B L U E R E I G N Middlebury women do it again.

Author: Jake Cohen

The Middlebury women's hockey program won its third consecutive NCAA National Championship last week with a 3-1 win over number one-seeded Plattsburgh in Stafford Ice Arena. Led by Coach Bill Mandigo, the second-ranked women fought their way through the playoffs beating Manhattanville and Gustavus Adolphus in the quarterfinals and semifinals. This historic title marks the fifth women's hockey championship and 25th title for Middlebury College in the past 12 years. The Panthers ended their season with a 27-2 record, tying the '99-'00 women's team for most wins in a season.

The Panthers advanced to the title game by sneaking out a 2-1 nail-biter against Gustavus Adolphus on March 17. The Gusties looked strong as the game opened, outshooting the Panthers 12-4 in the first period. But Middlebury goalie Kate Kogut '06 was up to the challenge, keeping the score 0-0 after the game's first 20 minutes. The Panthers broke onto the scoreboard just 6:45 into the second period as senior Emily Quizon knocked a goal home on a breakaway. Junior Shannon Sylvester tallied the eventual game-winner later in the period on another breakaway and the Panthers skated into the second intermission with a 2-0 lead. The Gusties got on the board with 7:18 left in the game but the Panthers survived a late charge for their ninth victory in nine meetings between the two teams.

In the NCAA final on March 18, the Plattsburgh Cardinals got started early, firing seven unanswered shots on goal to start the game but Kogut was once again posed to win. As Shannon Tarrant, junior defenseman, put it, "Kogut is really the backbone of our team." Middlebury quickly responded to the Cardinal attack on its first two shots of the game. Shannon Sylvester '07 stuffed a rebound into the back of the net on a power-play for the first of the team's three goals. As the first period was winding down, the Panther offense heated up when first-year Annmarie Cellino scored her nation-best seventh shorthanded goal with 13 seconds left of play. Though Plattsburgh won the shooting battle 11-8, Kogut's skill in the net was too much for the trigger-happy Cardinals.

The second period saw less action until the Panthers once again gained momentum at the end of the period. An errant play by Plattsburgh sophomore Sharis Smith left Quizon with a penalty shot. With only 55 seconds left to play in the second period, the National Player of the Year scored with authority giving Middlebury a 3-0 lead. Plattsburgh sophomore Elise Campbell scored the only goal of the third period and the first of her season at 9:21 with a power play goal.

Plattsburgh rookie Danielle Blanchard tried to cut Middlebury's lead to 3-2 late in the third, but all-American Kogut came up big once again. The Cardinals had a few chances late in the period but could not manage to find the back of the net. The first-seeded team converted only one of five power play opportunities in the period, and only one of 10 for the game.

Kogut was stellar in net for Middlebury, stopping 24 of 25 shots to earn the win. Breanne Doyle, senior goalie for Plattsburgh, made 17 shots between the pipes. Kogut, Cellino, Tarrant and Quizon were all named to the all-tournament team for Middlebury, while senior Chantalle Rye and junior Jessica Moreau earned honors for Plattsburgh. All four Panthers were also named to the All-American team by the American Hockey Coaches Association.

The season has been an interesting journey for the women's hockey team. The team started 18-0 but hit a bump in the road with two consecutive losses, the second of which was in Plattsburgh. "We had a couple of rough games in the middle of the season," says Kogut. But the losses served as motivation for the team. "I think [losing] helped us play even harder when we were playing [Plattsburgh] again in their rink for the NCAA championship." Middlebury's win against the Cardinals ended Plattsburgh's 29-game home unbeaten streak.

But the most remarkable story behind the women's squad is how it has developed into more of a family than a team. "I absolutely loved the playoffs this year, but what made it special was the girls who were in the locker room. They are really my 21 best friends!" said Tarrant. Moreover, the seniors on the team led with inspiring passion. Quizon, one of the team's two captains, played her final two games with a torn ACL and still scored two goals. Liz Yale-Loehr '06 was consistently a positive, encouraging figurehead for new and experienced players alike. Kogut stopped 47 of 49 shots in the semifinals and finals and sported a .926 career save percentage, the second best in school history. "With those captains, our team was held to the highest standards, we didn't want to let any of them down and we wanted to play for all of them," said Tarrant. The team did, in fact, play to the highest standard. "We waited all season to play our best game, and we pulled it off just in time." The women's hockey team has once again continued a tradition of athletic excellence at Middlebury that will stand unrivaled for years to come.