The top-ranked Middlebury women's lacrosse team (12-0, 7-0) triumphed 16-7 over #12 Hamilton (5-3, 3-3) on Sunday. The Panthers extended their winning streak to 37-straight victories and 19-consecutive victories on Kohn Field. Middlebury has its final regular-season home game on Saturday when it hosts the only other unbeaten team in conference play, #5 Colby, for Senior Day at noon.
 
The Continentals struck with just 12 seconds elapsed when Eva Abel found the upper-right corner of the goal for the 1-0 edge. Erin Nicholas got the Panthers on the board less than two minutes later, before Hope Shue tallied two-straight goals for the 3-1 edge. Abel brought Hamilton within one with 4:51 showing on the clock when she picked up a groundball after a turnover, raced down the field and found the lower-left corner of the net. 
 
Middlebury found its rhythm in the second quarter, tallying five-consecutive markers. Kelcey Dion got things going when she faked a defender and buried the ball in the goal, before Susan Rowley bounced in a free-position attempt for the 5-2 lead. Shue converted a free-position chance during an extra-player situation, before Grace Getman scored with an assist from Earley. With just under four minutes remaining in the half, Earley notched her 100th career goal with a bouncing free-position marker for the 8-2 advantage. Abel deked a defender and scored to complete her hat trick, making it 8-3 at the break.
 
Shue carried the momentum into the second half, scoring with 12:13 left on the clock in the third quarter. Earley, Shue and Dion tallied free-position markers to put Middlebury up 12-3. Earley lifted the ball over Hamilton goalie Maeve Luparello's shoulder while a player up, Shue scored through the five hole and Dion tucked the ball inside the right pipe. Shue added another tally to extend the Panther lead to double digits (13-3). The Continentals broke up the scoring frenzy with just 0.1 second left on the clock in the third stanza when Abel buried the ball in the upper left corner to make it 13-4. 
 
The teams exchanged the first three goals of the final frame, before Hamilton scored back-to-back markers to cut the deficit to eight (15-7). Lily Riseberg converted a free-position tally with 1:25 remaining for the 16-7 victory. 
 
Gina Driscoll earned her first win in goal for Middlebury, making three saves over 50:41 of action. Luparello and Kaitlin Reed split time in goal, each making four stops for the Continentals. 
 
Shue led all players with a career-high seven goals. Earley had four points (3G, 1A), while Riseberg had three (1G, 2A). Madison Paylor scooped up a game-high four goundballs and paced all players with four caused turnovers, while Erica Barr won a game-best eight draw controls.
 
Abel paced Hamilton, accounting for five of the six goals in the game, while causing a pair of turnovers and scooping up two rollers.