The top-ranked Middlebury women's hockey team used a pair of third-period goals to triumph 2-0 over eighth-ranked Norwich (15-5) on Tuesday evening. With the win, the Panthers improve to 16-0 and remain the only unbeaten team in Division III. Middlebury returns to NESCAC play on Friday when they head to Trinity for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop. 
 
The Panthers had a pair of great scoring chances by Jenna Letterie during the opening stanza. The first came with 6:47 expired when Katie Hargrave sent a pass from the left point to Letterie on the right pipe, but Letterie's one-time bid was thwarted by Cadet netminder Alexa Berg. Just 27 seconds later, Julia Johnson fed the puck to Letterie, this time on the left post, but her tip-in attempt from point-blank range was again denied by Berg. 
 
Letterie had another opportunity just 25 seconds into the middle stanza, but her shot from the slot was denied by a blocker save from Berg. Norwich had back-to-back chances from the doorstep during the seventh minute, but Middlebury goaltender Sophia Merageas denied both. The Panthers nearly scored during the second period with 15:42 elapsed during a power play. Raia Schluter took a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that pinged off the right pipe and trickled down next to the Cadet goalie. Maddie Bayard one-timed the rebound from the slot, but Berg denied the chance to keep the game scoreless. 
 
Middlebury's Alexis Ryan broke the game open midway through the final period when she wristed a shot from the high slot that made its way through traffic and just over the shoulder of Berg for the 1-0 edge. The Panthers added an insurance goal with 12:12 elapsed during a power play. An initial shot by Eva Hendrikson was blocked in front of the goal, but the rebound caused a scramble in front of the net and Hargrave was there to slip the puck past a sprawling Berg for the 2-0 score. Norwich pulled its goalie with 58 seconds remaining, but they were unable to spoil the shutout for Middlebury. 
 
Merageas earned the win in goal with 20 saves, while Berg stopped 44 shots for Norwich.