SPORTSBRIEFS

Author: ZAMIR AHMED & TOM MCCANN, SPORTS EDITORS

Midd hockey gets high marks

The accolades keep coming for the Middlebury men's and women's hockey teams despite the end of their seasons over three weeks ago.

Men's Head Coach Bill Beaney was named by the American Hockey Coaches Association the 2006 Men's Division III Hockey Coach of the Year. Beaney was selected for the Edward Jeremiah Award for the fourth time in his career, the first person in history to earn the distinction four times. Beaney led the Panthers to their third straight national championship and eighth overall. In 26 years of coaching, he now has 467 wins, the most in Division III men's college history.

Also for the men's team, Mickey Gilchrist '08 was named the USCHO.com National Player of the Year. The forward scored 24 goals during the season and assisted on 26 others, leading the Panthers in both categories. Along with Captain Jeff Smith '06, he was named to the organization's East First Team. Teammate Ross Cherry '08 was named to the East Second Team while defenseman Tom Moldonado '08 was an Honorable Mention.

Goaltenders Kate Kogut '06 and Doug Raeder '09 earned a spot in the April 10th issue of "Sports Illustrated" for their efforts in their teams' run to the national title. The athletes became the 13th and 14th Middlebury athletes since 1996 to be recognized in the magazine's Faces in the Crowd section.



Panthers net three wins in water

The women's water polo team traveled to Dartmouth College last weekend for its second New England Division tournament of the spring season. The Panthers continued its strong campaign, winning three of their four matches against some familiar competition.

Middlebury opened up its tournament on April 8 with a 16-8 victory over Williams College. The win over the Ephs was the Panthers second of the season. The team took home an 8-4 decision against Williams on March 4. The Panthers wrapped up the day with an easy 16-4 win against the Yale University B squad.

The Panthers opened up April 9 with an important match against the Yale A team. The Lady Bulldogs proved why they are the number-one team in the region, defeating Middlebury 10-6. The loss was only the Panthers' second of the year, both coming at the hands of the Lady Bulldogs. The team rebounded from the loss with a convincing 16-3 win over Wesleyan University in the last match of the tournament.

The Panthers stand with a 6-2 record in the division going into the New England Division Championship on April 22-23. The Panthers, who will play host to the tournament, currently sit in second place in the league, holding a tiebreaker advantage over third-place Dartmouth. The top two teams from the division will advance to the National Collegiate Club Championship, a tournament the Panthers have never attended but have within their grasp this season.



Intramurals spring into gear

With temperatures soaring, and the snow finally consigned to our not-so-distant past, excitement surrounding the impending spring intramural sports scene is almost palpable. While the soccer and softball leagues are widely considered the marquee sports of the spring season, tennis, badminton and volleyball enthusiasts will no doubt feast on the competitive action that lies ahead for them over the following weeks. Much like the basketball season that continues to rumble along, these sports remain unaffected by inclement weather conditions and provide a consistent source of exercise for their participants. However, enthusiasm for getting out on the diamond or the soccer field is never tempered by the occasional postponement and inevitable frustration that ensues from oft-waterlogged fields.

While early season softball predictions point towards a shoot-out between the Steamers and the Xi Omega Great White Yaks for the pennant, both teams will need to be careful not to let overconfidence get the better of them. With so many teams competing, one upset could derail all thoughts of a ticker-tape parade down College Street. On the soccer field, a wide-open tournament could be won by anyone who gets hot at the right time. It's that time of year again, and for many, it's that time for the last time. There will be no second chances, no "do-overs," no chances for redemption. Grab your racket, lace up your cleats, loosen your arm or strap on your kneepads - it's game time.