Field Hockey Hangs on for 11th Straight Win

Author: Tom McCann

Sports can be crazy. Sometimes, no matter what happens during a match between two teams, the final score just doesn't reflect the flow of the game. When the Middlebury women's field hockey team traveled to Bates on Oct. 18 attempting to take its season record to 11-0, it produced a game that was a bizarre as anything likely to happen this season in any sport. When the match ended, Middlebury had come away with a 4-3 victory, extended its win-streak and moved one step closer to a perfect season. Getting to that point though sent the women through a rollercoaster of emotions after a frantic final few minutes.

The first half saw Middlebury pile on the pressure, and when Ashley Lyddane '06 put the finishing touch on a run and pull back by Ashley Pullen '05 to give the Panthers the lead, another win looked on the cards. Bates, without a league win to that point, had nothing to lose in the second half and Middlebury was wary of a backlash that might come after the restart. As it turned out, Middlebury was able to continue its dominance in the second half when Allison Smith '06 finished a pass from Char Glessner '03.5 in a move that bore a striking resemblance to the one that yielded the first goal of the game. The Panthers added a third, the goal of the game, when Abigail Lamb '04 beat a Bates player down the left wing, completed a give-and-go with Lyddane, went back door to receive the pass and fired into the net. It was smooth, crisp and beautiful, and then when first-year Emily Reed finished another assist from Lyddane to put Middlebury 4-0 up, you would have been forgiven for thinking the game was over and leaving the stadium to avoid the post-game parking-lot crunch. Anyone that was so foolish would have missed a finish that looked more unlikely than, well, a Cubs World Series victory.

With just over five minutes to go, Bates pulled one back on a penalty stroke. With the game as good as over, the starters for Middlebury were removed from the action to preserve some energy for the next game. However, as Becca Brakeley '04 commented, "Bates had nothing to lose and just didn't give up." Bates scored another goal inside the final five minutes and then, to the disbelief of everyone in attendance, scored another with approximately one minute remaining. Having established a 4-0 lead and then been pegged back to 4-3 in the space of five minutes, nerves were jangling throughout the entire Middlebury camp as Bates pushed for the equalizer. The seconds ticked on as Middlebury defended its one-goal lead and eventually the final whistle was blown with the Panthers leading 4-3. Middlebury got the win, outplayed Bates for 65 minutes and then almost saw its house of perfection come crashing down on them in the most unexpected of fashions.

When the dust settled, the Panthers realized that not only had they moved to 11-0, but also, Wesleyan had beaten Amherst, meaning that regardless of Middlebury's results to come, the NESCAC Championships will be held here in early November. One of the biggest advantages for the Panthers is that after a game this coming weekend at Tufts, on grass, Middlebury will be on turf for the rest of the season. Just three games remain now for the women who have the chance to finish the regular season 14-0, and in all probability earn an "at-large" bid to the NCAA Championships should they slip up in the NESCACs. However, the women will, of course, want to earn their place in the NCAAs with a Championship and few would bet against them doing it.

Middlebury is still ranked 2nd in the nation with the College of New Jersey flip-flopping with Salisbury for 1st and 3rd. On the current mood in the Middlebury camp, Brakeley commented, "At this point everybody wants to beat us, so we're just taking it each game at a time and working on the little things." While the little things are all important, the big things are not going unnoticed either. Meghan McGillen '07 has been recognized as having the lowest goals-against average of any Division III goalkeeper in the country. While this is of course a measure of the team effort, with such a solid defensive unit, Middlebury will continue to be hard to beat and with the midfield and offense pulling the strings on attack, the Panthers may enjoy a long, albeit cold, post-season run.