The #2 Middlebury women's ice hockey team came from behind to edge #7 Utica 2-1 in its final game of the semester. Cat Appleyard scored in the third period to extend the Panther's unbeaten streak to 8-0-0. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury had a good chance to jump on the scoreboard with 3:48 expired. Callia Ferraris skated into the offensive zone with a head of steam and sent a cross-ice pass to Jordan Hower, whose one timer skidded just wide left.
• With nearly 12 minutes gone, Olivia Gordon fired a point-blank attempt that goalie Angela Hawthorne turned aside. The rebound came out to the left pipe, but the Pioneers were able to clear it away.
• Utica struck first, taking advantage of the game's initial power-play. Riley Calhoun redirected a blast by Autumn Mish from the top of the left faceoff circle into the right side for the 1-0 edge at the 16:32 mark.
• Middlebury responded less than a minute later to knot the contest at 1-1. Maeve McAdams grabbed the loose puck during a scramble in the offensive zone and Avery McInerny one-timed McAdams' pass from across the circles and into the goal.
• With 49 ticks left on the first-period clock, Sabrina Kim sent a screamer from the right dot during a power-play, but the puck pinged off the crossbar as the teams skated into the intermission deadlocked.
• The Panthers looked for the equalizer at the 11:30 mark of the second frame. Selia Coady wrapped around the goal, but her shot from the doorstep was thwarted by Hawthorne. Kylie Quinlan was right there, and tried to muscle a trio of shots into the goal, but Hawthorne sprawled out to deny all chances.
• Less than a minute later, the Pioneers threatened to take the lead, but a wrister from Jordan Kowalski from between the circles was thwarted by netminder Sophia Merageas.
• Britt Nawrocki nearly tallied the game-winner with an extra skater on a a bid that rang off the left pipe with 2:43 left in the middle stanza. 
• Middlebury came out of the intermission strong, looking to score with 2:59 elapsed with an extra skater. Kim worked the puck around the net and sent a pass to Kate Flynn whose bid from the doorstep was denied by Hawthorne.
• The Panthers tallied the golden goal at the 8:17 mark. Ferraris dug the puck out from the boards following a scramble among several players and found McManus at the top of the circles just inside the blue line. She wound up and lifted a rising shot that was tipped by Appleyard under the crossbar for the 2-1 edge.
• McInerny looked to give Middlebury some breathing room with 6:35 remaining in the contest. Flynn made a move around a Utica defender and sent a cross-ice pass to McInerny, but her point-blank opportunity was stifled by Hawthorne.
• The Pioneers took a timeout with 2:46 remaining, but were unable to maintain possession long enough to pull their goalie, as the Panthers secured the 2-1 triumph.

NOTES

• Appleyard's tally was her 30th in the blue and white and the ninth game-winner of her career.
• The last time the program finished first-semester with an unbeaten record was during the 2021-22 season when Middlebury claimed the NCAA Championship with a 27-0-0 mark.
• The Panthers and NESCAC foes #3 Amherst and Bowdoin are the only undefeated teams left in Division III.
• Middlebury has not allowed more than one goal in a single game this season while outsourcing opponents 29-5 through eight contests.
• The Panthers and Utica played for the 13th time with Middlebury claiming each matchup. 

The squad is idle during winter break, returning to action on January 3 with a 5:00 p.m. puck drop at Endicott.