The fifth-ranked Middlebury women's hockey team endured a defensive marathon in Saturday's 0-0 tie with ninth-ranked Williams. The Ephs prevailed in the shootout, 1-0.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jocelyn Means delivered a sharp bid from a shade inside the blue line that Ephs netminder Erin Pye plucked from the air at the 2:02 mark.
• Just 32 seconds later, Claire Murphy wristed an attempt from the left faceoff circle that Panther goalie Sophia Will batted down with a glove. Zoe Rosenberg gathered the rebound and flicked a bid that the captain ushered away with her left pad.
• With 15:20 showing on the clock, Olivia McManus tallied consecutive blue-line looks that Pye turned away, the first with her right pad before snagging the second with her glove.
• At the 9:49 mark, Charlotte Fetherston sent a knuckler from the left circle that Will ushered away with her stick.
• Avery McInerny nearly pushed the navy and white in front with 5:39 remaining, settling a puck between the circles and firing a shot that clanged off the left post.
• The hosts logged an impressive penalty kill, which featured nearly a minute of 5-on-3 hockey, surrendering just one look on goal. Murphy sent an attempt toward the lower-right corner that Will gloved.
• Murphy and Skyler Moore opened the second session with consecutive chances over 28 seconds. The first bounded off Will's midsection before she extended her stick to deny the second.
• Middlebury manufactured numerous opportunities amidst a 5-on-3 stretch of its own with 15:57 remaining. McManus had a look from the edge of the right circle that caromed off Pye's pad, before a bid from Alyssa Frazier on the rebound also thudded off.
• Will made a key stop with 3:50 to go in the frame. Savana Littlewood nabbed the puck following a faceoff and fired a crisp attempt that the netminder redirected with her blocker.
• Nearly eight minutes into the third, Emma Hannah gained possession in the defensive end before cutting inside the zone and slapping a riser that Pye denied with her blocker.
• With 11:06 played, Caroline Thomas dislodged the puck from an Eph skater to create a one-on-one with Pye, firing a bounding shot that the goalie smothered.
• The best Panther chance to get on the board late came from Olivia Gordon, dialing up a shot from the left circle that pinged off the crossbar.
• Zoe Pincelli tallied a strong chance on the first shot of overtime with a skimming shot that bounded off Pye's blocker.
• With 2:02 left in the extra frame, Trinity Walsh carved a path to the crease through a pair of foes and nudged a shot that slid just wide of the left post.
• The first attempt of the shootout proved decisive as Littlewood faked right, then extended her stick past a sprawled-out Will to tap the puck into the left side for the 1-0 shootout triumph.

NOTES

• Will logged 37 saves across her first shutout of the campaign.
• The programs played for the 95th time with Middlebury holding an 83-7-5 advantage in the series.

The Panthers prepare for a weekend home twinbill against #8 Colby to conclude the regular season, beginning on Friday, February 20 at 7:00 p.m.