The fifth-ranked Panther women's ice hockey team scored in the first period, and held off #15 Endicott for a 1-0 victory. For the fifth-straight year, Middlebury advances to the championship game of the Panther/Cardinal classic and takes on the winner of #4 Plattsburgh State and #9 Wisconsin-Eau Claire at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.  
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• With 11:41 showing on the clock, Middlebury looked to get on the board when Kylie Quinlan tipped an initial blast by Sabrina Kim, but the close-range attempt was denied by the stick of Gulls' goalie Casey Moritz.
• The Panthers had a great chance to score during a power play with just over seven minutes left in the stanza. Jordan Hower redirected an initial shot by Kim from just inside the blueline, but Hower's bid hit the crossbar and careened away. 
• Middlebury broke through at the 16:02 mark of the opening period. After a scramble on the boards near the visiting bench, Avery McInerny and Quinlan gathered the puck and chipped it up toward Britt Nawrocki who slotted her breakaway bid through the five hole for the 1-0 edge.
• With 1:35 elapsed in the middle frame, Hower had another great chance to score, but her one-timer on a centering pass from Quinlan hit the left pipe and Moritz smothered the puck to deny a rebound attempt.
• During the fifth minute, Endicott had back-to-back opportunities to score from the slot, but both were denied by goalie Sophia Will, including a sprawling save on the second attempt.
• With 4:08 remaining, MacKenzie Graham skated into the Gulls offensive zone with a head full of steam, rifling a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle. Will got her stick on the puck that looked destined for the far corner, preserving Middlebury's one-tally edge.
• Endicott's best chance for the equalizer came with 13:41 left in the final period. Teaghan Hall's shot from the left dot trickled across the crease, but Cece Ziegler was able to clear the puck just before it crossed the goal line.
• Middlebury looked to double its advantage at the 8:36 mark. Quinlan sent a pass from behind the goal to Nawrocki, but Nawrocki's one-time bid from the doorstep was thwarted by Mortiz. 
• The Gulls pulled their netminder and had a pair of chances with less than a minute remaining, but Will stopped both attempts to secure the 1-0 triumph for the Panthers. 

NOTES

• This marks the 18th year of the Panther/Cardinal Classic, a tournament hosted every other year by Middlebury and Plattsburgh State.
• The Panthers are looking for their third title in four years, having most recently won in 2021. 
• The programs met for the 10th time with Middlebury owning a 9-0-1 record in the all-time series.

The consolation game begins at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, with the title tilt starting at 5:00 p.m.