As the dwindling rays of sun illuminated Middlebury College’s campus on Friday, March 29, the women’s hockey team was locked in a tight one-goal Frozen Four battle against Amherst — this time in distant River Falls, Wis. Middlebury women's hockey fans who watched the game from afar (many of thom undoubtedly wished the game had been played in the superior Chip Arena) held their breath as Amherst forward Alyssa Xu terrorized the Panthers’ defense with a barrage of shots on goal. Ultimately, two quick Amherst goals in the third period proved decisive.
This Frozen Four showdown was the fourth meeting between Middlebury and Amherst this season, a rematch of the 2025 NESCAC Championship final, where the Mammoths eked out a 1–0 win to wrest the conference title away from the reigning champion Panthers.
“Amherst-Middlebury games seem to always come down to [the] wire,” Coach Mandigo said.
The Panthers, trailing 2–1 to the formidable Amherst Mammoths, pulled their goalie with two minutes remaining in the game — a desperate push to equalize. Kate Flynn ’27 skated into zero-foot range, willing the puck into the goal, but Amherst goalie Natalie Stott smothered it. With that, Middlebury’s quest for their second national championship in four years came to a quiet end.
Despite the Panthers’ constant ability to redeem themselves from past losses — a prime example being their NESCAC semifinal win against Colby following a regular season shutout sweep — they could not overcome this hurdle.
But that is not to say that these players didn’t fight hard — this game was markedly high-intensity, with both teams playing physical hockey in a well-fought game.
“We had numerous odd-man rushes, but couldn’t capitalize,” Coach Bill Mandigo said in the postgame press conference. “We try to adapt…but credit to Amherst for coming out and attacking.”
One interesting note from Coach Mandigo was that Chip Kenyon Arena’s width more closely resembles an international rink — at 95 feet — than NHL and college hockey rinks, which are 85 feet wide. Playing at home thus affords a unique advantage for Middlebury, and each away game in a smaller rink creates less space and a different style of hockey.
Alas, Middlebury’s shots on goal had the misfortune of catching every piece of Stott’s gear, stick, and gloves — just as they had been in the NESCAC Championships. But with 7:30 eclipsed in the third period, Middlebury scored their first goal as Cece Ziegler ’25 fired a shot that deflected off of an Amherst defender and into the lower third of the net.
Ziegler, a St. Paul, Minnesota native, delivered an emotional message during the postgame presser.
“It meant a lot to end my career surrounded by so many people who love and support me, and to wear this Middlebury jersey for the final time,” Ziegler said.
Both Ziegler and Raia Schluter ’25 emphasized the value of their close-knit team in this latest run, reminiscing about their miraculously undefeated season as first years in 2022, which started an unforgettable four years.
Amherst, on a separate note, proceeded to lose against the University of Wisconsin, River Falls in the final game of the hockey season on Sunday by a score of 3–1. For the jaded Middlebury fan, Amherst's failure to win provides a small satisfaction in the wake of disappointment.
But as this almost five-month season comes to a close, the team will part ways with 10 graduating, leaving them without many of their leaders and contributors, but with full of hope for the future of a strong, enduring program. Excitement for next year starts now, as the puck drop on the Panthers’ first game this November gets closer each and every day.
