The Middlebury men's ice hockey team raced out to a 3-0 lead after two periods and eased to a 5-2 victory over Connecticut College on Saturday afternoon.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers kept up the pressure early in the first period. Cole Semeniuk found space on the right side 3:32 into the frame, looking to stuff in a bid that starting goalie Kellen Beauton saved with his right pad.
• Middlebury struck first 30 seconds later when Jackson Morehouse tipped in a pass on the left post for the 1-0 lead.
• The hosts nearly doubled the advantage with 6:32 elapsed. Revy Mack worked toward the front of the crease, firing a point-blank chance that Beauton denied.
• The Camels looked to tie the contest with 39 seconds remaining. Ryan McKenna rifled a wrister from the left circle. Panther netminder Andrew Heinze made the save to keep the visitors off the board.
• Middlebury increased its lead 4:13 into the second frame. Mack muscled in a rebound after an initial shot from the left side by Jack Silverman was saved by Will McEvoy's pads to make it 2-0.
• The hosts had a golden chance near the midway point of the stanza, but McEvoy saved a wraparound shot from Reece Brednich on the left post.
• Skating shorthanded, the Panthers had a great opportunity at 14:24. Dante Palombo skated into the zone and fired a bid that McEvoy saved with his helmet.
• Connecticut College manufactured a quality chance while on the power play two minutes later off a one-timer by Will Lawrence. Heinze slid across the crease to thwart the shot from the left circle.
• Pressing for a third goal, Middlebury cashed in with 31.1 ticks remaining. Bobby May sniped a wrister from the right that tucked inside the left pipe for a 3-0 advantage.
• The Panthers increased their lead with a pair of tallies 2:04 apart early in the third period. Brednich ripped a one-timer on a nifty pass from Edward Moskowitz for a four-goal lead. Palombo added the fifth Middlebury tally by intercepting a Camel pass at the blueline and deking a defender before sneaking his shot into the bottom of the net with 4:34 expired.
• Lawrence put Connecticut College on the board seven minutes later while the squad was shorthanded, batting in a rebound after Heinze denied his initial shot.
• The Camels posted the final goal of the contest when Arty Mirante lifted a wrister that went bar down at 18:16 for the final 5-2 tally.  

NOTES

• Palombo scored in each game this weekend, while the other four goal scorers for Middlebury found the back of the net for the initial time this winter.
• Jake Stevens, Tyler Wishart and Landon Brownlee each had a career-best two assists in the triumph.
• Heinze finished with a season-best 31 saves, recording 11 in each of the final two periods.
• The programs met for the 57th matchup with the Panthers holding a 37-15-5 advantage. Middlebury has claimed seven of the previous eight contests.

The Panthers return to action when they compete in the LayerEight Shootout hosted by Norwich. Middlebury squares off with Plattsburgh State on Friday at 4:00 p.m., while the Cadets play Stevenson in the second contest.