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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Field Hockey Ousted in NCAA Regionals

Down by a score of 3-1 with under a minute to play in the NCAA Regional final against Skidmore on Sunday, Nov. 17, Anna Kenyon ’16 jabbed in a goal and hope sprung into the throats of every Middlebury supporter in the three-hundred person crowd.  Thirty seconds remained now and the Panthers charged forward as one, harassing for the ball and flinging it toward the cage.  The ball knocked into a retreating defender less than five yards away before time expired, awarding Middlebury one final corner play to send the elimination game into overtime.

Off the stick of Catherine Fowler ’15, NESCAC Player of the Year and exactly the clutch shooter for the moment, the ball threaded through traffic but missed outside the right post by just a pair of inches.

So, Middlebury completed its tremendous season 16−3, NESCAC champions and just one win away from contending among the NCAA Final Four.

“I am so proud of our team,” captain Ellie O’Brien ’14 said. “From the first day we made it clear that everyone would contribute, and we had so more much fun and more success because of that.”

The final nail-gnawing minutes of the Skidmore game bore zero resemblance to the Panthers’ high-flying first half against Utica on Saturday, Nov. 16 in which the team scored five goals in the first 11 minutes of play.

Bridget Instrum ’16 powered by a defender on her backhand and cut across the goalmouth for the first tally. Minutes later, Katie Theiss ’14 slid a behind the back pass to Fowler who slapped it right to the guiding stick of Kenyon.  Instrum then scored another unassisted beauty, this time coming off a strong hit from atop the offensive arc.  Kenyon grabbed her second goal too, lunging headfirst into the net to chase down a wide shot.  Finally, Theiss attracted a cluster of defenders before dishing down to Alyssa DiMaio ’15 for goal number five.

In the second half, young Panthers Bea Eppler ’17, Olivia Jurkowitz ’17 and Lily Taub ’17 entered the action with encouraging effectiveness.  Fowler scored on a textbook give-and-go with O’Brien, Instrum tallied her third goal of the day, and Pam Schulman ’17 finished a loose ball to round out the 8-0 drubbing.

Utica came close to scoring on a penalty stroke, but Goalie Emily Knapp ’15 extended her thin stick in catlike fashion to block the point blank shot.
Another charming national anthem sung by players Mary Claire Ecclesine ’15 and Cassie Coash ’15 introduced Sunday’s affair against Skidmore, and the Panthers brimmed with a champion’s confidence.

Red hot Instrum made the score 1-0 for Middlebury just two minutes into the game, speeding a one-timer inside the near post off a well-practiced backhand pass from Fowler.  Unlike Utica a day earlier, the Thoroughbreds splashed awake within three minutes and bounced in the equalizer off a waist-high stick in front.

For 12 minutes the teams jostled back and forth underneath drizzly gray clouds.  Fowler drilled the post on a long hit, and Kenyon lifted one from in close that nearly passed over the stacked pads of the Skidmore goalie.  Middlebury then conceded a corner penalty and a low turf-burning shot from

Skidmore at the top of the arc skittered in for the go-ahead goal.

The Middlebury faithful perked up several times before halftime, seeing a chip from Instrum soar just wide and later a strong wrister from Kenyon strike the foamy blocker of the Skidmore goalie just before the break.

In the second half, pressure mounted on the Panthers who attacked persistently but failed to unknot Skidmore’s tight defense.  After earning four consecutive corners, Middlebury conceded one and Skidmore scuffed a rebound past Knapp, who was knocked over backward by a Skidmore player on the play.

The clock wound down but the ever-cheerful Middlebury bench urged with all its might.

“There was such a vibe, such a wave of energy pushing us forward,” DiMaio said. “The way we came from behind again just shows what amazing character this team has.”

Coach Katharine DeLorenzo subbed out Knapp to add speedy attacker Lauren Berestecky ’17 with six minutes still remaining on the clock, showing her faith in Meredith Rowe ’14 and the Panther defense to deny any more shots.

The heroic final surge of the season, with a clutch goal from Kenyon and the team earning one last corner, whipped the spectating crowd into a mix of elation and unbearable nerves.  When the shot that seemed destined for goal missed by so little, sticks, gloves and troweled-out hearts dropped to the turf while the Middlebury fans wilted with empathy.

Captain Deidre Miller ’14 reflected on the wild finish.

“Everyone pulled together and played flawlessly for that final minute, given the situation.  It was really cool to actually come back and have that last chance,” she said.

Every sport involving balls also involves their bounces, and in the end Middlebury wound up just one bounce short of continuing its NCAA run on Sunday.  The team will miss the talent and leadership of seniors O’Brien, Rowe, Theiss, Hannah Deoul ’14, Miller and Hanna Kahn ’14 next season.  The intangible quality that defined the 2013 team was its ability lean on its bench and enjoy the game at its most demanding moments.  Should the returning players preserve this unique competitive spirit, their top-quality talent will make next year’s team another one worth watching for every thrilling moment.


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