Middlebury opened the 2021-22 season with a 2-0 victory, as the Panthers kicked off a two-game NESCAC series against Connecticut College on Friday night in Kenyon Arena. Second-ranked Middlebury (1-0-0 1-0-0) and the Camels (0-1-0, 0-1-0) conclude their weekend set on Saturday with a 3:00 p.m. faceoff.

The Panthers had the jump on Connecticut College early, nearly opened the scoring on the season's initial shift. Madie Leidt fired a shot from the bottom of the right circle that clanged off the near post. Middlebury got on the board with 11:38 showing on the clock, as Raia Schluter knocked in a rebound from the slot for her first collegiate tally.  Sabrina Kim had the original shot that Connecticut College goalie Abby Wieczorek stopped, before Schluter put the hosts in front.

In the second stanza, the Panthers doubled their lead with 7:23 expired. Leidt centered a pass to the front of the net, where Katie Hargrave one-timed a shot over Wieczorek. The goal came seconds after Leidt was robbed glove save by Wieczorek on a bid from the slot.

After not facing a shot in the opening 20 minutes, Panther goalie Caroline Silk came up big with several key stops while the Camels had two power plays in the middle frame.

There was no scoring in the third period, but the Panthers rang a pair of shots off the pipe. Schluter hit the left post after circling the near side of the net with a low shot with four minutes expired, while Hargrave had the same result minutes later on a rush up the left side.

Silk earned her first collegiate shutout, making 10 saves, while Wieczorek stopped 42-44 for the Camels.

Each team went 4-0 on the power play.