sports briefs

Author: Livingston Burgess

Cellino '09 gets named NESCAC Player of the Year

After leading the Panthers to an undefeated season in conference play, pacing the NESCAC in scoring and helping earn yet another bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, forward Annmarie Cellino '09 was recognized as the NESCAC Player of the Year.

This is Cellino's second selection to the first-team all-conference lineup since making the second team and garnering Rookie of the Year for the 2005-2006 season. The honor comes on the heels of a season marked by leadership and consistency. Cellino led the league in overall points with 42 and assists with 29, and was Player of the Week in late November on the strength of a nine-point weekend.

Also honored were forward Anna McNally '11, who was both a first-team selection and the conference Rookie of the Year, and defenseman Karen Levin '08, who also earned a spot on the first team. McNally led the league in goals and Levin was the anchor of one of the league's top defenses.


Men's and women's lax both beat up on Bates

Middlebury's men's and women's lacrosse teams each won their season openers - the women on Friday and the men on Sunday - taking a game apiece, in similar fashions, from Bates in Lewiston, Maine. Both teams jumped on their opponents early and held on, with the men's final score coming in at 14-12 and the women winning 16-12.

Matt Ferrer '09 led the men's charge with five goals, for which he earned NESCAC Player of the Week honors. In addition to his standout performance, the Panthers spread the scoring around well, with eight men notching points on the day.

Middlebury jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first period, and was ultimately able to fend off a late Bobcat comeback. The same was true on the women's side, with the Panthers running Bates into a 10-5 deficit early and keeping the scoring near even in the second half. In that explosive first period, they outshot their opponent 21-11. Mimi Schatz '08 led the team in scoring with four goals and four assists.

Both teams compete next on Saturday, March 15 against Connecticut College as they try to build momentum against last spring's cellar-dwellers. The women, who play at home, face off at 1:00 p.m.