The #4 Middlebury women's ice hockey team tallied two goals in Saturday's second period to break a 1-1 tie and added another in the third to secure a 4-1 triumph over Wesleyan.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers nearly took the lead just 16 seconds into the contest. Caroline Thomas forced a turnover deep in the Cardinal zone and fired consecutive bids on the right post that goalie Jenna Guglielmi denied.
• Middlebury broke the scoreless tie at the 10:51 mark of the opening period. Thomas flipped a behind-the-back attempt that ricocheted off a Wesleyan skate and the pads of Guglielmi. Avery McInerny won the race to the loose puck outside the crease and snuck a shot past the Wesleyan netminder for a 1-0 advantage.
• With 6:21 to go, Caroline Humber grabbed a bouncing puck near center ice and skated through the middle of two Panther defenders, creating a one-on-one chance with netminder Sophia Will. The rookie fired a shot that tapped off the left post and into the net to knot the contest at one apiece.
• Kate Flynn produced a quality chance at the 14:59 mark. The forward muscled through a defender on her hip and skated across the crease, looking to shove the puck inside the right side of the net before Guglielmi sprawled out to make the save.
• The hosts had the final opportunity of the opening period. The puck bounced off a Cardinal and Panther skate to Kimberly Jung, who ripped a shot from just outside the circle. Will tracked the attempt and slid across the crease for the stop.
• Middlebury retook the lead on the power play with 5:26 expired in the second stanza. Susannah Ward pushed a chance that looked to be going left of the net. Walsh tapped the puck back to the left before a trailing McInerny raced in and poked it in to make it 2-1.
• Caroline Kee looked to tie the contest at the 7:11 mark of a strong feed from behind the net from Aiko Sims, but her doorstep shot was stonewalled by Will.
• The Panthers added to their lead at the 13:11 mark. A scrum in front of the net caused the puck to pop back behind the net. Jocelyn Acosta collected it and muscled it home past a sprawled-out Guglielmi for a 3-1 advantage.
• Beats Tura had the final chance for either side with 24 seconds left via a shot from the right faceoff circle that bounced off Will's pads.
• Wesleyan earned an extra-skater opportunity and nearly cashed in with consecutive shots on target off the stick of Kee starting at the 12:07 mark. Will stopped both attempts, helping shut down the Cardinal power play.
• Middlebury made it a three-goal advantage less than two minutes later. Callia Ferraris darted up the right side of the ice and put the puck in front of the Wesleyan crease. A battle for the puck ensued until Thomas slapped it into the back of the net for a 4-1 score.
• The hosts had the final chance with 31 ticks left, but Jung's bid was gloved by Will as the Panthers secured the 4-1 win.

NOTES

• McInerny extended her point streak to four-straight contests with two goals in Saturday's win. It is also her fifth multi-goal game of her Middlebury career.
• Trinity Walsh added two more helpers to move atop the team's ranks with five through four contests.
• The Panthers held the Cardinals scoreless on their power-play opportunities (0-for-5).
• Will stopped 22 shots for her 32nd career victory.
• Middlebury and Wesleyan met for the 75th time with the Panthers earning their 68th win in the series.

The programs battle again in a Sunday afternoon showdown at 3:00 p.m. in Connecticut.