MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College field hockey team picked up two more wins this past weekend by defeating two NESCAC opponents, one on the road and one at home. The Panthers have won 29 straight games.
Middlebury, the defending NCAA Division III champion and its top-ranked team this fall, improved to 12-0, 7-0 in league play with two games to go in the regular season, at home vs. Bates at 11 a.m. on Saturday and at Williams on Tuesday.
On this past Saturday the Panthers defeated host Trinity, 2-0. The Bantams (9-4, 5-4 NESCAC) were ranked No. 15 but also lost to No. 5 Tufts, 1-0, on Sunday.
The Panthers had the best chances in the scoreless first half, including an Emma Johns penalty stroke that she shot wide. Trinity had its only two shots of the game in the half, but neither landed on goal.
Erin Nicholas broke the ice on a penalty corner in the 59th minute after taking a Johns pass. Johns converted a penalty stroke with 3:02 remaining to create the final score, one of 16 Panther shots.  
On Sunday the Panthers blitzed visiting Wesleyan, 11-1. The Cardinals dropped to 4-9, 0-8 NESCAC.
Marissa Baker paced the Panthers with a hat trick, Danielle Brown scored twice, Diana Milne and Nicholas each recorded a goal and two assists, and Isabel Chandler, Julia Richards, Kelly Coyle and Alison Denby each added a goal apiece. Panther goalie Megan Collins made one first-half save, while Grace Harlan did not record a stop in the second half, when Wesleyan snapped the shutout bid with 1:09 remaining.