SPORTS BRIEFS

Author: RYAN W. REESE, SPORTS EDITOR

Sheehan '06 earns POTW
Senior Henry Sheehan was named the NESCAC Player of the Week this past week after he and the Panthers secured two important conference wins.
Sheehan was instrumental in Middlebury's wins against both Williams and Bates. The Newport, R.I. native tallied a goal of his own while helping his teammates score on five other occasions. Later in the week, Sheehan netted two strikes against the Bearcats. The senior sent home the game-winning goal with only 1:11 left in regulation to wrap up a successful week for Panther lacrosse.
Middlebury (10-3) has now won six consecutive games and is looking to continue this streak of success as the NESCAC playoffs get under way this coming weekend. The Panthers are slated to face the Jumbos of Tufts University on Saturday, May 6 at noon. This semifinal game will be played at Youngman Field and promises to be an exciting matchup of solid squads. This season's previous encounter saw Middlebury snatch an impressive 12-4 home victory from the Jumbos.

Habitat set for Saturday's 5K race
The Addison County chapter of Habitat for Humanity will sponsor a 5K race this coming Saturday on the Middlebury women's cross country trail. Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer organization that builds and provides housing for low income families across the country. The Addison County chapter has been very active recently and is looking to fundraise for future housing projects in the area.
According to an all-campus e-mail sent out on Tuesday, participants in the 5K fundraising event may "run, walk, skip, cartwheel or three-legged race with a friend" through the course on their respective ways to the finish line. In order to participate, each person will need to donate a five dollar entry fee on the morning of the race. There is no pre-registration necessary as volunteers will be on hand beginning at 9:15 a.m. at the athletic fields in order to organize the start of the race and collect donations.
The race will begin at 10 a.m. and there will be great prizes from some of the best local restaurants going to the fastest times. The event will be held on the section of the cross country trail that encircles the golf course. For those who are not familiar with the trail, signs will be posted on the morning of the race in order to direct participants through the course.
The organizers of the event are still looking for members of the College community who are willing to volunteer during the set-up, registration, timing and clean-up processes. Those interested can contact Lisa Gerstenberger '07 at lgersten@middlebury.edu.

Playoffs up next for Midd teams
As spring begins to heat up around Middlebury, the competition within the NESCAC follows suit. As the first week of May rolls around, several Panther teams are already focusing in on their respective conference and national tournaments. Although Middlebury has a tradition of dominance in many of these sports, there is no doubt that teams from around the NESCAC will be looking to dethrone the mighty Panthers across the board.
Both the men's and women's lacrosse teams, perennial favorites in the NESCAC, are set to host their respective tourneys this coming weekend. Both teams have won five consecutive conference titles and are poised to elevate that lofty number to seven as the men face Tufts while the women will compete with Williams in NESCAC semifinal action. Both matches will take place at noon on Saturday, May 6 on Youngman Field and Peter Kohn Turf, respectively.
When it comes to tennis, the Middlebury men's team is riding a wave of momentum after clinching the NESCAC title this past weekend against Williams. This Sunday at noon, the Panthers will host an NCAA regional, including M.I.T. and Amherst, and on Saturday will face the winner of that matchup.
On the women's side of the net, the Panthers will look to get back on track after a tough loss to Williams in the NESCAC semifinal. Middlebury will make the trip down to Williams once again this weekend in order to participate in an NCAA regional match against Wellesley. If the Panthers win this first match, they will face the winner of the Williams/Vassar match.