Field hockey fights back for win at Colby

Middlebury (3-3) got their record even and their season back on track with a 2-1 road victory over NESCAC rivals Colby (3-4) on Saturday. The game completed the Panthers’ brief two-game road stint and furthermore ended the team’s two-game losing streak, during which Middlebury was held scoreless by Bowdoin and Skidmore.

Things did not look good out of the gate for the offense-heavy Panthers. After failing to score a goal against Skidmore in a game strongly influenced by the rain-drenched playing field, the team found itself offensively stifled once again. Saturday, the Mules’ strong midfield play and continuous offensive attack kept the Panthers scoreless throughout the first half, pushing Middlebury’s scoreless streak to two and a half games. Colby dominated the first-half stat sheet as well, holding a 13-5 shots advantage and a 5-1 penalty shot margin in the first period.

“We weren’t quite playing ‘Middlebury’ field hockey in the first half,” said captain Sally Ryan ’11. “Our connections on the field were lacking and we knew we had to fix that or else the game wouldn’t go our way.”

However, strong defense by the Panthers kept the game from slipping out of their grasp. Due in large part to the play of goaltender Madeline Brooks ’13 –– seven of her nine saves coming in the first half –– Colby only managed to score one goal in their 13 shots and five penalty attempts. The goal came on an unassisted shot by Heather Quadir with 10:50 left in the opening half.

“At half time, we talked about what we needed to improve, we switched around some players in different positions and we started to play really well as a team,” said Ryan. “We were able to have a successful build up all the way up the field and had a lot of corner opportunities im the second half, which really changed the momentum of the game.”

Things would turn around quickly for the Panthers in the second half of the game. Middlebury’s strong defensive play continued from the first period, as the defense allowed no more Mules near the net –– Colby managed just four attempted shots for the rest of the game. More importantly, however, the stagnant Panther offense came alive for the first time in nearly three games, scoring two goals in the period despite a valiant effort by Colby goaltender Liz Fontaine, who had 11 saves in the game, eight of which came in the second half. The offensive turnaround showed on paper, with the Panthers holding a 14-4 shot advantage as well as a 7-2 penalty advantage in the second period, a complete flip from first half statistics.

Middlebury’s offense was sparked early on in the half by an unassisted game-tying goal from the captain herself that came right off the bat, just 1:10 into the period. Ryan was finally able to crack through the tenacious Colby midfield and fire a shot that found the back of the board.

“We hadn’t scored a goal in our last two games and we needed something to fuel us,” said Ryan. “There is no better sound than hearing the ball hit the back of the goal. It really boosted the morale of the team and pumped everyone up.”

Middlebury continued its offensive pressure with several good plays from standout forward Lauren Greer ’13, and took the lead with 11:11 left in play off of yet another unassisted goal. This time, midfielder Charlotte Gardiner ’13 scored the game-winning goal for the Panthers, and aggressive defense as well as great goaltending on both sides of the field kept another shot from finding the net in the contest.

Middlebury’s win could not come at a better time, as the Panthers return home to defend Kohn Field in an important match-up against fellow NESCAC competitor Amherst. With the Panther defense playing stronger than ever and the offense finally back on track, things look promising for the Middlebury team to reclaim its spot in the top echelons of the national rankings.