Women's Hockey

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Last Season's Record: 19-3-4

New Players: Shannon Sylvester '07, Emily McNamara '07, Samantha Ritt '07, Abigail Kurtz-Phelan '07, Alison Graddock '07, Ellen Sargent '07, Shannon Tarrant '07

Coach: Bill Mandigo

Key Dates: Nov. 21 vs. Bowdoin; Jan.27 at Williams

What can we expect? The Middlebury women's ice hockey team comes off a very successful 2002-2003 season that saw them beat Bowdoin to win the NESCAC tournament, only to fall to the same Polar Bear team in the opening round of the NCAA tournament the following weekend. This year, the women will get their season started on Nov. 21 with Middlebury hosting none other than Bowdoin. It is a game that should motivate the many returning players and hopefully inspire them to victory. The Panthers will have to replace much of the scoring power that is gone with the departed Angela Kapus '03, last season's NESCAC player of the year. Middlebury hopes to draw from the addition of seven new first-years to the team. "I think that we have to prove a lot against Bowdoin on November 21," said goalie Kate Kogut '06. "They beat us in the first round in the NCAA tournament last season a week after we beat them for the NESCAC championship, and as the first game on the schedule, it will set the tone for our season. We have a lot of potential, and if we buckle down and work hard, we should do very well."