Middlebury scored five goals in a 5:43 span early in the first half on its way to an 8-0 win over Utica (17-5)  in an NCAA Regional game played on Kohn Field. The second-ranked Panthers (16-2) advanced to Sunday's Regional Final, where they will take on Skidmore, an 11-1 winner over Keene State, at 1:00 p.m.

Bridget Instrum scored the first of her three goals at the 4:19 mark, beating a pair of defenders on her way to the game's opening goal. Anna Kenyon made it a 2-0 game on a penalty corner, tipping in a pass from Catherine Fowler for her first of the year. Less than a minute later, a strong crossing pass from Instrum tipped off a Utica defender and found the back of the cage for a 3-0 advantage.

Kenyon struck again at the 10:02 mark, giving her team a 4-0 lead. A long pass from outside the circle was sent in by Alyssa DiMaio, with Kenyon just able to get a stick on the ball to deflect it in. The final goal of the run came from DiMaio, as she converted a feed from Katherine Theiss at the left post. The Panthers took the pressure off with the 5-0 lead, taking the advantage into the intermission.

Fowler scored 10:08 into the second half from the stroke line, converting a cross from Elinore O'Brien for her team-leading 18^th of the year. Instrum earned her hat-trick at the 47:58 mark, while Pam Schulman scored the game's final goal with 15:09 remaining.

Utica's best chance to score came at the 51:13 mark, but Emily Knapp denied a penalty stroke by Louise Steele-Norton with a diving save to her left. The Pioneers had one more good look in the final minute, but Knapp made a diving stick-save on an attempt from Jessica Franklin to keep the shutout intact.

Middlebury finished with a 23-4 shots advantage in the game, with Knapp finishing with four saves for her seventh shutout of the season. Kells Casey ended the day with nine stops in goal for the Pioneers.