The top-ranked Middlebury women's lacrosse team recorded the first six goals of Saturday's action and held off an Amherst surge in the third quarter for a 15-6 victory over the Mammoths. With the triumph, the Panthers pushed their winning streak to 52-straight victories.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury struck first with 3:38 expired in the opening quarter. Kate Motley dodged from the right and snuck a shot into the upper-left corner over the shoulder of goalie Lily Samoska for a 1-0 edge.
• Skylar Lach increased the Panther advantage 1:07 later, muscling a quick-stick bid into the back of the net on a nifty feed by Maggie Coughlin.
• Middlebury added tallies from Lach and Caroline Messer on shots from just outside the crease for a 4-0 lead after the first frame.
• The Panthers continued the momentum in the second. Hope Shue tucked a free-position attempt into the right panel with 13:41 on the clock, while Motley tallied her second of the contest 3:36 later on a pass from Shue for a 6-0 advantage.
• Amherst got on the board midway through the frame when Ella Shay collected a pass and bounced her shot into the bottom portion of the goal.
• Middlebury closed the opening half with a free-position tally by Caroline Adams and a quick-stick score from Maddie Ackerman occurring two minutes apart for an 8-1 lead.
• Following the halftime break, Lach completed her hat trick 36 seconds into the quarter on a pass from Siobhan Colin.
• The Mammoths rattled off four-straight goals, including a trio from Emily Petersen, to move within four (9-5) with 57 seconds remaining in the stanza.
• The hosts cashed in after claiming the ensuing draw control, as Shue put up her second of the contest on a pass from behind the goal by Anna Spehr for a 10-5 lead heading into the final quarter.
• Amherst sliced the deficit to four (10-6) at the 2:27 mark of the fourth quarter on an individual effort by Mia Raven, who found space in the upper portion of the twine.
• Coughlin answered 47 seconds later, dodging from behind the goal before ripping a bid over Simoska's shoulder to kickstart a five-goal spurt.
• Lach tallied two more goals, while Adams and Shue found the back of the net to provide the final 15-6 decision.

NOTES

• Lach finished with career-high totals in points (six) and goals (five) in the victory.
• Gina Driscoll tied a career-high total with 12 saves in the win, including five stops in the final quarter.
• Coughlin concluded the contest with three assists, moving her into sixth place in the program's history with 74.
• Middlebury has claimed 29-straight home triumphs.
• The programs played for the 61st time with Middlebury holding a decisive 54-7 advantage in the all-time series. The Panthers have won each of the last 15 contests against the Mammoths dating back to the 2015 season. 

Middlebury returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts #13 Babson with the opening draw scheduled for 5:00 p.m.