The Middlebury men's lacrosse team fought back from an early 4-1 deficit on its way to a 21-15 victory Sunday over sixth-ranked Bowdoin in the season opener for both teams. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Polar Bears raced out to a 4-1 lead just 5:42 into the first quarter, as Oliver Bernstein capped the run with a man-up goal that tucked inside the left post.
• The Panthers rattled off six-straight goals over the next 8:28 for a 7-4 advantage, including a tally by Luke Simpson who carried the ball nearly the length of the field before scoring.
• Bowdoin cut the deficit to 7-5 just 35 seconds later when Bernstein picked up a loose ball just outside the crease and fired the ball into the net.
• The Panthers tallied three times over a span of 1:27, with the final goal of the spurt coming from Tom Conley who drove from behind the goal and fired a shot over his shoulder for the 10-5 lead.
• Polar Bear Patrick Fitzgerald just beat the shot clock with a bouncer with 1:24 left before halftime, but Finn Muldoon scored on a quick-stick tally to push the Middlebury lead to five (11-6) at the half.
• The hosts rode that momentum into the third quarter with six-consecutive goals, including a pair from Russell Thorndike, for a 17-6 advantage with 6:40 left in the stanza.
• Bowdoin recorded the ensuing three goals, including a pair from Fitzgerald, to move to within eight (17-9) before an underhanded shot by Middlebury's Patrick Jamin in the final minute increased the advantage to 18-9 headed to the fourth quarter.
• Goals by Panthers William Ryan and an underhanded rope from Conley sandwiched around a tally by Bowdoin's Will Byrne made the score 20-10 with 11:30 remaining.
• The Polar Bears increased their pressure, posting five of the next six goals with four man-up tallies to cut the deficit to six (21-15) with 4:21 left. Sam Raye-Steiner capped the run when he received a stick-to-stick pass and found the upper-left corner.
• The Panthers maintained possession for the majority of the final minutes and eased to the 21-15 victory.

NOTES

• Conley tied his career high with four goals to go along with three assists in the victory to lead the Panthers.
• William Munroe was 22-39 at the faceoff dot, finishing with a game-best 12 groundballs.
• Hayden Kern finished with 17 saves, including 10 in the second half, in his first start in the Panther goal. 
• Middlebury and Bowdoin met for the 53rd time in the all-time series with the Panthers possessing a 35-18 advantage.