Field Hockey Triumphs at NESCACs

Author: Tom McCann

The Middlebury women's field hockey team won the NESCAC Championship last weekend. It seems like that sentence has been destined to introduce a field hockey article since the start of the season, but the expectation has finally become a reality. Coming off the back of two consecutive shutouts in the lead up to the playoffs, Middlebury hosted Amherst in the NESCAC semi-final and then faced the prospect of either Williams or Bowdoin in the final. While the four teams congregated in Middlebury over the weekend, only one would be crowned Champions, and there was never really any doubt as to who it would be.

Middlebury met Amherst in the NESCAC semi-final on Saturday afternoon and expected a tough encounter with their visitors. Last time they met, Middlebury eeked out a tough 3-2 win on the grass at Amherst. As Becca Brakeley '04 pointed out, "We wanted to prove that we are the better team." The press in Massachusetts pointed toward a comfortable win for Amherst but once the game began, none of that mattered, and it was business as usual for the Panthers. After a confident start from Middlebury, the breakthrough came with 12:08 to go in the first half when goal-machine Char Glessner '04 latched onto a pass from Ashley Lyddane '06 and fired a shot high into the net. The Panthers would then go on to score a crucial second goal, from Glessner again, on the stroke of half time when she finally scored on a shot following two rebounds. The second half saw Middlebury comfortably deal with the Amherst threat and when Abigail Lamb '04 put the finishing touches on a pass from Emily Enos '06 with 21 minutes to go, the game was as good as over. The Panthers completed the shutout in the remaining minutes, and taking comfortable 3-0 with them into the NESCAC Championship Game on Sunday.

Williams would be the opponent for Middlebury after defeating Bowdoin 5-4 on Saturday, and the game was everything it was expected to be. After a very even opening to the game, the Panthers snatched the lead with 10 minutes to go in the first half after a perfectly executed penalty corner right off the practice field. Lyddane found Lauryn Nicasio '05, who stopped the ball for Lamb to launch goal bound. The ball was through the goalkeeper before she knew what had happened and Middlebury had scored the all-important opening goal. In a game as tense and nerve-wracking as a final, the first goal is always essential and Middlebury had done what it needed to do. There were no more goals in the first half as both teams headed to the break knowing that they were 35 minutes away from a NESCAC Championship or from the end of their season. Simply put, the game was on the line.

As expected, half time seemed to inspire the Ephs and the second half was a different story. Williams threw everything except the kitchen sink and Middlebury, yet the defense stood strong, as it has done all year. As Allison Smith '06 noted, "the Panthers' opportunities to attack were mostly limited to fast breaks because of the pressure applied by Willliams." In truth, the Ephs dominated the second half, but Middlebury refused to yield to the pressure. The Middlebury stand was tested during four consecutive penalty corners for the visitors with one resulting in an incredible double block by Missy Krempa '04 that further inspired the Panther resistance. Then with four minutes to go, a Williams attacker finally hit a shot that was good enough to beat Meghan McGillen '07 in the Middlebury net, yet cannoned off the stick of Brakeley who was somehow able to instinctively deflect it away from the goal and out of danger. The Panthers were able to run down the clock in the remaining minutes and could finally celebrate their hard-earned NESCAC Championship on their own field.

A phenomenal defensive performance by Middlebury gained recognition in the aftermath of the weekend when goalkeeper McGillen was crowned the womensfieldhockey.com Rookie of the Week. She also maintains the best goals against ratio of any goaltender in the country. Much of the credit for that ratio must also be given to the defense for their part in nullifying the offense that the opponent brings. Offering further proof the defensive strength of the team is the fact that Brakeley has been named NESCAC Player of the Week, in a rare award for a defensive player. Although this should not come as much of a surprise as the team have now gone 326 minutes without a goal against. The Panthers will now put that run on the line, along with their perfect season record of 16-0 into the NCAA Regional Championship this coming weekend.

Having won the NESCAC Championship, the Panthers are now setting their sights on the national championship. As the top ranked field hockey team in the country, Middlebury have maintained home field advantage, and have the top seed in the draw. The Panthers will take on either Montclaire State University or New England College on Saturday at 10 a.m. and then hopefully compete for the right to play in the Final Four on Sunday.

The women are 16-0 to this point, are NESCAC Champions, and are four wins away from the holy grail of women's field hockey: A national championship with a 20-0 record.