Fifth-ranked Middlebury scored three times in the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie, as the Panthers opened the season with a 4-1 NESCAC road victory at Trinity on Friday. Middlebury (1-0-0, 1-0-0) and the Bantams (0-1-0, 0-1-0) complete their two-game set Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

The teams skated through a scoreless opening 20 minutes, with Middlebury's defense turning in a solid effort. The Panthers allowed only two shots in the period and both came in the final two minutes. Middlebury's best chance to score came with 3:30 left in the stanza, as Katherine Jackson slid a shot from the left edge of the crease behind Bantam goalie Kai-Lilly Karpman, but wide of the near post.

The hosts broke through the first goal of the game at the 6:09 mark of the second period, as Olivia White had her centering pass from behind the net hit off the skate of Middlebury goalie Lin Han for a 1-0 lead.

Middlebury pressed for the equalizer when Madie Leidt whistled a shot wide on a 2-on-1 and Karpman followed that bid up with back-to-back saves on Katarina Shuchuk from close range. The Panthers tied the game with 6:26 showing on the clock, as Meghan Keating deflected a shot by Alexis Ryan into the net for her first career score.

The visitors pulled ahead in the final period, scoring two goals 3:41 apart for their first lead of the contest. Katie Hargrave netted her first collegiate goal with a nice tip-in by the right post on a feed from Leidt, while Shuchuk took advantage of a miscommunication, poking a sliding puck past Karpman.

The Panthers made it a three-goal difference with 12:22 expired, as Jenna Marotta's shot from the point found its way through traffic into the net for her first tally of the season to close out the scoring.            

Han made 13 saves for the win in goal for Middlebury, while Karpman had 34 stops for the Bantams. The Panthers held a 38-14 advantage in shots, while going 1-6 on the power play and went a perfect 3-3 on the penalty kill.