Hanley's 12-Point Opus Leads Women's Lacrosse to Victory

Author: Zach Foster

Success often leads to the willing disappearance of superfluous individual recognition. However, at other times certain athletes remind us that some recognition is not only necessary and well-deserved, but imperative.
This past weekend, on the campus of Bowdoin College, Kristin Hanley '03, co-captain of the women's lacrosse team, had a historic performance which players and coaches dream about. Opposed by the aggressive and defensively talented 17th-ranked Polar Bears, Hanley netted five goals and tallied seven assists. The virtually unheard of 12-point effort tied the Middlebury single-game points record set by Kim Griffith almost 10 years to the day, on April 20, 1993. Head Coach Missy Foote described the performance simply, "Kristin played a beautiful game." Hanley factored in 12 of the Panthers' 15 goals in the contest, leading the team to its 42nd straight victory with a convincing 15-7 win.
Middlebury got ahead early and simply never looked back, scoring the first four goals of the game. The beginning of the game was reminiscient of the recent win over second-ranked Amherst, where the Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead before even three minutes had gone off the clock. Such a quick start, said Foote "is becoming our trademark." Char Glessner '03.5, who contributed to the victory with three goals, thus adding to her team-leading total of 25, said, "We came out flying and set the tone early." At the half, the Panthers found themselves ahead with a dominant 10-3 lead going into the locker room.
While the second half proved to be far more competitive in comparison, the Middlebury attack continued to barrage the Polar Bear defense with unselfish passing and relentless pressure. Led by Hanley, the Panthers fired a total of 32 shots on net, while Bowdoin only managed a total of 14 shots.
Furthermore, the continuing impressive play of goalie Sarah Grenert '04 factored greatly into the defensive containment. Grenert stopped six of the nine shots she faced to push her season save percentage to a remarkable 66.2 percent. While Bowdoin goalie Kendall Cox did her best to weather the proverbial Panther storm, saving 17 of 32 shots, the effort was simply not enough. The Middlebury attack refused to allow Cox to be comfortable between the pipes, and Hanley continued to find player after player with mind-boggling accuracy and touch.
Said Foote, "Her ability to feed the ball with precision while driving to goal convincingly makes her very hard to defend." Foote also commented that Hanley's "poise under pressure and her unselfish play add to her well-rounded game."
More impressively, however, was the fact that in Hanley's record-tying performance, she did not even play the entire game. If only she had been aware of her place in Middlebury history, Hanley may have captured the record while eclipsing the dozen point mark. Regardless, Hanley's 12-point showcase pushed her single season point total to a miraculous 40, 24 of which have come in the form of assists.
While Hanley noted that "it was not the cleanest game we have played," the NESCAC player of the week continuously found teammates as well as finding the back of the net herself on numerous occasions. Also included in the offensive onslaught were Nuala O'Donohoe '04 and Ali Perencevich '06, both of whom had two goals in the win. Meg Bonney '03, Elizabeth Renehan '06 and Beth Seeley '05 also found the Polar Bear twine in the victory.
The Middlebury women will next drive up to Burlington to face state rival UVM before hosting NESCAC opponent Trinity (2-3 in NESCAC play). While the Bowdoin victory was simply another obstacle to overcome in the unscathed path to NESCAC and National supremacy, it was certainly a game to remember.
Hanley's dazzling dozen is a testament to the historic greatness that surrounds the Middlebury women's lacrosse team. Its national and league-wide prominence are unmatched and the 2003 season is turning out to be no different than years past.