The #4 Middlebury women's ice hockey team scored with 7:33 remaining in the opening period and never looked back in a 5-1 victory over Utica on Friday evening. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Pioneers had the first shot on target with 5:07 elapsed in the opening period. Maya Jerome fired from just inside the Panther defensive zone, but Middlebury netminder Sophia Will snagged the bid with her glove.
• Utica nearly gained the lead a little over a minute later. Nora Pollestad slid past two defenders and charged toward the right post. The defender slapped a shot toward the net, but Susannah Ward slid over to block the chance.
• Kate Flynn raced down the ice and looked to stuff the puck into the net with 8:52 expired, but goalie Katherine Sheahan slid to her right and stonewalled the one-timer. 
• Middlebury grabbed the lead at the 12:27 mark. After a Utica turnover, Alison Giebler tapped the puck back to Ward for a shot that headed toward the left post to Caroline Thomas, who redirected it into the right side of the net. 
• Kaci Ryder looked for the equalizer with 2:38 remaining via a blueline snipe. Will slid to the left and stopped the chance with her pad.
• The visitors added to their advantage at 4:38 of the second stanza. Avery McInerny muscled a shot from just inside the Utica zone. Thomas parked herself on the right post and tapped it past Sheahan for a 2-0 lead.
• Utica almost cut the lead off a faceoff in the Panther end seven minutes later. Elliot collected the puck between the circles and fired toward the right post, but Will slid to steer the chance aside.
• Middlebury added its third tally with an extra skater with 13:02 expired in the second frame. A quick tic-tac-toe pass from Callia Ferraris and Olivia Gordon found Britt Nawrocki on the right post. The assistant captain tapped it past a sprawled-out Sheahan.
• The Panther defense clamped down on the Pioneer offense for the remainder of the period, not allowing a shot over the final 6:58 to maintain the 3-0 lead.
• Utica had a breakaway opportunity with 16:01 left in the third period. Samantha Dobrzynski was open on the doorstep, but Will stood tall for the blocker save.
• Middlebury cashed in with consecutive goals nearly three minutes apart. McInerny scored on a tip-in off a strong pass from Olivia McManus (4:42), while Adrienne Hall added the fifth goal of the evening, shoveling a shot into the right side at the 7:31 mark.
• Utica broke the shutout with an extra skater with 7:48 left. Jerome blasted a riser that tucked inside the left post.
• The Pioneers had the final chance of the contest with a power play beginning at the 16:58 mark, but Will stopped all five shots on target to seal the 5-1 triumph.

NOTES

• The squad had 12 players earn a point, headlined by two goals from Thomas and Ward adding two helpers.
• Hall scored the first tally of her Panther career, while McManus had her 25th career assist.
• Will stopped 26 shots to earn the victory.
• The Panthers secured their 14th-consecutive win over the Pioneers.

Middlebury is idle for its winter break before returning to the ice for a four-game homestand beginning on Saturday, January 3 at 5:00 p.m. against #6 Endicott.