Jessica Young scored two goals Saturday in the third period, turning a 2-1 Middlebury advantage after two periods into a 4-1 lead en route to a 4-2 NESCAC win over Bowdoin in Kenyon Arena. The seventh-ranked Panthers (9-3-3, 5-0-3) take to the road for a league game on Friday at 7:00 p.m. against Hamilton, while the Polar Bears (6-7-1, 3-4-0) host Wesleyan at the same time.

The opening 10 minutes of the contest saw Middlebury have three power-play opportunities with five shots but never did find the back of the net. Following a Polar Bear turnover in their defensive zone, the hosts got on the scoreboard when Anna Van Kula jumped on a loose puck at the blueline, sending a pass to Shanna Hickman, who muscled her way to the front of the net. Hickman poked a shot that trickled through the legs of Bowdoin goalie Lan Crofton for the 1-0 Panther lead at 13:10. The hosts held a 13-4 advantage in shots after 20 minutes.

In the second period, Middlebury nearly doubled its advantage when a shot by Elizabeth Wulf from just inside the right dot hit the pipe at 4:46. The ensuing minutes saw neither team have many scoring opportunities. At 15:24, Bowdoin's Miranda Bell tied the game at 1-1 when she gathered the puck in her defensive zone following a Panther turnover. She skated up the entire right side of the ice, driving toward the crease before poking in a backhanded shot inside the left post for her sixth goal of the winter.

A little more than a minute later, Maureen Greason looked to put the Polar Bears in front when she collected a puck that took a funny bounce off the end boards, but Marisa Dreher thwarted the chance with a nifty glove save.

The Panthers kept the offensive pressure up in the final minute of the middle period. Janka Hlinka pivoted toward the goal from behind the net, centering the puck toward the net that Maddie Winslow tipped between Crofton's legs for the score. The tally was Winslow's team-leading eighth and third in the last two games.

The final period saw Middlebury gain some breathing room at 7:48 when Young stuffed home a loose puck from the edge of the crease for the eventual game-winning score after Crofton saved an attempt by Winslow on the doorstep. The Panther defense held Bowdoin without a shot on goal for a little more than 14 minutes to start the period.

Young added an insurance tally for a 4-1 edge at 16:06 when she intercepted a crossing pass at the Bowdoin blueline, skated in and lifted a wrister over Crofton's left shoulder. With 21 ticks remaining, Jessica Bowen tallied Bowdoin's second goal when she redirected a rebound in for her third goal of the season.

The Panthers held a 32-14 advantage in shots on goal, as Crofton had 28 saves and Dreher was credited with 12 stops.