Third-ranked Middlebury scored one goal in each period en route to a 3-1 victory over Wisconsin-Stevens Point (5-4-1) during the final game of the Panther/Cardinal Classic in Kenyon Arena. The Panthers (3-1) return to action on Friday at 7:00 p.m. when they host a two-game weekend NESCAC set with Connecticut College.          

Middlebury got on the board first at 4:13 when Jessica Young stuffed home a pass from Janka Hlinka who drove in from the right side. Just 22 seconds later, the Pointers tied the game at 1-1 with a shot from the left side by Emily Lester on a stick-to-stick pass from Katherine Nejedlo. Just past the 15-minute mark of the period, Wisconsin-Stevens Point looked to take the lead on back-to-back shots by Maddie Schlossmacher and Rachel Reynard, but the scoring chances were turned away by Middlebury goalie Julia Neuburger.

Just over two minutes into the middle period, Maddie Winslow dug the puck out of the corner, drove in toward the Pointer goal and sent a cross to Shanna Hickman. Her shot slowly trickled over the goal line on the far post for her first career goal and a 2-1 Middlebury advantage. At 12:29, a shot by Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Hailey Rock from near center ice knuckled and hit the crossbar of the Panther goal but caromed harmlessly away.

The Panthers had a scoring chance at 16:23, just after the conclusion of their own power play. Elizabeth Wulf charged toward the goal and had a shot from the doorstep saved by Pointer goalie Sydney Conley. The Panthers nearly doubled their lead as a lifted shot by Winslow, who skated in on the break at 17:29, hit the crossbar and rolled up and over the goal, sending the Panthers to the final 20 minutes with a 2-1 advantage.

Scoring chances were hard to come by during the first 10 minutes of the third period. Skating 4-on-4 because of matching minor penalties, Middlebury's Carly Watson nearly put the Panthers up by two at 10:56, but her shot from the left wing hit the near post. The Pointers had an opportunity to tie the game when a backhanded shot by Ali Biagini at 14:22 was stopped via a pad save from Neuburger.

The Panthers gained some breathing room on the power play when Winslow wristed a shot to the far post from the right side with assists from Katie Mandigo and Watson. The Pointers pulled Conley at the 17:39 mark in favor of an extra attacker but were unable to score.

Middlebury finished with a 29-21 advantage in shots as Neuburger recorded 20 saves, while Conley was credited with 26 stops. The Panthers went 1-7 on the power play, while the Pointers were 0-5 on their opportunities.