WATERVILLE, Maine — The Middlebury College men’s hockey team opened with a tie and a loss over the weekend in Maine, tying Colby on Sunday, 2-2, after falling to Bowdoin on Saturday, 6-0. The 0-1-1 Panthers will open at home this weekend with two more NESCAC games, vs. Tufts on Friday evening and vs. Connecticut College on Saturday afternoon.
On this past Sunday at Colby, Middlebury scored the lone goal of the opening period when Vincent Gisonti stuffed a shot inside the left post. Mike Najjar had the assist at 14:29.
The Panthers went up 2-0 at 12:54 of the second period when Jake Charles scored from Ronald Fishman.
The Mules made it 2-1 after two periods when E.J. Rauseo converted a pass from Mario Benicky. Rauseo also helped set up Benicky’s tying goal 7:07 into the third period.
A minute later, the Panthers could not take advantage of a five-minute power play.
Middlebury goaltender Liam Moorfield-Yee had to make six of his 26 saves in overtime. Colby goalie Emerson Verrier made three saves in OT, including a breakaway stop. Verrier had 15 of his 31 saves in the first period.
On Saturday, Polar Bear goalkeeper Max Fenkell turned away all 20 shots he faced as his teammates erupted for six goals, including two apiece from John McGinnis and Matt Sullivan. McGinnis scored both of his goals in the first as Bowdoin took a 2-0 lead.
Sullivan’s first came with 17 minutes gone in the second, and the Polar Bears added a backbreaker with 0:03 to go in the middle period. Bowdoin outshot the Panthers, 31-20. Goalie Mike Peters made 25 stops for Middlebury.