The sixth-ranked Middlebury women's hockey team scored Friday's last two goals, including an empty-net tally, for a 4-2 NESCAC victory over Bowdoin. The teams return to the Chip Kenyon '85 Arena on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. to complete the weekend series.  
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Polar Bears controlled the puck in their offensive zone early on with the best chance to score coming at the 3:08 mark. Jane McCarter floated a knuckling shot from just inside the blueline that Panther goalie Sophia Merageas saved using her body.
• Middlebury scored the game's first goal with 7:30 expired. Cece Ziegler sent a stick-to-stick pass to a rushing Jordan Hower who had a head of steam entering the zone. Hower deked to her left, firing a shot that hit the left pipe and caromed into the net to make it 1-0.
• The Panthers looked to score again with 3:35 left, but Claudia Vira's blast from inside the blueline was saved by the right shoulder of Bowdoin netminder Dani Marquez.
• The Polar Bears threatened to knot the contest on back-to-back bids from Emma Merrill in the final minute, but Merageas stopped both chances to maintain Middlebury's one-goal lead.
• The hosts nearly took a two-goal advantage five minutes into the second period, but Jenna Letterie's chance from just outside the crease was denied by Marquez.
• Bowdoin leveled the contest at 1-1 with 16:34 expired in the stanza. Kathryn Kester won a battle in front of the Middlebury bench, sending the puck to Allison Britt who snuck a wrister inside the right post.
• The Panthers regained the lead 2:18 later, as Zoe Pincelli sent a pass from behind the goal to Sabrina Kim who tapped the puck past Marquez for a 2-1 edge.
• Middlebury produced a quality scoring chance 5:30 into the third period, but Caroline Cutter's shot from between the circles was padded away by a sprawling Marquez.
• Bowdoin tied the game (2-2) near the end of a power-play opportunity with 11:40 expired. Britt collected a loose puck in front of the Panther net, poking it into the goal for her second of the game.
• Middlebury answered with a goal 1:38 later, as Britt Nawrocki ripped a wrist shot from the right dot that tucked inside the right pipe for a 3-2 advantage.
• After a timeout, the Polar Bears pulled Marquez in favor of an extra skater but the Panther defense didn't allow a shot.
• Kim added an empty-net goal with 20.8 seconds left, winning possession of the puck in front of the Polar Bear bench and firing a shot from near center ice for the final 4-2 score.

NOTES

• Kim's career-high two goals mark the first multi-score game as a Panther.
• Letterie picked up her ninth assist, tying her for second in the NESCAC.
• Nawrocki's goal gives her a point in six-straight games.
• Middlebury and Bowdoin played for the 76th time with the Panthers owning a 54-16-6 advantage. Middlebury has won the last five contests and 10 of the last 11.