The Middlebury men's ice hockey team trimmed the deficit to 4-3 early in the third period, but two unanswered goals sealed a 6-3 loss to Colby on Saturday from Chip Kenyon '85 Arena. Before the contest, the program honored seniors Ben Boren, John Burdett, Michael Fairfax, Kevin Golden and Zach Whitehead.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury looked to take the lead at the 2:32 mark. Tyler Wishart skated down the left side of the ice and rifled a shot toward the left post. Mules netminder Cooper Rautenstrauch slid to his left and made the blocker save.
• Donovan O'Neil created a two-on-one opportunity at the top of the Panther zone and hustled toward the net with 9:47 to go in the stanza. The forward looked for a cross-crease shot, but Middlebury goaltender Andrew Heinze deflected the bid aside with his stick.
• Reece Brednich had a riser deflect off the shoulder of Rautenstrauch and over the crossbar at the 14:24 mark.
• Colby grabbed a 1-0 lead via a penalty shot goal with 3:18 remaining in the first period. Colby Browne skated to the right and found room in the left side of the net.
• Middlebury knotted the contest at the 2:26 mark of the second stanza. A scrum in the left corner of the ice sent the puck careening right. Jake Stevens collected possession and distributed a pass to a darting Jack Silverman, who buried it into the left side of the net.
• Colby regained the advantage 2:32 later. Donovan O'Neil collected a loose puck deep in the Panther zone and pushed it past a sprawled-out Heinze to go ahead 2-1.
• The guests added two more markers off the stick of Massimo Gentile (11:48) and Bobby Landry (10:30) to push their lead to three (4-1).
• Middlebury diced the lead in half with 8:36 to go in the second. Dante Palombo forced a turnover deep in the Panther zone and shoved the puck into the right side of the net.
• Will Soloway had a doorstep chance at the 18:27 mark, but Heinze denied his bid on the left post.
• The Panthers came out of the locker room energized, trimming the deficit to 4-3 with 1:15 expired in the third stanza. Jackson Morehouse fired a cross-ice pass to Wishart, who ripped a one-timer from the left faceoff circle past Rautenstrauch.
• Luc Malkhassian nearly tied the game 1:59 later via a bid on the right post, but Rautenstrauch slid to his right at the right time to stuff the bid.
• Colby stretched the advantage (5-3) with 15:16 remaining off the stick of Soloway.
• The Panthers pulled Heinze for an extra skater with 3:47 remaining, but the Mules added an empty-net tally at the 19:02 mark to cap the 6-3 contest.

NOTES

• Six different Panthers tallied a point in the contest.
• Middlebury held a 33-24 advantage in the faceoff circle, headlined by 10 wins from Wishart.
• The programs met for the 93rd time in men's hockey.

The Panthers continue NESCAC play with a road doubleheader beginning Friday against Tufts at 7:00 p.m.