All-NESCAC Selections

Congratulations to the whole Middlebury team and four people in particular for receiving All-NESCAC award!

Lauren Greer--Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-NESCAC
Emily Blair--First Team All-NESCAC
Heather McCormack--Second Team All-NESCAC
Chase Delano--Second Team All-NESCAC

Click here to read the release: http://www.nescac.com/sports/fh/2009-10/honors/allconference

OFF TO NCAAS!!!!!!!

Hello Midd Fans!!

After a week of waiting we received the great news that we had received an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. We played a well-fought game against a great opponent (UMASS Dartmouth) and came out on top 5-1!

Now, we are off to play Trinity at Ursinus College on Saturday at 2:00. Hopefully the game will be webcast and all of our far away fans can watch it from home!

Thanks for all the support throughout the season so far and lets keep it going!!!!

Featured Alums!

Lacey Farrell '08 (top picture) and Taryn Petrelli '09 (bottom picture) have been chosen as our featured alums! They both ran the NYC Marathon on Sunday!! wooohoooo!! Read below to see how they answered some questions!

Panther: Occupation, and where you're living

Taryn: Professionally looking for a job and I live at home with mom and dad but mostly Bodie...
Lacey: I am currently a securities analyst at an investment bank and I live in New York City.

Panther: What have you been up to since graduating?

T: Mostly I've been training for the marathon and for the past two months that has also included job searching and walking Bodie almost every day. Bodie is my 6 year old Black lab for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of meeting him.
L: Although I still spend most of my time wishing I was still in college, I have begrudgingly entered "the real world." I am still working on what that means! Can I get a follow-up interview in a couple of years?

Panther: What is your favorite Middlebury field hockey moment?

T: SO many to choose from! I'd have to go with NCAAs my junior year. We may have lost in the finals but the two weekends leading up to it were some of the best field hockey games I've ever been a part of and I've never had more fun...especially the night we got back after the finals.
L: There are so many! Nothing can top our NCAA run my senior year. Prior to the start of overtime in our NCAA semifinal game against Salisbury, Reid and I went into the captains' huddle and the refs asked both sides if they were familiar with the overtime rules and regulations. After planing multiple overtime games that season (including a NESCAC semifinal OT victory over Tufts and an OT win over Messiah in the NCAA regionals), Reid and I looked at each other and laughed. Salisbury, however, had quite a different reaction. They had never played an OT game that season and needed a brush up on the rules. At that moment, I knew we had them beat. We were gritty and determined to take charge of our own destiny. Hearing the ball crack against the back of the cage as we sealed our trip to the championship, I am not so sure I have ever jumped so high. I have the picture of myself, Reid, and Katherine reacting to the victory framed in my apartment --it makes me smile everytime.

Panther: You just completed the NYC marathon....explain what it felt like train and finish?

T: Training was definitely one of the harder things I've ever done but when you spend summers and winters training for sports at Midd. I still had a little bit of discipline left in my system. There are no words for what it feels like crossing the finish line, although pain comes to mind...but really it is a combination of relief, achievement, lethargy, and immense joy.
L: I decided to run the marathon after I caught the "marathon bug" last fall as I was craving the structure of a training schedule that I had for so long. For once running became fun for me as it was no long something that i had to do, but something that I chose to do. And honestly if you sit at a desk all day, a good run (and time outside for that matter) can be quite therapeutic. Although crossing the finish line felt physically terrible (I could not feel my legs at that point), it was a great emotional victory for it showed me that I really could do anything I set my mind to do.

Panther: What did you learn while playing on the Midd Field Hockey Team helped you get through the marathon?

T: Playing field hockey helped me learn that the end result should never be the main focus and is not the most important thing. It is much more about the experience leading up to it and that includes all of the preparation and angst and injuries that you go through in the months leading up to the race. And then once I was finally there I could just sit back and enjoy the ride because that's what it's all about!
L: Well, Midd FH literally did get me to the finish line! During the race, I was wearing a Middlebury Field Hockey shirt and as I passed the crowds I received many "yeah Middlebury" cheers. It was a great "pick me up" as it made me think of my roots and all my former coaches and teammates who pushed me to search for the next challenge.

Panther: Any advice for the future Midd Field Hockey players?

T: It will be impossible to recreate in the years after graduating the feeling of being a part of a team with the constant support and friendship that surrounds you, so soak up every moment, every practice, every sprint, and every celebration. Most of my support during the marathon came from my extended Middlebury family, so it just goes to show that you will take all of these people with you even after the last game.
L: Block tackle with two hands on the ground (...or do whatever Delo tells you to do). If you cannot seem to follow her ever so "subtle" reminders, you will have to write a paper about it. Her threats are not empty!

Panther: What do you miss most about Midd?

T: My TEAM. OBVI. Oh AND the trainers...I could really use one right now.
L: I miss the people. I couldn't have asked for a better four years surrounded by such an incredible support system. The friends and mentors that I made at Middlebury will stay with me for many years to come. Oh, and I definitely miss the AMAZING yellow cake with chocolate icing from the dining hall. It cannot be replicated elsewhere!

