Ephs hand Field Hockey OT Loss at NESCACs

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

For Middlebury, two overtime thrilling wins were not in the cards as the Panthers dropped a 2-1 OT decision to Williams in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) semifinals on Saturday. The loss came after a nailbiting overtime win against Bates setting up the Panther-Eph matchup. Williams went on to claim the NESCAC crown and a birth in the NCAA tournament by following the win Saturday with a 2-1 win over host Bowdoin on Sunday.
Both teams came out strong at the outset in what was the second meeting between the two rivals this season.
Unlike the previous contest in which the Ephs claimed a 3-1 win, Middlebury soon started exerting its presence and took control of play. "We dominated pretty much the entire second half," said scoring standout Char Glessner '03.5. "Keely Murphy '04, Missy Krempa '04 and Abigail Lamb '04 all had great games."
It was Lamb who got Middlebury on the board and tied the contest with 15:35 in the second half off an assist from Lauryn Nicasio '05. Middlebury with its team speed and cohesive play strung together multiple chances in the second half, peppering the Williams goalie, sophomore Wendy Stone with 11 shots. By comparison the Ephs managed just five shots on Jo Opot '05.
With the lift from Lamb's goal and the pressure being applied at the Williams end, Middlebury entered overtime sure of itself. "We definitely had so much momentum going [into overtime]," said Glessner. Middlebury had several promising opportunities to put the game away in the opening minutes of overtime but Co-Player of the Week in the NESCAC, Stone made the crucial saves. Before Middlebury could think of striking again, however, Tori Scott, one of the Williams offensive standouts, finished a goal on a quick counterattack. The goal came just two minutes into the overtime period and left both teams stunned, especially a game Middlebury squad. Scott also received Player of the Week honors in NESCAC as the junior forward went on to tally the deciding two goals in the Ephs 2-1 win over the Polar Bears.
Despite exiting the NESCACs in the semifinals for the second straight year, Middlebury did find some bright spots in the loss and in the season as a whole. Glessner, who will return for her final season next fall, said, "We played our hearts out and we ended our season on a positive." Glessner noticed the progression of the team all season and went on to say, "We definitely had a lot of young players this season who did not play 'young' at all." She concluded that the team's sense of itself and its positioning on the field improved throughout the 2002 campaign.
Unlike many of its fiercest competitors, Middlebury will only lose one senior in the off season. That loss, however, comes in the person of senior co-captain and charismatic leader Kate Perine, who has been an integral part of the Panther success this season. Her departure will be certainly be felt by the Panthers, but a strong foundation of young and rising players should endow the team with valuable experience in the coming years.