The ninth-ranked Middlebury women's ice hockey team topped the University of Massachusetts-Boston 3-1 in the first-semester finale for both teams. The Panthers are idle until January 4 when they host Lake Forest College (Ill.) at 7:00 p.m. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Julia Johnson looked to get Middlebury on the board during the seventh minute with back-to-back attempts from the top of the right circle, but both were denied by a strong Beacon defense. 
• The best opportunity for the hosts came with 10:28 elapsed. Ana Gustafson's initial shot from the left dot was thwarted by netminder Sophia Merageas, before Ashley McDonald blocked Emma Webster's one-time rebound attempt. 
• The Panthers had a great chance to score 12:03 into the opening stanza. Delanie Goniwiecha's bid from the top of the circles was denied by goaltender Leah Bosch, but Bosch couldn't hold onto the puck. Goniwiecha sent the rebound on goal, but Bosch recovered in time to deny the chance. 
• UMass-Boston had five shots in the final 47 seconds, but Merageas and Middlebury's blueliners were up to the task and denied each attempt.
• The Panthers came out of the intermission strong, peppering the Beacons with six shots in the opening two minutes. The best attempt came at the 1:24 mark, but Avery McInerny's bid from the slot was blockered away by Bosch.
• Middlebury broke through with 8:21 expired in the middle frame. Jenna Letterie made a move around a defender, but her shot from point-blank range was denied by Bosch. The rebound off of Bosch's pad fell to the skates of McDonald, who put the puck away for the 1-0 edge.
• The Panthers continued their momentum, and nearly doubled their lead during the 16th minute. Selia Coady sent a pass from the right circle to McInerny in the slot, but McInerny's bid was denied by Bosch. Maddie Bayard tried to tuck the rebound inside the pipe, but it sailed just wide. 
• The Beacons knotted the game at the 18:02 mark. Katie Wilbert skated from center ice toward the goal, before wristing a shot from the left dot over the right shoulder of Merageas to make it 1-1.
• Middlebury won the ensuing faceoff, with Johnson grabbing the puck and centering a pass to Jordan Hower. The initial shot by Hower was denied by Bosch, but seconds later Hower skated down the right side and rifled a shot that just pinged off the right pipe and caromed away as the teams headed into the locker room deadlocked at 1-1.
• With 6:43 elapsed in the final period, Claudia Vira rifled a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle, but her attempt was snared by Bosch.
• The Panthers broke through just over two minutes later, taking a 2-1 edge. Caroline Cutter grabbed the loose puck behind the Beacon goal and skated up to the left pipe. Cutter sent a pass to McInerny who one-timed the puck into the net from the doorstep.
• UMass-Boston had its best chance to knot the contest at the 11:30 mark. Allie Reifler chipped the puck up along the right boards before firing a shot from the right dot, but Merageas smothered the attempt.
• The Beacons took a timeout with just under three minutes remaining and pulled their goalie, but Letterie tallied an empty netter to secure the 3-1 victory.

 
NOTES

• During the triumph, McInerny tallied her first career goal.
• Middlebury and UMass-Boston have met 10 times, with the Panthers winning each of those contests.
• The Beacons' goal was the first against Middlebury since 2010, as the Panthers had previously earned five-straight shutouts.