The #6/top-seeded Middlebury women's ice hockey team and #10/fourth-seeded Colby battled for over four hours in Saturday's first NESCAC Semifinal contest from Chip Kenyon '85 Arena. In the marathon contest, the Mules tallied the decisive goal with 4:23 left in the third added session to take the 2-1 triumph and advance to Sunday's conference championship.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers looked to strike 2:27 into the contest on two quick shots from outside the crease by Trinity Walsh and Emma Hannah. Mule netminder Ally Martinello stood her ground on both bids and kept the hosts off the board.
• Colby had a quality chance two minutes later. Marion Legge ripped an attempt from the left circle that Middlebury goalie Sophia Will rose to deny with her right shoulder.
• The hosts took advantage of an extra-skater opportunity with 7:38 expired in the period.  Olivia Gordon laced a left-handed shot from the top of the circle that found space over Martinello's shoulder for a 1-0 advantage.
• The Mules nearly knotted the contest near the midway point of the stanza. Sophia Kennedy collected a loose puck in the zone and skated toward the net before Will stuck her right skate out to thwart the chance.
• Middlebury had a late opportunity when Callia Ferraris rifled a knuckling one-timer from the point that Martinello tracked and steered away with 37 ticks left.
• In the early seconds of the middle frame, Caroline Thomas produced a pair of bids from point-blank range that Martinello denied.
• The Mules tied the contest at 1-1 with 2:45 expired on a penalty-shot goal by Lizzy Hamel.
• Five minutes later, the visitors swarmed the crease and awarded another penalty shot. Will pushed out of her crease and stopped a rising bid by Emily Olsthoorn.
• Each side had a shot at the go-ahead goal just 14 seconds apart. Avery McInerny blasted a shot from between the circles that Martinello denied. The Mules raced down the ice for a counterattack opportunity off the stick of Megan Martodam. Will tracked the sizzling shot and thwarted it at the 17:04 mark.
• Olsthoorn produced a quality look 2:28 into the third period, skating up the ice for a one-on-one opportunity against Will. The netminder stood tall and padded away the chance.
• Colby buzzed the zone in the middle portion of the stanza, crafting its best chance with 8:40 left in regulation. Sophie Melsness found space on the right post, but Will pushed across her crease and stopped the bid.
• Middlebury had a tremendous opportunity with 3:03 on the clock. Walsh deked her defender at the blue line and skated toward the right post for a backhand shot. Martinello stuck out her skate and deflected it away.
• The Mules found a golden chance of their own with 27 seconds left. Courtney Schumacher sent a cross-crease pass to a charging Legge for a one-timer that whistled just outside the post to send the contest to overtime.
• Maeve McAdams raced into the zone and fired a shot on the left side that Martinello poked away with 3:44 expired in the first overtime.
• Julie Jasaitis ripped a knuckling bid destined for the right post that Will swatted with her stick with 9:39 remaining.
• Alyssa Frazier wristed a shot through traffic four minutes later, but Martiniello tracked the chance and denied with her blocker.
• In the second added stanza, McInerny gathered a bouncing puck in the circle and flipped a wrister that Martiniello caught with her glove before it crossed the line.
• Colby buzzed the zone in the late stages of the period. Beth Sinson tipped a pass in front of the net that whizzed just wide of the post with 51 seconds left.
• In the third overtime, McAdams fired a bid with 13:49 remaining. Martinello deflected the shot away with her right pad.
• Colby tallied the golden goal with 4:23 left in the third extra session, as Olsthoorn tipped a shot from the blue line by Lizzy Hamel that snuck past Will's shoulder for the final 2-1 score.

NOTES

• Gordon tallied her sixth goal of the campaign.
• Will's 61 saves are a career high and the second most in a single game in program history. Christy Picard '96 has the most with 64 against Brown on January 7, 1993.
• Will also became the program's all-time leader in career saves (1,717), overtaking Picard '96 (1,706).
• The programs met for the third time this winter and the 72nd overall.
• The sides have squared off eight times in the NESCAC Tournament, including five NESCAC Semifinal battles.

The Panthers await their NCAA Tournament fate when the field is announced on Sunday, March 8 at 8:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.