, as she swept her remaining sets 11 to five, 11 to six and 11 to four to earn a point in the second slot.
The three earned the Panthers’ only points in Saturday’s six to three semifinals loss to Williams. Williams provided more of a challenge for the trio, but each managed to overcome a lost set and earn Middlebury a point. Carey went the distance, overcoming a two to zero deficit after dropping her first two sets 13 to 11 and 11 to six. Though all might have looked lost, she found in herself the will to battle back and win the final three sets 11 to seven, 11 to nine and 11 to five.
The seniors, Wymard and Dewey, each dropped one set 11 to six but managed to gain four set victories. Yet, the seven to two third place match victory over Bates on Sunday proved a breeze for Dewey, as she won in straight sets 11 to six, 11 to five and 11 to three. Carey and Wymard each would have to overcome deficits to earn points for the Panthers. Carey dropped the first set 12 to 10, but still managed to close out her opponent in four frames, winning three straight 11 to three, 11 to six and 11 to seven. Wymard overcame a two to one deficit, as she dropped the first and third set 11 to five and 11 to seven respectively. She managed to win thanks in part to her 11 to seven wins in her second and fifth sets. Where she really won the match, however, was in her 12 to 10 grind-it-out victory in the fourth set which broke the back of her opponent and earned the Panthers a big point toward their third place finish.
With their third place finish and a 15 and six record, the women’s squad has all but wrapped up its 10th straight berth in the “B” division tournament to take place this weekend in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“With our third place finish we earned the chance to play Williams at Nationals this weekend,“ Wymard said. “After losing closely to them twice this season we’re ready for revenge and to move forward in the tournament competing against non-NESCAC schools.“
The men’s side, however, entered the NESCAC Tournament with an 11-5 record, ranked 15th and in prime position to finally break into the “B” division after winning four of the last six “C” division tournaments for the “Summers Cup.” After their close call against 13th ranked Williams and their loss to 18th ranked Bates in the third place game, with no matches left to play before the men’s national championships next weekend in New Haven, Conn., their postseason destiny remains uncertain and out of their hands.
(01/21/15 2:42pm)
Last weekend marked the halfway point of the season for Middlebury squash. Both the men’s and women’s teams entered the Yale Round Robin a combined 12-2, both of those losses occurring all the way back on Nov. 16 against perennial power Trinity. Unfortunately, the men’s side dropped matches against number-five Columbia and number-17 George Washington, while the women went winless against number-nine Columbia, number-four Yale and number-seven George Washington University.
Despite the disappointments last week at Yale, optimism remains high for both the men and the women.
“Leadership’s been great,” Interim Coach Mike Morgan said. “Robert [Galluccio ’15] and Reed [Palmer ’15] have done a fantastic job [for the men’s side]. Same goes for Annie [Wymard ’15] and Charlotte [Dewey ’15]. They bring experience and focus that has helped tremendously with [each team’s] growth.”
Growth is important because of the youth on both sides. Five players regularly in the lineup on the men’s team are underclassmen: two first-years and three sophomores. The women’s side, at times, plays with as many as four first-years in the lineup.
Morgan added that the leadership of experienced players across the board helps guide younger players.
“The wisdom that [our captains] bring helps us when we go into a place like Yale. The first years could be overwhelmed by the situation or the competition. Thanks to our older guys that doesn’t happen.”
The experienced Galluccio indicated that the team forms a genuine bond that ensures every player is on the same page.
“From our team hike at the beginning of the year, to just hanging out or going to movies, we’re a tight knit group on and off the court,” Galluccio said. “We push each other to succeed and enjoy the challenge of striving for our goals.”
The program’s goals remain lofty, as both teams have set their mark on winning the “B” division cups at the end of the season. But given the success they have enjoyed to this point, there is no reason to temper expectations. The teams are taking a day-by-day, match-by-match approach.
“Anything can happen,” Morgan said. “A couple things go off, a team gets hot, has a great day. Being focused on every match and every day, without losing focus of the long-term goals is our approach.”
The team exuded confidence heading into the weekend in New Haven, and although the trip didn’t produce victories, there are many positives each team gained from the experience. The challenge presented at the Yale Round Robin better prepares each team for Middlebury’s own round robin tournament this weekend and an important stretch on the horizon for the Panthers.
The Panthers are prepared and determined to overcome these obstacles in their run at winning the “B” cups.
(01/14/15 4:38pm)
Middlebury squash continued its strong start to the season, as both the men’s and women’s squads swept the weekend to improve to 6-1, both teams’ only defeat coming at the hands of second-ranked Trinity. The 19th ranked men’s team set the tone on Friday, Jan. 9 in Cambridge, Massachusetts against 33rd ranked MIT, seizing the day with a 9-0 victory and no Panther player needing more than four games to win their match.
Highlights for the Panthers were Andrew Cadienhead ’17, David Cromwell ’16 and Cameron Dewey ’18, who all won a game 11-0. Cromwell’s strong showing comes on the heels of his performance last month in the Division III Individual Championships, where he advanced to the finals of the “B” bracket.
The Panthers stayed in Massachusetts on Saturday, Jan 11. playing in Williamstown against 22nd ranked Bowdoin and 23rd ranked Colby. The Panthers had no problem handling both the Polar Bears and the Mules, defeating Bowdoin 8-1 and Colby 7-2.
Ben Krant ’17 had a strong day, winning both of his matches, capturing both in the minimum six games. After defeating the Polar Bears’ Max Bearse in just three games (eight, eight, five), Wyatt French ’17 went ahead of Colby’s Ben Kwass two games to nothing in the day’s second match. With the exception of the Trinity match at the beginning of the season, French has yet to drop a match. However, in the third game against Kwass, French played a scrappy game that went down to the wire, ultimately losing 13 to 11. After dropping another chance to close out Kwass and lock up a point in the third slot for Middlebury, French would not be denied in the rubber match, defeating Kwass 11-5. The bottom of the Panthers’ lineup continued its consistent play, as Dewey ’18 and Robert Galluccio ’14 swept their opponents in both matches.
The Middlebury women’s side also had continued its success this weekend. On Saturday, Jan. 10 the Panthers defeated 19th ranked Bowdoin 9-0 and 22nd ranked Colby 8-1. The only loss of the day came when the women’s number one player, Saskia Powell-Gray ’16, took on Colby’s top player Devin Mullaney ’18. After losing the first match, Powell-Gray maintained her composure and fought back, leading two games to one. Mullaney evened up the score by winning decisively in the fourth game, 11-2, and then carried the momentum into the rubber match, narrowly edging out Powell-Gray 11-7.
On Sunday, Jan. 11 the women’s team continued to dominate its competition. The Mount Holyoke squad was no match for the Panthers, as Middlebury emerged victorious in each match. Audrey Ellen ’17 played in the seventh slot for Sunday’s match, but was a highlight for the women’s team on an already very bright day as she swept her opponent by a combined 33-3 score. Lizzy Hurst ’18 saw the first in-match action of her career for the Panthers on Sunday. She played in the ninth slot and put an exclamation point on the strong effort by the Panthers with her 33-4 victory over Mount Holyoke freshman Amanda Lee.
Next up for both teams is the Yale Round Robin this Saturday and Sunday. The men and women face Columbia and George Washington on Saturday, Jan. 17 and Sunday, Jan. 18, respectively. The weekend’s highlight will be the women’s match against the fourth ranked host school Yale at 12:30pm on Saturday, Jan. 17.