The fourth-ranked Middlebury women's ice hockey team used three first-period tallies to cruise to a 6-2 victory over Trinity on Friday evening.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The hosts generated a trio of chances early in the contest, but Panther goaltender Sophia Will denied each opportunity. The best look came at the 3:02 mark, as Lily Brook one-timed a bid from near the left post that Will dropped her right pad to stonewall.
• Middlebury turned up the pressure with 15:14 showing on the first-period clock. Trinity Walsh reared back and fired a low shot that Bantam netminder Kathrine Lemke steered away before kicking out her left pad to stop a rebound attempt from Susannah Ward.
• The navy and white broke through with 9:17 expired. Rachel Neyman found Britt Nawrocki camped on the edge of the crease, who tucked a quick attempt into the right side of the goal to establish a 1-0 edge.
• Trinity matched the tally less than two minutes later. Brook skated between the circles and wristed a chance that thumped off Will's pad. Kate French met the puck on the edge of the crease and muscled a low look over the goal line to knot the bout with 8:51 remaining.
• At the 13:16 mark, Avery McInerny restored the Panther advantage with a short-handed score. Zoe Pincelli stole the puck from a Bantam and left it for a trailing McInerny, who darted up the ice and deposited a one-on-one shot over Lemke's right shoulder.
• The visitors tacked on one more tally before the period concluded during a power play. Kate Flynn found Ward, who connected with Alison Giebler for a snipe into the left side of the net to set a 3-1 decision through 20 minutes.
• Middlebury tested the waters at the 4:48 mark. McInerny won the puck behind the goal and wrapped a rapid look around the left post that Lemke dropped her pad to stop.
• With 13:19 left in the session, Trinity Walsh fired a quick shot that caromed away, but Caroline Thomas tucked the puck past Lemke for the 4-1 lead.
• Olivia Gordon pushed the margin to 5-1 with 13:42 gone, hauling in a long feed from Jocelyn Means and having her initial bid denied before pushing the rebound into the back of the net.
• Nina McKenna helped her side with 3:40 remaining, firing a shot after a Brook faceoff win that sneaked into the right side of the goal (5-2).
• The Panthers etched their final tally with 11:01 remaining. Olivia McManus skated in front of a pass and split the ice with a feed to an unmarked Thomas,who scored her second goal to finalize the 6-2 triumph.

NOTES

• Will eclipsed the 1,500-save threshold while earning her 40th career win on Friday.
• The sides squared off for the 56th time with Middlebury possessing a 48-4-4 advantage in the series.

The Panthers conclude the weekend slate against the Bantams on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.