Twelve Panthers celebrated the last home regular season NESCAC contest of their Middlebury careers on Youngman Field this past Saturday. On senior day, the men’s lacrosse team (12–1) continued their dominance this season with a resounding 22–12 win over Colby College (2–9).
The team honored their seniors ahead of Saturday’s game. In the game, Middlebury took a lead early and did not look back — the Panthers scored four goals early in the first quarter. Colby tried to bounce back, but the Panthers' depth, stout defense and a run of nine unanswered goals in the third quarter proved to be too much for the visiting Mules.
Billy Curtis ’25, who had two goals and three assists in the game; Russell Thorndike ’25, who had two goals and two assists; Logan White ’26, who also had two goals and two assists; and Patrick Jamin ’25, who had one goal and three assists, led a Middlebury committee of 16 different goal-scorers. Saturday’s outing demonstrated the Panthers’ scoring ability, a primary reason why the team has been so successful this spring.
While their high powered offense was certainly a bright spot, Middlebury’s defense, led by Luke Simpson ’23.5, Teddy Curran ’24 and Billy Dobensky ’23, stymied each Colby attempt at reasserting themselves in the game. Goalie Hayden Kern ’26, who has been a great asset for the Panthers all year, was up to the test against a solid Colby offense. He racked up 10 saves through three quarters, and Finn O’Connor ’23.5, in relief, earned five saves in the fourth quarter.
Though Middlebury’s regular season is winding down, the Panthers still have a tough upcoming schedule ahead of playoffs.
“Both Amherst and Williams are great opponents, so we have to come in strong,” Thorndike said. “It’s a toss up in both of these games. We’ve been playing well, and I think we can take advantage of these opportunities, so hopefully we’ll end the season at least at number two in the NESCAC.”
After Saturday’s dominant win, Middlebury sits at fifth place in the Division III national rankings and second place in the NESCAC rankings. The win pushes the Panthers to 7–1 in NESCAC play for the season, with their only loss coming against Tufts, who is currently ranked first in the country for Division III, according to Nike/USA Lacrosse. The NESCAC tournament begins April 29, and, in current standing, the Panthers will host their first round matchup.
The Panthers welcomed Babson to Youngman Field on Sunday, April 16, for their last home contest of the 2023 regular season and prevailed 18–15.
