With the game tied at 1-1, the fourth-ranked Middlebury women's hockey team scored goals in the final minutes of the second and third periods en route to a 3-1 NESCAC victory Saturday over Wesleyan inside Chip Kenyon '85 Arena. The Panthers (7-2-1, 5-1) travel to Utica for a 5:00 p.m. game Tuesday, while Wesleyan (4-6, 1-5) hosts Sacred Heart on the same day at 7:00 p.m.   

In the first period, scoring chances were hard to come by for each team. With just under two minutes left, Maddie Winslow gave Middlebury its best opportunity. She collected a puck behind the Wesleyan goal that took a bad carom off the boards, skated behind the goal, but her wraparound attempt was denied by Cardinal goalie Corinne Rivard. Just over a minute later, Wesleyan looked to get on the scoreboard. A cross from right to left onto the stick of Jessica Brennan took a funny hop and bounced right over her blade causing her to miss the open goal.

The second period saw the offensive lines come alive. At the 2:05 mark, Middlebury's Jessica Young tapped in a rebound from the left side of the crease following a shot from the point by Carly Watson and a deflection in front by Emily Fluke. Just over four minutes later at 6:28, Wesleyan evened the score on the power play. Cara Jankowski tipped in a shot headed toward the goal from Laura Wasnick from the right slot.

The Panthers looked to break the 1-1 deadlock on a shot  by Elizabeth Wulf with just under four minutes left in the period, but the point-blank shot was turned away with a pad save by Wesleyan goalie Corinne Rivard. Nearing the final minute of the middle period, Katie Mandigo put the hosts ahead for good on the power play. Mandigo punched in the puck on the doorstep following a shot from the left slot from Janka Hlinka on a pass from Julia Wardwell.

The final stanza saw Middlebury clamp down on the defensive end as the Panthers outshot the Cardinals 9-4. Nearing the midway point of the period and clinging to a 2-1 advantage, a shot by Watson from just inside the blue line was saved but managed to trickle through Rivard's legs and went just wide.

After a Middlebury penalty, Wesleyan went on the power play with 2:48 remaining and pulled Rivard with 1:42 left. Skating 6-on-4, the Cardinals managed no serious threats and were unable to even the contest. Just as the penalty expired, Wardwell scored her first goal on the empty net via a shot from her defensive blue line that lofted and bounced into the Wesleyan empty net.

In the contest, Middlebury held a 24-18 advantage in shots. Panther goalie Madeline Marsh tallied 17 saves in front of the net, while Rivard was credited with 21 for the Cardinals.