Panthers end week at 3-1

Author: Ryan W. Reese

The women's field hockey team took its show on the road this past weekend and wound up playing a matinee in Boston to a less-than-welcoming crowd. Their counterparts from Tufts were stiff and unprepared for the hardcore and unyielding style the Panthers typically bring. Being the persevering squad that they are, Middlebury found a way to pound out a tight 2-0 victory against the stingy Jumbos.

The first half was tightly contested with no real openings on either side; however, the Panthers sent six more shots than the Jumbos toward the before the break. The girls in blue also held a distinct advantage in the corner opportunities by a margin of 7-4. Head Coach Katherine DeLorenzo explained the tight first half by saying, "We went into the game with a more conservative game plan with one less attacker. The Tufts field plays slower than what we are used to and we didn't want to be caught off guard."

In the second half, it was an entirely different story. DeLorenzo continued, "After the break we went back to our standard formation and the pace of play really picked up. We showed off our passing proficiency and from that we created some quality scoring chances."

Indeed they did. It did not take long for Lacey Farrell '08 to take advantage of the more aggressive setup. She went through the Tufts defense unassisted to send home the go-ahead goal. Not three minutes later, first-year Taryn Petrelli joined in the fun and knocked home a comforting insurance goal as the Panthers sealed the deal and notched their third victory of the year.

Through three games DeLorenzo explained that she has been truly impressed with her team's play. "We have great defensive energy and have been working well in a new system that allows more shots on goal. Meghan McGillen '07 has been solid while stopping about 93 percent of the shots she faces. We have incredible depth without any drop-off from the first line. Every team out there is a solid Middlebury team."

The Panthers faced non-conference foe Skidmore on Tuesday afternoon on the Peter Kohn field. Skidmore brought a fiery and able offense to the contest, and Middlebury had tried to make the necessary preparations defensively to handle this well-known firepower. Their anticipation was not thorough enough as the visitors handed the Panthers a decisive 3-1 loss. There is no doubt that the women will bounce back.

This coming weekend, the Panthers will take to the highway once again as they travel south to take on the Cardinals of Middletown, Conn. Conference games are ever-so-important and we can guarantee that DeLorenzo's girls will not overlook the red and black Wesleyan attack.