MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College men’s lacrosse team posted a pair of three-goal home wins vs. NESCAC opponents last week to improve to 9-2, 6-1 in league play. The Panthers were ranked No. 7 in last week’s NCAA Division III poll.
On April 1, the Panthers used a decisive five-goal run in the fourth quarter to defeat Hamilton, 11-8. The Continentals are 7-4, 3-4 in league play.
The Panthers took a 6-2 lead at the half, but the Continentals scored the only three goals of the third period to cut the Panther cushion to one, 6-5, entering the fourth. 
Then the Middlebury offense got on track, scoring three goals in 72 seconds. Henry Riehl set up Tim Giarrusso at 11:05, then Riehl scored a man-up tally 59 seconds later. Joseph Zelkowitz then made it 9-5 moments after a John Jackson faceoff win with a strong lefty move. A little later Jack Cleary netted his second goal of the game to make it 10-5, before Riehl capped the five-goal run at 5:49. 
With 3:07 remaining to play, each team substituted goalies, as brothers Gabe and Noah Weissmann entered the contest for Middlebury and Hamilton, respectfully.
The Continentals then strung three goals together for the 11-8 final. 
Riehl finished with three goals and an assist. Cleary scored twice, while Jon Broome and Carroll added two assists apiece. Defenseman Cal Williams paced the Panthers with eight groundballs and four caused turnovers, while Jackson won 11 of 19 faceoffs. Panther Will Ernst made seven saves in 56:53 of action, and Weissmann made two saves in relief. Hamilton goalie Will Driscoll made 13 stops, while Noah Weissmann saw no action.
On Saturday, the Panthers won, 15-12, over visiting Colby, which dropped to 6-4, 2-4 in league play. The game saw seven lead changes and a combined 112 shots, Middlebury used some timely goals to fend of Colby 15-12 at Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium. 
The teams finished the first quarter in a 5-5 tie, but the Panthers’ Riehl and David Murray each scored in the final minute of the first half to put their team up at the break, 8-7. 
The Mules and the Panthers traded three-goal runs to open the second half, with the Panther surge erasing a 10-8 Mule lead. Colby then tied the game a 11-11, but Jon Broome scored with 35 seconds left in the period and assisted Zelkowitz at 0:18 to make it 13-11, Middlebury, entering the fourth.
After a Giarrusso strike made it 14-11 to open the fourth quarter scoring slowed. Colby cut the lead to two, but Broome netted an insurance goal at 1:15.
Broome finished with four goals and two assists, while Giarrusso added three tallies and one helper. Murray added two goals and an assist, while Joel Blockowicz tallied a goal and two helpers. Williams led all players with a 10 groundballs and three caused turnovers, and added one assist. Jackson won 20 for 30 face-offs and nabbed six groundballs. 
Ernst made 17 saves, while Colby goalie Tyler Will stopped 22 shots.