The Panthers came out of another weekend with a 2-0 record, keeping their season-long winning streak alive.
Last Saturday, Sept. 22, Middlebury hosted the Bowdoin Bears for the first game of their weekend doubleheader. Middlebury was able to score three goals from shots by Alex Barber ’19, Sabrina Glaser ’20 and Simone Ameer ’21, all in the first half. Bowdoin’s single goal during the last few seconds of play was not enough to rival the Panthers, and Middlebury’s victory placed them in the sixth-ranked spot heading into their Sunday game.
The Panthers hit the road for the second game of the weekend, facing Hamilton in their first NESCAC matchup away from home territory. Hamilton brought stronger competition than Bowdoin.
Although the Panthers were able to pull of a 1-0 win with a late shot from Leah Salzman ’21, Hamilton kept up the pressure on Middlebury’s defensive line throughout the game.
Goalie Ursula Alwang ’20 stepped up to the plate with some big diving saves, blocking each of Hamilton’s 17 shots on goal.
“[Hamilton is] very scrappy and opportunistic, so I knew I had to be prepared anytime they had the ball within shooting range,” Alwang said. The win marked Alwang’s second shutout of the season.
Moving forward, Alwang is motivated to keep up her competitive spirit and hard work. “My personal goals are more shutouts and more possession out of the back,” she said.
Even with seven consecutive wins under their belts, the longest streak since Middlebury’s 2009 season, the Panthers are not letting the pressure distract them from playing their game.
“We take everything game by game,” said Glaser, the team’s co-leading scorer.
“We try to focus on each game individually because we know that anyone can win on any given day,” Alwang said. “The NESCAC is a crazy conference, and we learned that lesson the hard way last year. It’s not one we’re going to forget anytime soon.”
The Panthers will hit the road again next weekend to face Colby College and New England College.
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