Middlebury advanced to the NESCAC semifinal round for the 16th time in 17 years after a 5-0 win over Wesleyan (6-15-4) in a quarterfinal game in Kenyon Arena on Saturday. The Panthers (18-4-3) will host the semifinals and final next weekend, facing Bowdoin at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 3. Connecticut College will meet Amherst in the other semifinal game at 4:00 p.m. The winners meet on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. for the NESCAC Championship.

Middlebury got on the board first, scoring a shorthanded goal 4:32 into the contest. After a puck was mishandled at the right point, Maddie Winslow pounced on the puck and feed it to Jessica Young, who carried it down the ice. Young moved into the right circle before returning a pass to Winslow for a quick one-timer in front. The Panthers nearly went up 2-0 7:50 into the period, but Sidney Portner's bid hit the post.

Middlebury's first goal of the second period came at the 3:47 mark when Ellie Barney broke in from the left wing before scoring with a short-side shot. Madie Leidt made it a 3-0 game with a blast from the top of the zone on the power play after taking a pass from Haley LaFontaine at 8:26. The lead continued to grow when Portner capitalized on a rebound just over three minutes later, scoring after Young's shot had been saved. The Panthers struck again just after a Wesleyan power play had expired when Leidt took a pass from Winslow before snapping a shot home off the back crossbar.

Neither team scored in the third period as Leidt's bid for a hat trick at the 8:40 mark hit the crossbar.

Middlebury finished with a 36-10 advantage in shots, as Lin Han became the third goalie to defeat Wesleyan this season, making 10 stops for her sixth shutout of the season. Allegra Grant (31 min, 4 GA, 14 saves) and Sam Smith (29 min., 1 GA, 17 saves) both saw time in the Cardinal net.