The second-ranked Middlebury women's lacrosse team (20-1) earned a trip to the NCAA Semifinals for the third-straight season, as the Panthers dispatched of eighth-ranked Colby 12-2 on Kohn Field. The hosts will square off against #4 Gettysburg on May 28 in Salem, Virginia, with a trip to the national championship on the line. The other semifinal matchup features #7 The College of New Jersey and #3 Tufts. The Mules finish their season with a 16-4 record.
The Panthers jumped on the scoreboard just 55 seconds into Sunday's contest when Erin Nicholas fired the ball into the upper-right corner on a nifty pass from Grace Getman. The Mules tied the game (1-1) with 11:20 left in the first quarter when Cami McDonald collected a groundball just outside the crease and fired the ball into the right side of the net. The hosts regained the lead for good when Jane Earley dodged her defender and ripped a shot into the upper-right corner with 7:50 on the clock.
The Panther defense held the Mules without a goal for a span of 44:48 covering the second, third and fourth quarters. Middlebury increased its lead to 3-1 on a quick-stick score from Anna Spehr at 13:28 of the second quarter, while Hope Shue made it 4-1 just over three minutes later on a pass from Spehr. Goals by Susan Rowley on a great individual effort and Shue in the waning minutes sent Middlebury into halftime up 6-1.
Nicholas put her second goal of the contest into the left side of the Colby net at 12:40, while Earley pushed the advantage to 8-1 on a dodge from the right side six minutes later. Kelcey Dion picked up a groundball on a rebound and scored, while Shue worked her way from left to right and tallied for a 10-1 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
Colby's Grace Toner recorded the second goal for the visitors when she picked up a loose ball and scored with 11:32 on the clock making it a 10-2 game. Shue answered three minutes later, cutting to the goal for her fourth tally of the contest. Niki Mormile capped the offensive output for the Panthers, driving from the right and tucking the ball just under the crossbar with 5:15 remaining for the final 12-2 triumph.
Shue paced the Panther offense with four goals to give her 52 on the season, while Earley added two scores and an assist to go along with five draw controls. Nicholas finished with a pair of goals, while Maggie Coughlin added two helpers. Annie Enrietto (14-0) had a huge day between the pipes for the Panthers, posting 11 saves with seven in the fourth quarter.
Toner and McDonald each had a goal for Colby, while Eliza Dean collected three draw controls and Tess Krensky scooped up four groundballs. Emily Podgorni (13-4) collected seven saves and took the loss in goal for the Mules.
The Panthers set a single-season record on Sunday with their 12 goals, giving them 334 as a team. That mark eclipses the previous total of 330 set in 2019. Middlebury entered the weekend with Division III's fifth-best defense (6.26 goals per game) and surrendered a combined six goals during the two victories in the regional round.
