Women fight hard against ’09 champions

Kenyon Arena saw two of the best women’s hockey teams in Division III battling it out this past weekend as Amherst and Middlebury took to the ice to settle old scores in a doubleheader. Friday night’s game culminated in a 3-1 loss for the Panthers, while both teams found they had t ao settle for a scoreless tie on Saturday.

Middlebury caught a 1-0 lead early in Friday night’s game, after Maggie Woodward ’13 knocked the puck past Amherst’s Sinead Murphy on a power play five minutes into the game. Keen on revenge, the Jeffs stepped up their intensity as the players zigzagged across the ice and control of the game moved evenly between the two teams. Though the remaining 17 minutes of the first period were relatively uneventful, Amherst sent two more of its players to the penalty box as the team launched a campaign of aggression on the Panthers. It was not until the fourth minute of the second period that Amherst’s Stephanie Clegg netted a point for her team to tie up the score on a power play.

The game-winning goal came 10 minutes later, when Amherst’s Josie Fisher dodged goaltender Lexi Bloom ’11 and chipped the puck into the Middlebury net to put the score at 2-1. After laying an onslaught of shots on Bloom in the third period, the Jeffs managed to grab an insurance goal, putting Amherst on top for good as neither team found the back of the net for the remainder of the game.

“We went into the first Amherst game following a rough couple of weeks of play, and while we came out hard in the first period, we didn’t maintain our intensity and level of play through the second two periods,” said Nora Bergman ’11.

Saturday’s game proved frustrating for both teams as the players were forced to leave the ice with no points on the scoreboard after 65 minutes of play. Rather than an indicator of failed offensive opportunities, however, the absence of points is a testament to the great defensive skills displayed by Amherst’s Caroline Hu and Middlebury tri-captain Lani Wright ’10, both of whom blocked over 20 shots each. The game notched Wright’s eighth career shutout.

“Saturday’s game was the best team play we’ve had so far,” said Anna McNally ’11. “We played a full 60 minutes, which is something we’ve been struggling with the past couple of games. We didn’t come out with a win, but we made an important step to help us get back on track.”

Added Wright, “the game Saturday was a huge step up from Friday. We played together as a team for the first time all season — it’s going to be important for us to continue to play that way every game for the remainder of the season.”

The Amherst-Middlebury women’s hockey rivalry has heated up in the past two seasons, with Amherst’s rise to the top of the D-III rankings challenging Middlebury’s role as the perennial NESCAC powerhouse. The 2008-2009 season proved particularly competitive — the Jeffs managed to defeat the Panthers at Kenyon in the NCAA semifinals, but only after Middlebury had taken the NESCAC championship crown while playing on Amherst’s home rink two weeks before.

While the Panthers must now regain their dominance in the conference, the women hope to prove that they still have what it takes this weekend in their two games against Williams, away on Friday and at home Saturday.

“[Saturday’s game] was by far the best team effort that we have put forth this season, and I’m confident that we will just keep building on Saturday’s performance from here on out,” said Bergman.

“We have the potential to be a really exceptional team,” she continued. “Now that we’ve glimpsed that in ourselves, I think everyone is excited to see what more we can achieve.”