Women's hockey rides Ephs and Camels to wins

Author: Seth Miran

For the women's hockey team, Feb break was a time for suffering through the cold during a week spent on campus. It was not all bad, however, as the team came away from the break with wins over NESCAC rivals Williams and Connecticut College in addition to a tie against Amherst.

The second-ranked Panthers' first game of the break was a mid-week contest on Feb. 6 against Williams. After a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of - or perhaps more aptly put, paws of - the Panthers a week earlier, it was clear that the Ephs needed no additional motivation to come out firing on their home ice.

Williams took a 1-0 lead seven and a half minutes into the first with a power play goal from Anna Condino, but Midd's Annmarie Cellino '09 tied the game at one goal apiece at the 15:10 mark. Abby Kurtz-Phelan '07 put the Panthers ahead 2-1 with thirty seconds remaining in the period.

The second frame was mostly quiet, but the Ephs tied the game with their second power play goal of the evening with 4:25 remaining in the period. Sylvester notched the eventual game-winner nearly seven minutes into the third period on a short-handed goal. Lacey Farrell '08 sealed the victory for the Panthers with an unassisted goal. Lani Wright '10 made 12 saves between the pipes.

The Panther's road trip continued on Feb. 9 as Middlebury took on Amherst the third ranked team in the NESCAC. The Jeffs jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead less than four minutes into the game with the lone goal of the first period. Kirsten Forsberg gathered a loose puck in front of the Middlebury net and fired it glove side to beat goalie Angie Todd '08.

The second period had much of the same as Amherst extended its lead to 2-0 with a goal again less than four minutes into the period after a scramble in front of the net.

Down two goals heading into the crucial third period, the Panthers responded quickly with a power play goal from Kurtz-Phelan. After another Amherst penalty, Middlebury's Shannon Tarrant '07 scored a second power play goal only twenty-two seconds later.

There would be no more scoring on the night as Todd solidified the tie with 25 saves for the Panthers. With the tie, the Panthers secured the top-seed in the NESCAC tournament, thereby clinching home ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

"Hosting NESCACS is a great accomplishment as well as a great opportunity," said Alison Graddock '07. "In order to take advantage of that opportunity, though, we need continue working hard and getting better each time we step on the ice. We still have plenty of tough games ahead of us."

The Panthers' game the very next day against Connecticut College proved to be one of those tough games. The Panthers slid by with a 2-1 victory. Cellino opened the scoring seven minutes into the first period. The assists went to Sylvester and Emily McNamara '07. Karen Levin '08 extended the lead to 2-0 five minutes later with a goal of her own.

Both teams were held scoreless until the Camels had a breakaway goal midway through the third. Wright held Connecticut College scoreless for the rest of the game, tallying 22 saves to improve her personal record in net to 10-1 for the season.

Of all of the stars on this team, Kurtz-Phelan has shone the brightest in the past two weeks. Coming off a stellar week in which she was named NESCAC Player of the Week for her strong play and breakaway goal in overtime to top Bowdoin two weeks ago, her outstanding play continued this past week.

Although modest about her recent play, Kurtz-Phelan extended her scoring tear, notching two goals and four assists last week.

"With the regular season winding down, it really is crunch time for us," she said. "Personal statistics are fine, but the keys to our success are the intangibles that a stat sheet cannot measure - hard work, hustle and focus."

The tough games ahead that Graddock mentioned continue this week as Midd. takes on top-ranked Plattsburgh tonight at 7 p.m.