Women blank R.I.T., rally past Utica

Author: Emma Gardner

As students slipped clumsily on the icy campus paths this weekend, the Middlebury women's hockey team gracefully mastered the ice at Kenyon Arena with two successive victories - a 3-0 shutout of fifth-ranked R.I.T. on Saturday, Jan. 5 and a 4-2 win against Utica College 24 hours later. The two victories improved the team's record to 7-1-1 on the season.

Starting off Winter Term with success was no accident. The team practiced intensively over the holidays, holding two-a-day practices so that they would be ready to face the Tigers and the Pioneers with confidence on Saturday and Sunday. Demonstrating the attitude that Head Coach Bill Mandigo has tried to cultivate in his players throughout the season, the women "face every game as though it's a big game, no matter what," said Lani Wright '10, who blocked 25 shots against R.I.T. in what was her first shutout of the year. "We are taught not to underestimate any team, and because Utica had just beaten Amherst, who we tied this season, Sunday's game was definitely a big one."

While R.I.T. appeared physically aggressive on Saturday, Middlebury put its home-ice advantage to use in handling Kenyon's large surface to skate past the Tigers, whose rink in Rochester is significantly smaller. "Speed was our biggest advantage," said Wright.

With the assistance of Jessica Bennett '10 and Kristen Wilson '11, first-year Julia Ireland put Middlebury on the board with a goal 5:39 into the second period, followed closely by insurance goals from Erika Nakamura '09 and Nora Bergman '11. As all three goals were scored within five minutes, the second period of the game provided the most action.

While fans watched the players battle against each other for a chance at the goal, the RIT offense lost confidence in the third period, managing only two shots, both of which Wright easily turned aside.

The outcome of Sunday's game, on the other hand, proved uncertain until the very end. While rookie Andrea Buono '11 scored the first goal of her college career 18:04 into the game, the second period goals of Utica's Samantha Glockling and Sara George put the Pioneers up 2-1.

Rejecting the possibility of defeat, the women rallied. With an assist from Nakamura, assistant captain Tania Kenny '08 tied the game before the end of the second period, and the team emerged in the third with renewed confidence.

Middlebury skated by the Utica defenders to bombard the goal with shots. Driving through Pioneer goaltender Kelley Peers, Heather McCormack '10 netted the winning goal, followed by Margaret MacDonald '08, who scored shortly after to ensure a Panther victory. Goalie Lexi Bloom '11 stopped 13 of the 15 shots she saw to keep Utica from scoring after the second period.