MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College field hockey team concluded its regular season on Saturday with a 6-0 win over visiting Wesleyan (3-11, 2-7 NESCAC). The Panthers (14-1, 9-1 NESCAC) will finish either first or second in NESCAC, needing a Bowdoin loss to Tufts on Wednesday after the deadline for this edition of the Independent to clinch the top seed. Regardless, they will host a quarterfinal on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Vs. Wesleyan, Bridget Instrum earned a hat trick in an 11:21 span, while Catherine Fowler scored twice. Fowler opened the scoring 6:34 into the contest on a penalty stroke. She netted her team-leading 14th of the season at 11:28, tapping home an Anne Entwisle pass.
Instrum earned the first of her three goals 47:48 into the contest, scoring after a goal-mouth scramble. Her second goal came on a feed from Anna Kenyon, and she added her third at 59:09. Hollis Perticone finished off the scoring with 35 seconds remaining, converting a pass from Fowler.
Middlebury held advantages of 29-6 in shots and 8-2 in penalty corners. Panther goalie Emily Knapp made four saves to earn her fourth shutout of the season. Sara Grundy made 13 saves for Wesleyan.