WATERVILLE, Maine — The Middlebury College field hockey team picked up two wins this past weekend to improve to 6-1, 3-1 in NESCAC play. The Panthers will visit league foe Trinity on Saturday after a Wednesday date at No. 7 Skidmore. They were ranked No. 5 in last week’s NCAA Division III poll.
On Saturday, Middlebury scored twice in the first nine minutes and went on to a 3-1 NESCAC victory over host Colby (4-4, 0-4 NESCAC).
Bridget Instrum tallied an unassisted score 2:10 into the game, and Jillian Green scored the second goal during a scramble in front of the net on a penalty corner, with an assist from Shannon Hutteman at 8:50.
In the second half, the Panthers converted a three-on-one advantage. Anna Kenyon worked down the right side, and pushed a ball across to Instrum for a one-touch score at 28:54.
The Mules got on the scoreboard on a penalty corner with 3:48 remaining. Both teams finished with 20 shots, while the Panthers held a 9-8 edge in penalty corners. Middlebury goalie Emily Knapp recorded five of her seven saves in the first half. Colby goaltender Sarah Evans was credited with nine stops.
On Sunday, the Panthers thrashed No. 9 Montclair State, 9-1, in a game played at the University of Albany. Seven Panthers scored in the win over 7-2 Montclair.
Hutteman and Catherine Fowler scored two goals apiece, and Lauren Berestecky, Pam Schulman, Annie Leonard, Kenyon and Instrum added one goal apiece for Middlebury. Knapp made three saves as Middlebury earned advantages of 26-7 in shots and 13-6 in penalty corners.