The #1/top-seeded Middlebury women's lacrosse team opened the NESCAC Tournament with an 18-6 victory over eighth-seeded Bates in Saturday's quarterfinal action. The Panthers will host the remainder of the bracket, with the semifinals taking place on Saturday, May 2 and the championship set for Sunday, May 3 from Peter Kohn Field.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Haley Hamilton opened the scoring with a player-up tally 1:58 into the contest, cutting through the zone and quick-sticking a feed from Parker Hanson into the left panel. Hanson aided another tally a minute later, connecting with Skylar Lach for Middlebury's second score.
• Lauren Wong tested the waters for Bates with 8:50 elapsed, winding up a sidearm shot that Panther goalie Elizabeth Savage lowered her stick to save.
• Lach came back for more with 10:52 remaining, delivering a pass from Siobhan Colin into the back of the net to extend the lead to 3-0.
• Middlebury cashed in its fourth goal during a crisp transition that required four passes to traverse the length of the field. Caroline Adams found Colin darting across the fan, who released a sidewinder into the right side for a 4-0 ballgame through 15 minutes.
• The visitors broke through with 13:23 to play in the half. Caroline Keating delivered a sharp pass to Samantha Collins as she slipped between a pair of Panthers. Her one-time bid clipped Savage's stick on its way to the back of the net (4-1).
• Exactly 60 seconds later, Hamilton rolled to the crease and weaved through a trio of defenders before sneaking her low attempt under Avery to restore the four-goal lead.
• Emma Lavallee answered the strike with 10:38 to play, nudging a pass from Laci Raveis into the upper-left corner to make the score 5-2.
• Maeve Lee responded with a marker of her own, spiking a free-position look into the center of the net with 5:46 expired to spark a five-goal surge. 
• Adams wrapped around the crease and deposited a low shot with 7:55 left before Hanson added a strike from the eight-meter arc nearly two minutes later. Adams tacked on a free-position tally with 10:20 gone for a 9-2 edge, prompting a Bates timeout.
• Savage denied two strong Bobcat bids in quick succession, stonewalling a high shot from Lavallee before denying Wong's shot destined for the top shelf with 3:59 to go.
• Lach (3:20) and Wong (2:00) traded markers down the stretch for a 10-3 halftime line.
• The Bobcats crafted a 3-1 run to tighten the margin. Wong pulled the string on a bouncer into the left panel at 9:40, while Yonchak elevated her stick to rustle the top-right corner on a feed from Clare McGeever 52 seconds later. Yonchak scored on a similar finish from slightly further away at the 4:02 mark, making the score 11-6 and prompting a Middlebury stoppage.
• Colin halted the run with an eight-meter delivery into the lower-left panel through 12:52 of third-quarter action, while Hamilton logged a player-up score in the final 90 seconds to complete her hat trick and set the score at 13-6 heading to the final frame.
• The Panthers added goals from Maddie Ackerman (14:20), Maddie Ocampo (10:35), Hamilton (8:13), Caroline Messer (4:35) and Britt Nawrocki (56.1 seconds) in the fourth quarter for the final 18-6 tally.

NOTES

• Messer finished with five groundballs and two caused turnovers to go along with her second goal of the spring.
• Colin posted a career-high four points (2G, 2A).
• Hanson posted two assists, marking the fourth straight game and the fifth in the last seven with multiple helpers.
• Savage ended her day with seven saves, including four in the second stanza. 
• The programs met for the 44th occasion, with the Panthers holding a 39-5 advantage in the all-time series. Middlebury has won the last seven and 15 of the previous 16.
• The sides squared off for the fourth time in the NESCAC Tournament, with each coming in the quarterfinals and Middlebury claiming all four.

The Panthers will make their 21st appearance in the NESCAC Semifinals, hosting #5/fourth-seeded Amherst on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.