The men’s and women’s hockey teams both had poignant and celebratory weekends. From celebrating the female senior players during Friday's game, to spreading awareness about sarcoma cancer on Saturday, the games meant more than just 60 minutes spent on ice fighting for the puck.
During the Winter Carnival, the Panthers played the Williams College Ephs (5–8–1 Women’s and 5–9–2 Men’s) in back-to-back games, scoring 10 goals across four different events. Friday's home game marked Senior Day for the women’s team, which ended with a dominant 7–0 victory. On Saturday, the men’s team returned home and played in honor of Catherine Malatesta with a “Skate for Sarcoma.” The event not only boosted the Panthers’ position with a 2–0 win but also spread awareness about sarcoma cancer through the Catherine J. Malatesta Foundation.
As always, Senior Day was incredibly emotional for the graduating Panthers, and the whole community came together to appreciate and celebrate the 10 seniors on the team: Jordan Hower, Sabrina Kim, Cat Appleyard, Raia Schluter, Sophia Merageas, Elinor Keehn, Kylie Quinlan, Cece Ziegler, Selia Coady and Molly MacQueen — all invaluable assets to the women’s team.
After a beautiful celebration of the seniors, it was time for the first face-off of the game. Right from the moment the puck touched the ice, the Panthers were dominating. The first goal came at 9:31 from Jordan Hower ’25, after assists from Britt Nawrocki ’26 and Cece Ziegler ’25. That was just the beginning, as Middlebury ended the first period with two additional goals scored by Olivia McManus ’27 and Nawrocki.
The next two periods offered the audience of Kenyon Arena continuous action up until the last minute, culminating in a final goal with just 45 seconds left in the third period. The goal was a result of yet another well-executed maneuver by Nawrocki, after an assist from Liv Fernandez ’27, sealing the game with a 7–0 score.
The teams met again the next day, this time at Williams. Although the outcome of the rematch was not ideal with a 1–4 loss, captains Sophia Merageas ’25 and Cat Appleyard ’25 emphasized that with the level of hockey seen in the NESCAC conference, anything is possible, and that the best thing the team can do is take away lessons from the game to move forward and focus on the next game.
Reflecting on the weekend, senior Sabrina Kim ’25 commented that it was “such a great Senior Day win to look back on, especially with a 7-0 score that was way bigger than our previous wins.”
Appleyard also pointed out that she wants this team to be remembered as one “who was really resilient and always pushed through the end, even when things were not going our way.”
Overall, the three seniors pointed out the importance of playing for the “M” and always showing up for each other, and Appleyard emphasized “leav[ing] the jersey better than you found it.”
Where Friday’s Senior Day offered an opportunity for celebration of legacy, Saturday’s “Skate for Sarcoma” game brought the community together in Kenyon Arena more than any strategies, scores or titles ever could.
Before their home game, the men's team faced the Ephs back in Williamstown, Mass. After three non-scoring periods and overtime, the Panthers fell 2–1 in a shootout. This unsatisfactory turn of events fueled Middlebury’s motivation, especially given the tight NESCAC standings.
However, as emphasized by Coach Ceglarski and Jack Silverman ’28, this game far transcended any scores or standings.
“Being able to have that night for the Malatesta family and his passed-away sister was very special and emotional, so the win was huge on a couple different fronts,” Jin Lee ’25 said.
The “Skate for Sarcoma” event was coordinated by Drew Malatesta ’25, Jake Oblak ’25 and Jackson Morehouse ’27 in partnership with the Catherine J. Malatesta Foundation. From an emotional puck-drop ceremony to special jerseys worn by the Middlebury players and yellow towels that adorned the Kenyon seats, both teams knew that they were playing for a noble cause.
As Malatesta emphasized, the key to Saturday night was to “educate people about sarcoma, introduce them to the Catherine J. Malatesta Foundation, and honor Catherine's amazing life and her legacy.”
Middlebury started off strong, with the first goal scored with less than 1:30 remaining in the first period by Wyatt Pastor ’25, assisted by Lee ’25 and Silverman. The Panther’s dominance extended into the second period as Reece Brednich, assisted by Malatesta ’25 and John Burdett ’26, scored despite the disadvantage of playing four against five players following a penalty administered on Christian Wood ’25.
The game ended with a score of 2–0 for the Panthers. However it was not without a struggle — especially for goalie Andre Heinze ’27, who made 45 saves, earning him recognition as an “Outstanding Player” at the end of the event.
As emphasized by captain Lee, this result is a testament to the skill that exists within the team, that will hopefully guide them as they enter the final push of the season.
Both Lee and Malatesta also pointed out that the win was especially rewarding, not only because it boosted the team’s standings in the conference, bringing them one step closer to play-offs, but also because it contributed to the fundraising and educational efforts of the Malatesta foundation.
