After 80 minutes of scoreless action, the 10th-ranked Middlebury field hockey team outlasted #16 Williams in a 1-0 shootout victory on Saturday.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers created their first chance with 3:41 gone in the initial session. Emma McNealy received a feed from Addie Chandler in the circle and flipped a bid toward the right side of the cage that Eph goalie Ellie Smith stopped with her left blocker.
• Another opportunity came on the visitors' first penalty corner of the evening with 6:37 to play in the first quarter. Grace Keefe dealt a quick feed to Megan Fuqua, who dialed up an attempt that hopped just wide of the right post.
• The hosts found the second stanza's lone shot on goal with 19:15 expired. Keira Harder drove to the left post and tapped a bid towards the goal that Middlebury goalie Izzy Redzic slid over to deny to keep the battle scoreless at the break.
• After nearly 10 minutes without a shot, Williams drew its first penalty corner with 20:17 remaining in the contest. Kiki Higgins carved a path to the cage and fired a bid off the chest of Redzic. Higgins tried a rebound shot, but the junior goalie turned it away with her stick.
• The Panthers' final chance of regulation came with 58:32 gone during the squad's eighth penalty corner. Tessa Herbst sent a dart to the center of the cage that Smith kicked away for the save.
• Redzic was tested and answered the call early in the first overtime. Claire Colvin charged toward the left post and sent a quick shot that Redzic knocked away at the 61:48 mark.
• The Ephs applied pressure with 67:19 played.  Higgins fired a low-center look that Redzic saved. Ali Meyer readied and blasted a secondary try that was stopped.
• The Middlebury goalie denied a great opportunity for Harder on a penalty corner with 2:05 left, sliding to her right to deflect the bid off her blocker.
• With 8:52 left in the second overtime, Meyer found her way to the right post and flicked a quick shot that Redzic deflected. Higgins slapped an immediate follow-up that the goalie also parried to keep the contest scoreless.
• Smith made a pair of pivotal saves for the Ephs in the final five minutes to force the conference tilt into a shootout.
• Fuqua cashed in her first stroke after a failed Eph attempt. Pilar Torres and Natalia Nolan converted on their next two tries to pull ahead, 2-1.
• After four consecutive stands by the goalies, Addie Chandler had a shot saved before collecting the rebound and delivering a cross-goal look that snuck into the bottom-left corner to send the shootout to a second round.
• Fuqua followed by posting up the goalie and thumping a back-handed attempt in for a 3-2 advantage.
• Redzic stood tall on the final stroke, reading the moment and denying two chances from Natalia Nolan to earn the 1-0 shootout triumph.

NOTES

• Redzic recorded a career-high 10 saves in the win.
• The programs played for the 62nd time with the Panthers holding a 38-21-3 advantage in the all-time series.

The NESCAC Field Hockey Tournament seedings will be announced on Wednesday morning after the final regular-season conference contest concludes.