The Middlebury men's ice hockey team tallied five goals in Friday's second period and tacked on an empty-net goal late in the third for a 6-2 triumph over Marian. The victory pushes the Panthers to the LayerEight Shootout Championship game on Saturday. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Sabres looked for the first goal with 17:42 left in the opening period. Robert Pizzey rifled a shot from just inside the left faceoff dot that Panther netminder Andrew Heinze snagged with his glove.
• Marian took a 1-0 edge at the 3:47 mark. Jaymes Knee backhanded a pass toward Luca Marcellitti, who fired a one-timer that tipped off the stick of Daunte Fortner and into the back of the net. 
• The visitors continued to pressure Heinze with three shots on target over 17 seconds finishing at the 13:09 mark, but the netminder thwarted each one.
• Jackson Morehouse looked to cash in on a power-play opportunity with 15:18 gone in the stanza, backhanding an attempt that Sabre goaltender Tyler Fromolz smothered to keep it a 1-0 contest after one.
• Middlebury cashed in and knotted the game 1:13 into the second. Dante Palombo rang a shot off the crossbar that bounced off the glass. Sam Amato collected the loose puck and slid a pass that Palombo centered toward Wyatt Pastor who buried it home to tie the contest at one. 
• The Panthers took the lead at the 11:40 mark. With an extra skater due to a Sabre penalty, Morehouse and Jin Lee fired a shot toward Bobby May on the right point, who sailed his attempt over the right shoulder of Fromolz to make it 2-1.
• Marian looked to take the momentum back with less than four minutes remaining in the frame. A Panther turnover led to a point-blank opportunity for Caden Carlson, but Heinze stepped up and corralled the chance. 
• Middlebury continued its relentless pressure, extending its lead with 2:40 showing on the clock. Andrew Seaman poked away a pass deep in Marian's end, leaving him one-on-one with Fromolzand finished just inside the left pipe for a 3-1 contest.
• Middlebury extended its lead late in the stanza, as Christian Wood scored 35 seconds later and Pastor tallied a goal with 28 seconds left to make the score 5-1 heading into the third period. 
• The Sabres made it a 5-2 contest at 1:30 of the final stanza on a 3-on-2 opportunity. Knee lifted a centering pass to Fortner, who ticked his attempt off the bar and in. 
• Marian had a chance to trim the deficit with a power play at the 12:13 mark. Middlebury's defense rose to the challenge, as both shot attempts were blocked away by Ryan Pineault and Seaman.
• The Panthers capped the scoring with 30 ticks left on an empty-net goal from Jake Oblak to clinch the 6-2 victory. 

NOTES

• Wood earned his first goal in a Panther uniform, while Pastor had two for the first time.
• Palombo tallied a career-best two assists in Friday's triumph and Oblak earned his first multi-point performance.
• Heinze stopped 31 shots en route to the triumph.
• Middlebury and Marian met for the first time in the sport of men's ice hockey.

The Panthers move on to the LayerEight Shootout Championship game, facing Norwich on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. It will be the 162nd overall meeting between the in-state foes. The consolation game features Plattsburgh State and Marian with the puck dropping at 3:30 p.m.