Emily Fluke tallied a four-point game, including a hat trick, lifting the fourth-ranked Middlebury women's hockey team to a 7-1 win over Potsdam State Tuesday in non-conference action in Kenyon Arena. The Panthers (11-2-3) return to the ice this weekend when they host Hamilton on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday at 3:00 p.m., while Potsdam State (7-10-1) plays at St. Michael's on Friday at 4:00 p.m. 

On a faceoff at the 6:42 mark of the opening period, Fluke won it back to Janka Hlinka. She worked the puck down along the right boards and behind the goal. With a Bear defender approaching, Hlinka made a perfect pass to the tape of Jessica Young, who was positioned just outside the crease. Young put a shot on goal that was saved by Potsdam State goalie Abby Tardelli, but Young put the rebound into the back of the net.

A little over 10 minutes later, Anna Van Kula put the Panthers ahead by two when she collected a rebound outside the crease at 16:46. An initial shot from the right point by Hannah Bielawski was saved, but Van Kula pounced on the puck and put it into the upper right corner. The hosts added their third goal of the period 44 seconds later. Bielawski's shot from just inside the blue line was blocked, but her second shot's rebound found the stick of Fluke, whose spinning attempt from outside the crease found the net.

In the second period, Elizabeth Wulf gave Middlebury a 4-0 lead at the 8:25 mark. Following a turnover in the defensive zone for Potsdam State, Carly Watson collected the loose puck along the boards and sent a shot from the left point into the crease. Wulf jammed at the puck in the crease twice before lifting the third attempt into the top of the net over Tardelli.

With exactly 1:00 left in the middle period, Alison Greene got the Bears on the scoreboard. Izzy Fayerman shot a knuckling puck into the pads of Marisa Dreher. Greene quickly jumped on the loose puck and lifted over the sprawled out Panther goalie for the score.

In the third, Fluke added Middlebury's fifth and sixth goals at 1:05 and 16:08 to complete her hat trick. Kelly Sherman added the Panthers' seventh goal at 17:34 for the final score.

Fluke's hat trick was the second of her career, as she recorded a three-goal output on February 3, 2013 against Connecticut College. Hlinka finished with a season-high four assists in the victory.

For the contest, Middlebury held a 52-12 advantage in shots. Dreher tallied nine saves in 49:38 of action allowing one goal, while Julia Neuburger recorded a pair of saves in her first collegiate action. Tardelli was credited with 45 stops for the Bears.