The top-ranked Middlebury women's lacrosse team outscored Hamilton 5-0 during Sunday's second quarter, including a hat trick by Caroline Adams, and pulled away late in the fourth quarter for a 12-7 victory. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers struck first 3:44 into the first quarter when Adams tucked a free-position shot into the upper-left corner for a 1-0 lead.
• The Continentals rattled off three-straight goals over a span of 2:51, bookended by tallies from Alex Orlando for a 3-1 advantage with 6:39 remaining.
• Middlebury sliced the deficit to one (3-2) with 1:57 showing on the clock when Skylar Lach raced left to right, firing a shot into the top corner.
• Orlando completed her hat trick, scoring with 13.8 seconds left on a quick-stick effort in transition for a 4-2 lead.
• Lach kickstarted the decisive run following a nifty stick-to-stick pass from Sophia Lee with 1:08 expired in the second stanza.
• Adams tallied the next two goals, muscling in a free-position chance with 13:18 left and completing her hat trick on a bouncer into the lower-left corner with 2:35 remaining.
• Less than a minute later, goalie Gina Driscoll denied a point-blank shot by Aine Cleary. The Panthers quickly raced up the field, as Adams buried her fourth tally with 1:32 showing on the clock to make it a 6-4 contest.
• Hope Shue capped the quarter, firing an underhanded bid with 22.0 seconds left on a pass from behind by Maggie Coughlin.
• Driscoll came up big in the waning seconds, saving a free-position attempt by Sarah Stonestreet to preserve Middlebury's three-goal lead (7-4) headed into the half.
• The Continentals tallied first in a low-scoring third quarter. Sophia Wright scooped up a loose ball in front and fired it just over the stick of Driscoll with 9:07 left.
• Middlebury answered with a pair of player-up markers. Anna Spehr laced a shot into the right panel with 7:42 remaining, while Coughlin worked her way from behind, ripping a shot that snuck past Continental goalie Clara Paolucci just 42 seconds later for a 9-5 lead.
• Hamilton moved to within three when Lily Goldsmith scored on a free-position opportunity at the 4:18 mark to make it a 9-6 contest.
• The hosts cut the Panther advantage to 9-7 with 10:45 on the clock when Wright bounced a shot into the left panel on a free-position opportunity.
• Middlebury responded with the final three tallies. Lee ripped a free-position bid into the left corner with 6:50 left, while Kylie Wilson made it 11-7 when she faked out her defender away from the ball before depositing a shot inside the left post at 3:33. 
• Dion concluded the scoring with 43.6 seconds left on a free-position marker for the final 12-7 decision.

NOTES

• Adams posted four goals and won a game-high eight draw controls.
• Shue's goal marks the 52nd-straight game she has tallied a point. She also secured seven draw controls, as the visitors held a decisive 18-5 advantage.
• Wilson caused a pair of turnovers, vaulting her past the 100 plateau for her career (101). She also earned her second career goal, with each coming this weekend.
• The programs played for the 17th matchup with Middlebury holding a 14-3 advantage in the all-time series. The Panthers have won the last 14 meetings dating back to the 2012 regular season.

Middlebury returns to action on Saturday when it travels to #5 Colby for a 12:00 p.m. contest.