Walker's six goals win seventh crown

Author: Simon Keyes

The term "dynasty" is a hackneyed word, made banal by the numerous times sports journalists have freely used it to describe teams that win multiple championships in the span of a few years. Right now, however, this very term seems a fitting moniker for the lacrosse juggernaut that is currently firing on all cylinders here in Middlebury, Vt.

On Sunday, Coach Missy Foote and the Panthers secured their seventh straight NESCAC championship. Middlebury is the only team to win the tournament since 2001, when the NESCAC began naming champions via a tournament.

This year's opponent in the finals was Colby, a team that Middlebury beat 19-8 earlier in the season. On Sunday, Middlebury was forced to fight much harder, but it still claimed the victory as the Panthers edged the Mules 10-8.

The archives showed that this was the tightest championship game ever played in the NESCAC tournament, and this was due in large part to the feisty Mules, who kept the Panthers in range the entire game, refusing to allow the Panthers to extend their leads.

The Panthers busted out of the gates after the opening whistle to the tune of three quick goals, the first of which came 25 seconds into the game off of the lethal stick of Kim Walker '07. Walker was the star of the game, scoring the opening goal, the game-winner, the final goal and three others en route to a tie for the NESCAC tournament record for six goals in a game.

Colby, unfazed by the opening barrage, stormed back to 3-2 on goals by Libba Cox and Kate Sheridan. This would prove to be the story of the game, as every time the Panthers extended their lead to two goals, Colby would retaliate with a goal or two of its own. Early in the second half, Colby even took a 5-4 lead after a goal by Lauren Bennett.

The Panthers quickly proved why they are the only team to have ever won the NESCAC tournament, though, as they responded with two unanswered goals, one by Walker and one by Liza Humes '07 on a nifty underhanded shot.

The tensest part of the game began at the 12:46 mark of the second half when, after another Walker goal had put the Panthers up 8-6, Colby replied with two goals within a minute and a half of each other. The Colby faithful were on their feet and noisy, and the Mules barely missed a chance to take the lead as a Colby attack rocked the pipes with a shot. The missed shot would prove to be the Mules' last breath of hope as Walker yet again found the back of the net at 6:44. Walker iced the game with her sixth and final goal at the 3:00 mark, pushing the score to 10-8.

"The game was a major adrenaline rush. Colby was an athletic and aggressive team who challenged us all over the field," wrote Walker in an e-mail. "After a shaky and somewhat flustered start, we pulled it together and played a smarter game ... It was great to have a tight game to prepare for NCAAs."

The tournament win gives the team an automatic bid to the NCAAs, and it will play host to a round of NCAA Regionals to be held May 12-13 at Kohn Field. It will play the winner of the St. John Fisher College and Drew University match at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.