Sports Briefs

Author: Emma Gardner and Jeff Klein

JENNY GALGANO '10 SCORES FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME

Jenny Galgano '10, a junior midfielder on the women's soccer team experienced fifteen minutes in the spotlight this weekend after being nominated for WPTZ's Play of the Week. Galgano's goal on Wesleyan keeper Gavi Elkind in a Panther 2-0 shutout on September 20th proved newsworthy, and a clip of the shot subsequently ran on the WPTZ website. The only female contender of five local college athletes, Galgano qualified for the Burlington and Plattsburgh, NY television station's weekly competition, in which viewers vote online for their favorite collegiate sports highlight of the week.

With two goals and one assist on the season so far, Galgano has been nothing short of a key player for the Panthers this year. After two seasons with the team, she scored her first career goal in the Middlebury win against Keene State, ending a three-game losing streak that had put a severe damper on the start of the women's season. It seems that Galgano's goal was just what the team needed, as it launched a series of shutouts in which the women have held their opponents scoreless for the past four games.

Hoping to improve their 3-3-2 season record, Galgano and the Panthers return to Maine this Saturday to challenge Bowdoin. Given that the Polar Bears have a 2-3-1 record so far this fall, the odds stack up well for a Panther victory.

CHASE DELANO '11 NETS NESCAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Sophomore Chase Delano once again proved a major asset to the field hockey team as she was named NESCAC's Player of the Week after the Panthers' game against Colby last weekend. Scoring three of the seven Middlebury goals in the team's win over the Mules, Delano helped secure another victory to help the Panthers remain undefeated on the season.

Delano has consistently demonstrated talent on the playing field since her arrival at Middlebury last year, both on field hockey and lacrosse. She currently leads the NESCAC with 27 points on the season, and shows no signs of relinquishing her reign over the field as she and her team climb the NCAA Division III polls.

Despite the relative ease with which Panthers have conducted their games over the past month, the team will face a major challenge when it goes head-to-head with Bowdoin this Saturday. The only team to definitively end Middlebury's race to the top last year, the Polar Bears ended their 2007 season with a NCAA Championship and remain undefeated this fall. Continuing a close rivalry, the two teams will contend for the top spot in the NESCAC in what is sure to be an exciting game.

MEN'S SOCCER BLANKS COLBY, STILL UNDEFEATED ON THE SEASON

The Middlebury men's soccer team kept its undefeated stretch intact as it blanked Colby 3-0 this past Saturday in Waterville.

The Panthers are getting excellent play from all positions. Goalie Brian Bush '09 recorded three saves on the day, meaning he has allowed a mere two goals in five games this season.

Meanwhile, forward Tyler Macnee '12 led the Panthers' offensive attack, as he twice out-maneuvered the Colby defense and netted goals. Baer Fisher '09 also got in on the scoring act, as he raced by the Colby 'D' and scored in a one-on-one situation at 71:03 of the second half.

Middlebury improves to 4-0-1 on the season (2-0-1 in NESCAC play) and heads into the weekend looking to knock off Bowdoin on the road. The Polar Bears are coming off a 4-2 victory over Amherst, so the Panthers will have to be on their game to avoid losing for the first time in 15 games.