The top-seeded Middlebury women's lacrosse team (17-0) downed fourth-seeded Wesleyan 16-6 in NESCAC Semifinal action on Saturday. With the win, the Panthers advance to the conference championship for the 13th time and are seeking their 11th title. They will take on the winner of the second semifinal between Colby and Tufts at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. Middlebury improved its winning streak to 42 straight victories and 22 consecutive on Kohn Field, while the Cardinals fall to 13-4 on the season. The win also marked the 100th victory at Middlebury for head coach Kate Livesay.
 
Wesleyan netted the game's initial goal with 11:12 showing on the clock in the opening quarter when Olivia Lai snuck a quick-stick goal into the net. Middlebury responded with six-straight tallies to close out the first stanza. Jane Earley struck first with just seven seconds left on the shot clock, twirling around a defender on the right side, before firing the ball inside the left panel to make it 1-1. With just under five minutes remaining, Earley tucked a low sidearm shot into the goal. Grace Getman made it 3-1 when she spun around a Cardinal defender and slipped the ball into the bottom-right corner, before Earley notched a hat trick to make it 4-1. Hope Shue converted a free-position attempt during an extra-player situation with 2:09 left. Kelcey Dion caused a turnover, before Susan Rowley scooped up the loose ball, sprinted down the field and scored for the 6-1 lead after one quarter of action.
 
The Panthers made it 7-1 with 12:05 showing on the clock in the second when Erin Nicholas scored with a player advantage. The Cardinals answered, peppering Middlebury goalie Gina Driscoll with several shots before Lai broke through with a goal at the 6:19 mark. The Panthers tallied the final-four markers of the half. Earley converted a free-position shot, Niki Mormile found the goal sandwiched between a pair of defenders, Lily Riseberg snuck the ball inside the left pipe and Shue scored on a nifty pass by Maggie Coughlin for an 11-2 advantage at the intermission. 
 
Dion forced running time with a quick stick goal early in the third, increasing the lead to 12-2. Wesleyan responded when Laura Baine connected with a pass over the goal from Kendall Mittleman. The Panthers closed out the quarter with goals from Nicholas and Earley for the 14-3 lead. 
 
Lai got things going for Wesleyan in the fourth stanza, completing a hat trick with a low sidearm shot with just over a minute expired. Chessy Greenwald cut the deficit to single digits (14-5) with a free-position marker two minutes later. Riseberg and Coughlin each scored for Middlebury in the final 10 minutes, before Cardinal Molly Greer converted a free position for the 16-6 final in favor of the Panthers. 
 
Driscoll was phenomenal in goal for Middlebury, making a career-high 12 saves during the win. Abby Wolk had five stops during the opening 26:31, while Corin Grady stopped one shot for Wesleyan.
 
Earley led all players with six points (5G, 1A) and tied her season-best with nine draw controls. Nicholas and Riseberg each had a pair of goals and an assist for the Panthers. 
 
Lai paced the Cardinals with three goals, while Mittleman had a trio of assists and Gil Horst had four draw controls.