Playing its first game in nearly a month, the top-ranked Middlebury women's hockey team showed no signs of the layoff, skating to an 8-0 home triumph over UMass Boston on Monday. The Panthers (8-0) are home again on Saturday, facing #10 Endicott at 4:00 p.m., while the Beacons (4-7) head to Plymouth State for a 6:00 p.m. contest on Friday.

Middlebury didn't waste any time getting on the board, scoring on the game's initial shift. Madie Leidt took a feed from Mary Thompson on the right side and her shot found the top-left corner of the net with only 31 seconds expired. The Panthers doubled their advantage with 12:48 on the clock, as Kylie Quinlan knocked in a rebound off a shot by Eva Hendrikson. The hosts closed out the scoring in the first frame when Cat Appleyard wristed a shot from the right circle past Beacon goalie Victoria Kennedy at the 13:51 mark.

UMass Boston had a scoring chance late in the opening period on a power play, as Rachael Burum tipped a shot in front that Middlebury goalie Caroline Silk denied.

The hosts struck for four more goals in the middle stanza. Ellie Barney made it 4-0 with a shot through the pads of Kennedy from the right side 2:02 into the period. Hendrikson increased the difference to 5-0 just over three minutes later, striding into a blistering shot from the point that found the top-left corner of the net. Leidt picked up two markers in the final 4:26, with the latter tally her 100th career point as a Panther. The score also completed her second hat trick of the season, as she now boasts 54 goals and 46 assists in 90 career games.

In the final 20 minutes, Middlebury added an additional goal, as Thompson picked up her first collegiate tally with a shot from the slot. Sabrina Kim set up the score by intercepting a Beacon pass in the attacking zone. UMass Boston had a chance to spoil the shutout with less than eight minutes remaining, but Liz Kramp's bid from point-blank range was thwarted by Elinor Keehn.

Silk (40:00) finished with nine saves and Keehn (20:00) stopped all seven shots she faced in the final period, as the Panthers recorded their fifth shutout of the season. Romy Thibeault (34:25) recorded 16 saves and Kennedy (25:35) had eight stops for the visitors.