NEW LONDON, Conn. — The Middlebury College men’s hockey team picked up two NESCAC road wins this past weekend to improve to 3-1, the Panthers’ best start in recent years. 
Next up for Middlebury is the annual Great Northern PrimeLink Shootout at Plattsburgh State. The Panthers will take on Norwich in the opening game at 4 p.m. on Friday, and will play either the Cardinals or Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday. The tournament consolation is set for 4 p.m. and the final for 7 p.m. 
On this past Saturday the Panthers scored twice in the first period on the way to a 5-2 win at Connecticut College (1-3). With 1:12 expired, Billy Dobensky scored his first collegiate goal with assists from Owen Powers and Cole Joslin. The Panthers doubled the lead when Antoine Belisle put a Conor Breen rebound past Camel goalie Connor Rodericks.
After a scoreless second period Camel Ryan Petti made it 2-1 with a power-play goal. But the Panthers answered with their own power-play goal when Zach Shapiro tipped in a Powers shot.
The Camels made it 3-2 with 2:23 remaining. But Breen netted a shorthanded goal at 1:26, and Emack Bentley made it 5-2 on a power play 38 seconds later.
Panther goalie Adam Wisco made 20 saves, while Rodericks had 35.
On Friday the Panthers earned a 2-1 win at Tufts (0-4). Belisle scored on a power play with an assist from Powers with 6:39 gone in the opening period; it was Belisle’s first college goal. 
Two strong saves by Panther goalie Brian Ketchabaw preserved the lead, and Danny Tighe potted a loose puck after Tufts blocked a Billy Dobensky shot to make it 2-0 later in the period.
Alex Lycett scored for Tufts at 7:23 of the third, but that was the only one of 25 Jumbo shots on Ketchabaw to elude the Panther goalie. Tufts goalie Josh Sarlo made 21 saves.