Men’s Lacrosse Cooks the Chickens, Defeats Trinity

After a successful mid-week game against Springfield College, where Middlebury won 15-7, the Panthers tried to ride that momentum into their NESCAC showdown against Trinity on Saturday, April 13. With their highest attendance of the season and a number of Midd alumni coming out to show their support, the Panthers proved how good they can be in a 22-6 triumph over the Bantams. They now hold an even 4-4 record in NESCAC play and remain in the middle of the pack going into the final weekend of play. 

Whether it was the surprisingly beautiful weather or the excitement of alumni weekend, Middlebury came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. At the 12:48 mark of the first, Tyler Forbes, leading scorer of the team, found the back of the net on an outstanding shot that earned a loud cheer from the 367 people in attendance. From then on, the Panthers did not stop. Goals from six different Panthers, including three from Forbes, gave Midd a very comfortable 8-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. This was easily their best start to a game and largest lead of the season. 

Trinity did not get their first goal up on the board until the 10:41 mark of the second, coming from a man-up situation. Although Middlebury was limited to just two goals, they still held a commanding 10-3 lead going into half. In the third, the scoring appeared to be pretty back and forth, with goals coming from four different Panther players again. The combination of stifling defense and a well-balanced offense was key to Midd’s success throughout the entirety of the game. 

In the fourth quarter, even though the game was practically over already, Middlebury never let up. Again, they rallied off eight straight goals and the defense stood their ground. The final score was 22-6. 

Tyler Forbes led the scoring with five goals, while juniors Chase Goree and A.J. Kucinski, had four of their own. Sophomore Ryan Feldman, played big minutes and had two assists on the day. In goal, Tyler Bass certainly had one of the best performances of the year. In 52:48 minutes, Bass had 12 saves on 18 attempts. He has moved to 2-0 on the year behind the net. 

Although this win was big for the Panthers, their upcoming schedule will prove just how strong they really are. On Wednesday, April 17 Midd travels to Plattsburgh St. to play a non-conference match. This weekend, they will travel to Medford, MA to take on the  No. 4 Tufts  Jumbos (11-1), arguably their biggest matchup of the year.