CLINTON, N.Y. — The Middlebury College women’s hockey team took over first place in NESCAC by defeating host Hamilton twice this past weekend, 2-1 in overtime on Saturday and 3-1 on Friday night, but fell to Plattsburgh, the No. 2 team in NCAA Division III, on Tuesday. 
The Panthers (12-4-1, 8-1-1 NESCAC) have a half-game lead over second place Connecticut (11-3-3, 7-1-2 league) in the league standings, while Hamilton (10-6-1, 7-3 NESCAC), slipped into third place. The Panthers are ranked No. 4 in this week’s NCAA poll.
Middlebury will host eighth-place Wesleyan this weekend, visit seventh-place Colby the following weekend, and then wrap up its league schedule with a home-and-home series with fifth-place Williams on Feb. 16 and 17. A visit to defending NCAA champion Norwich is set for this coming Tuesday.
On this past Saturday Maddie Winslow netted the rebound of her own shots 44 seconds into overtime as the Panthers edged Hamilton, 2-1.
Despite the Panthers’ 48-18 advantage in shots in goal, their only other goal came 2:39 into the second session, when Rachel St. Clair put in the rebound of Ellie Barney’s shot from the right point. 
Hamilton’s Andrea Rockey tied the game 5:20 later after a Panther turnover. Rockey scored from in close on a Maddie Beitler feed.
Panther goalie Julia Neuburger made 17 saves, while Sam Walther made 46 saves for Hamilton.
In the Panthers’ 3-1 win on Friday, Elizabeth Wulf made it 1-0 2:38 into the game by converting a Jenna Marotta rebound.
Janka Hlinka made it 2-0 6:28 into the third period. Jess Young won a face-off back to Hlinka, who wristed a high shot home from the top of the right circle.
Rockey made it 2-1 with a power play goal at 10:01 of the period. The goal was the first Middlebury surrendered in more than 290 minutes of play. Young made it 3-1 at 14:57 with a wrist shot from the high slot set up by Marotta.
Panther goalie Lin Han made 18 saves, while Walther stopped 33 shots.
On Tuesday the Panthers outshot visiting Plattsburgh, 42-24, but lost, 2-1, as goalie Brooke Wolejko made 41 saves for the 16-2-1 Cardinals.
Cardinal Melissa Sheeran gave her team the lead 7:29 into the game by skating up the right side and wristing a shot past Middlebury goalie Lin Han (22 saves) from the bottom of the circle. Late in the period, Wolejko knocked away Haley LaFontaine shot from the point and pinning Winslow’s bid on the rebound under her right pad.
After Han denied a Cardinal power-play flurry early in the second, Sidney Portner made it 1-1 at 4:06. Winslow dug the puck out from below the goal line and Sidney Portner lifted a shot home from close range. Later in the period Wolejko denied a Winslow breakaway.
Kayla Meneghin scored the game-winner 5:26 into the third period. Mackenzie Millen carried up the left side, and Han denied her shot from close range, but Meneghin crashed the net and poked the rebound home.  
Middlebury’s best chance for the equalizer came with 2:25 to go, but Portner shot just wide on a feed from Young.