The Middlebury College men's ice hockey team scored three times in the first period and never looked back in a 7-1 win over Bowdoin on Sunday evening at Kenyon Arena.  Charlie Strauss scored five points (two goals, three assists) for the Panthers, who improve to 2-0-0 (2-0-0 NESCAC) this season. The Polar Bears, ranked 10th in the latest USCHO.com Division III poll, fall to 0-1-1 (0-1-1 NESCAC).

Strauss got things going for the Panthers just 7:59 into the contest, knocking home a loose puck that Michael Griffin rattled off the post to give the hosts a one-goal lead. Griffin got on the board himself at 17:46, lifting a backhander over the shoulder of Bowdoin's Steve Messina. Strauss capped the period by finishing off a 2-on-1 with just 20 seconds remaining in the frame to give the Panthers a three-goal edge heading into intermission.

Aaron O'Callahan made a bid to get the Polar Bears back into the contest early in the second frame, but John Yanchek made a nice save to maintain Middlebury's three-goal lead. The Panthers capitalized by scoring twice in a 2:13 span as Ben Wiggins put home a shot from the right point at 5:44, followed by a George Ordway put-back at 7:57. Charles Nerbak gave the Panthers a 6-0 lead on the power play at 16:35.

Bowdoin's Colin Downey finished off a scramble in front to give Bowdoin its only goal of the game at 8:41 of the third period. Nerbak closed out the scoring for Middlebury on the power play at 15:16.

Yanchek finished with 19 saves for the Panthers while Messina (11 saves, five goals against, 27:27) and Richard Nerland (19 saves, 32:03) split time in net for Bowdoin. The Panthers held a 37-20 edge in shots and tallied three power play goals as the Polar Bears were charged with 11 penalties.

BOX SCORE