The top-seeded Middlebury women's hockey captured its 11th NESCAC Championship, as the Panthers skated to a 2-0 triumph over visiting Amherst on Sunday in Kenyon Arena. With the win, Middlebury (24-0-0) earned the conference's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament and will host Endicott on Saturday at 3:00 pm. The third-seeded Mammoths finished their season at 14-9-2.

The Panthers tied the program record for consecutive victories at 24, a mark set over parts of the 2004-05 season and 2005-06 seasons.

Middlebury and Amherst are not strangers when it comes to meeting in the NESCAC Championship. This was the ninth meeting with the Panthers winning seven times. 

The hosts nearly opened the scoring on the second shift of the contest, as Cat Appleyard broke in alone on Mammoth goalie Caitlin Walker from the right side. Appleyard deked Walker, but her bid was denied. Amherst's best opportunity came with just over five minutes left in the frame, as Angelina Wiater was thwarted by Middlebury goalie Sophia Merageas on a partial breakaway, while Rylee Glennon slid the rebound wide. The hosts had one last chance before the intermission when Madie Leidt set up Katie Hargrave for a deflection in front that Walker kicked out with her left pad.

In the second stanza, Middlebury took a 1-0 edge at the 9:43 mark just after a power play had expired. Raia Schluter sent the puck to the point and Claudia Vira ripped a shot through the legs of Walker for her sixth goal of the season. The Panthers had another player advantage later in the period, but Walker made a quality glove save on a one-timer by Leidt through traffic. The hosts spent most of the frame in the Amherst end of the ice holding a 14-2 advantage in shots.

Early in the final period, the Mammoths had a good opportunity to pull even as Wiater skated into the Middlebury zone and fired a shot from the top of the circles. Merageas was up to the task, steering the attempt to the corner with her right pad. The Panthers added an insurance goal with 6:08 remaining on a nice passing play in transition. Jenna Letterie fed Leidt who carried the puck into the Amherst zone, before setting up Hargrave for a redirection at the top of the paint for her ninth tally of the season.

Middlebury's defense killed off a late Amherst power play that included a 6-on-4 advantage for 43 seconds. The Panthers had a power play in the final 1:55 of the contest, maintaining possession for that time and preventing the Mammoths from getting Walker to the bench for the extra skater and securing the 2-0 win.

Merageas stopped all 13 shots she faced for her fifth shutout of the season. Walker was busy making 36 saves for Amherst, as Middlebury had a decisive 38-13 advantage in shots.