MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Middlebury College field hockey team picked up a pair of 3-0 NESCAC wins on the road this past weekend to improve to 10-1, 6-1 in league play. The Panthers, ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division III, return to action vs. NESCAC foe Trinity at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
On this past Sunday, the Panthers scored three goals in the final 15 minutes to knock off host Wesleyan, 3-0.
The Panthers broke the scoreless tie at 56:45, when Annie Leonard fed Shannon Hutteman. Leonard made the score 2-0 in favor of Middlebury when she tallied an unassisted goal, her 10th of the season, at 65:07. Bridget Instrum added the final goal, her sixth, at 68:44.
Middlebury held advantages in shots (23-1) and penalty corners (16-5). Middlebury goalie Emily Miller made one save, while Cardinal goalie Sarah Grundy was credited with 16 stops, including one on a penalty stroke.
On Saturday, the Panthers topped host No. 16 Tufts (7-3, 5-2 in NESCAC play) by the same score. Leonard tallied twice in the second half to help the Panthers pull away from a 1-0 halftime advantage.
A defensive save from Panther defender Jillian Green on a Tufts penalty corner helped keep the game scoreless until Middlebury broke through late in the first half on a penalty corner.
Grace Jennings found Bridget Instrum in front of the net, and Instrum put the ball home at 33:53.
Leonard made it 2-0 at 52:51 after taking a feed from Audrey Quirk, who picked up a loose ball near the Tufts cage.
Leonard converted a breakaway with 45 seconds left to make it 3-0.
Miller finished with five saves for the Panthers, while Emily Polinski made eight saves for the Jumbos.