The fifth-ranked Middlebury women's ice hockey team outshot #2 Amherst 14-5 during the opening period of play, but the Mammoths came away with the 4-0 victory. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers had a great chance to jump on the scoreboard with 2:16 expired. Delanie Goniwiecha darted into the offensive zone and rifled a shot from the right dot that caused goalie Natalie Stott to split her legs, barely kicking away the attempt.
• Middlebury nearly scored at the 11:21 mark when Raia Schluter and two other Panthers skated three-on-one into the offensive zone, but a sprawling Stott met Schluter's attempt.
• The Mammoths took a 1-0 edge with less than two minutes remaining in the opening stanza. Maeve Reynolds stole the puck from a Middlebury player in its attacking area, and skated across the blueline with a head full of steam, before going bar down for the shorthanded tally.
• Kate Flynn threatened for the equalizer at the 5:43 mark of the middle frame. Flynn's initial shot from the high slot caused a scramble in front of the goalmouth, but Stott finally came up with the puck.
• Amherst made it 2-0 with 8:10 expired during a power play. An initial bid by Gretchen Dann from the top of the right faceoff circle was blocked by Cece Ziegler, but the puck took an awkward bounce and Jayna Park was on hand to shovel the rebound into the net.
• The Mammoths increased their advantage just over two minutes later. An initial shot by Kelsey Stewart from the top of the right faceoff circle trickled through traffic and was denied by Will. Marie-Eve Marleau poked the rebound from the right pipe to the left side of the crease where Park was there to slip the puck into the goal for the 3-0 lead.
• With just under five minutes remaining in the period, Nawrocki sent a nice wrister from the top of the left circle, but Stott snagged the puck with a glove save to preserve the three-goal advantage heading into the break.
• Amherst concluded the scoring with 3:21 elapsed in the final stanza. Alyssa Xu passed the puck from behind the goal to Rylee Glennon whose one-timer found nylon for the 4-0 lead.
• With 5:22 left in the game, Middlebury nearly spoiled the shutout for the Mammoths when Avery McInerny poked a loose puck into the goal after a scramble in front, but the officials called off the goal and Amherst earned the 4-0 win. 

NOTES

• The Panthers and the Mammoths played for the 64th time.

Middlebury will attempt to split the series with Amherst when the teams play on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.