The Middlebury women's lacrosse team convincingly beat fellow NESCAC school Connecticut College 17-4 on Saturday, March 15 at Kohn Field.
"Although Conn. wasn't our toughest competition," said co-captain Katherine Entwisle '08, "it allowed for us to really work on some important elements of our game that need to be in tip-top shape for next weekend against Bowdoin."
The Panthers opened strong - scoring four goals in the first 10 minutes - and shut out the Camels in the first half. Co-captain Reid Berrien '08 started the onslaught with a goal off a free position shot early in the first half.
Dana Heritage '10 followed seconds after, scoring off an assist from Caroline Kirkendoll '09. Heritage played for the first time this season after recovering from a knee injury, and wasted no time making her impact felt, scoring three goals.
Mimi Schatz '08 followed with a pair of goals, one unassisted and one from a free position shot. Schatz led the Panthers with four goals - all of which came in the first half.
In all, Middlebury scored 13 unanswered goals in the first half. Sally Ryan '11 had a pair in the half, while Lindsay McBride '09 and Lindsay Winstead '10 each had one before the break.
Amanda Smith '10 led the team with five assists in the first half, followed by Chase Delano '11 who had two and even scored the last goal of the half with just under 30 seconds left.
Smith's five assists ranked third highest in the school's record books for a single game. For her, it only took a half.
The Panthers worked on their fast break and passing in an effort to score goals and control possession. Middlebury capitalized in transition - scoring off player advantages and proving its ability to utilize the fast break effectively.
The offense managed to keep possession for the majority of the opening half, and the defense played well, working on its zone and man-to-man strategies, as it limited the Camels to only seven shots.
Blair Bowie '09 had four saves in the half - keeping her net clean and maintaining a substantial Middlebury lead.
After a frustrating first half for the visitors, the Camels opened the second half with a goal. Delano responded two minutes later, though, scoring her second off a free position shot to quell any hopes of a Camel comeback.
Smith later followed with a goal of her own off an assist from Schatz, as she finished the game with six points.
The pace of the game then changed, as the goals were less frequent. The last five goals were all alternating - when one team scored, the other team would respond.
The Camels scored again 12 minutes into the half, which was met with another Middlebury goal three minutes later by Katie Sparkes '09 off a free position shot.
Scoring then stopped for close to seven minutes, which was partly due to brief moments of sloppy play and battles for possession. Additionally, Middlebury committed more fouls in the second half - 15 as opposed to the six it had in the opening 30 minutes - which turned over possession and made scoring less frequent.
Whitney Wildrick '08, who replaced Bowie between the pipes and had seven saves in the half, played well, allowing the Panthers to continue to control the pace and score of the game.
The Camels scored their third with a little under 10 minutes left to play in the second half. The Panthers then scored their last goal shortly after with a shot by Winstead off an assist from Sparkes. Connecticut College scored the last goal of the game right around the five-minute mark, finishing with a total of four.
Even though the Camels are not the most competitive team that the Panthers play, the game still held importance. Not only did it allow the team to work on important game strategies, but it also confirmed Middlebury's ability to control the direction of the game. It also gave needed game experience to all players - especially three of the four first-years on the team.
The team is satisfied with the win and is excited to have Heritage playing after her injury.
The Panthers' next game is at Kohn Field on Saturday, March 22 at 11 a.m. The rest of the school will technically be on break. But rest assured, the Middlebury women will not take a break until they have the game in hand.
Written by DICKIE REDMOND