Player Perspective: St. Lawrence

We had a crazy adventure getting to St. Lawrence. After riding for a while on the bus, we came to the ferry to take us across the water into New York (because the bridge is no longer available...its apparently under construction). So our bus rode on a ferry, and it took us 4 hours to get to St. Lawrence. When the game started, the atmosphere was upbeat and the tempo of the game was intense from the start. I don't think that I've played in a field hockey game that has been so back and forth and high scoring. Everyone played together and gave it their best effort. We all were passing really well and supporting each other all over the field. The other team had some great defenders and ball handlers that kept us on our toes, so the game stayed exciting the whole way through. I think part of what made the game so fun was that we never knew for sure that the game was ours - we always had to be ready for St. Lawrence to answer back to any goals we scored. It was a competitive match. Playing under the lights was also a highlight. Oh, wait. I forgot to mention the huge "cockroach with exoskeleton looking bugs" that were invading the field. I came off for a break and noticed one of them in front of me and I couldn't believe my eyes. IT WAS HUGE. If that wasn't enough, I realized that there were TONS of them all over the field. It was creepy and they walked like robots. It may or may not have thrown my game off for a second or two. I've seen worms before after a night of intense rain, but never have I encountered huge bugs like these. When we got back to Middlebury, one was stuck on Heather Karpas's bag, and I was suddenly worried that they would reproduce and eat away at our turf. I think I was being a little paranoid - there has been no sign of them on Peter Kohn field.

The trip was very successful - I think we were all happy that we came home with a win, especially because it was a REALLY late night. We arrived back on campus at 2 am (ON A SCHOOL NIGHT! : 0), and I'm pretty sure that most people who had class before 10 didn't make it (with the exception of those who had tests at 8 am like Mullsy). To all those alums who got out of Midd before tough economic times, this is what happens when you have a low budge (just kidding...kind of). The trip was definitely worth it even though we made it back so late (or early I should say). We had a lot of fun together - especially when we took a pit stop and bought donuts and pizza and other goodies. Food being a number one priority on this team, that stop was VERY important for a smooth ride home. I wish I could say more about the bus ride, but I think I speak for a lot of people (maybe not the hardcore studiers) when I say that it didn't really last that long for me. I was out cold until we made it back. Overall, the trip to St. Lawrence certainly gave us momentum for Bates, and hopefully we will keep it up throughout the playoffs!
-Heather McCormack '10

Oh the St. Lawrence adventure.! We got on the bus at 12:10pm, I put on my anti-nausea wrist bands and prepared myself for the long journey ahead. The ferry ride was pretty crazy, I never imagined our huge bus could fit on the ferry, but sure enough it did! Sally and I snapped pictures if you don't believe me! We were graced by the presence of Abby Copeland (the JV FH coach and skiing coach) and boy is she a hoot! She taught us all how to wear our winter hats stylishly (covering the eyebrows fully and ears showing). We all, especially Coach, took note! Her dance moves to St. Lawrence's warm up mix were pretty incredible. As Heather mentioned, the atmosphere of the game was wild. I don't think I have ever been part of a game in which eleven goals were scored! Their was such an energy about both teams that night! It was pretty surreal under the lights, with the misting rain and the GIANT BUGS! As a team we always take note of other teams locker rooms. At Middlebury we are so spoiled with our facilities we are quick to judge others locker rooms. St. Lawrence's locker room was very nice. I was particularly impressed by the water fountain in the locker room which I referred to as "The Fountain of Youth" because it was so cold and delicious. Our whole team drank from that fountain, and although we were well prepared for the game I think I could attribute at least part of that great win to that holy drinking water.
-Logan Brown '11

Player Perspective: Keene and Conn

The panthers had suffered a tough loss at the beginning of Fall Break against Amherst and we were anxious but excited to get back on track and have a big win against Keene State. We’d had a great Fall break weekend on campus. We obviously carried on the tradition of carving pumpkins at Breadloaf, and also, our favorite part, getting delicious honeycrisp apple and cider donuts while we picked out our pumpkins. Although it was unusually cold this year, we still had a great time at Breadloaf. The freshman thought of the theme, “Red Carpet”, and we created our pumpkins as we saw fit. The many pumpkin motifs included, Peter Kohn, Garfield, Hollywood Stars, and Jon and Kate plus Eight. Needless to say, when Tuesday rolled around we were pumped for our game. We came out strong against Keene, scoring a goal in the first 2 minutes to get off on the right foot. By the end of the first half the score was 3-0, but we still weren’t going to put our guard down. We finished off the second half with three more goals to secure a big win.

After Keene, we were looking forward to the weekend game against Conn College and another chance to prove our strength in the NESCAC. Although the game started off slowly with a score of 0-0 at half time, we were dominating the game and it was just a matter of time before we put our goal scoring into high gear. We knew after half time that we needed to score, and that led to 2 goals within the first 5 minutes. We kept the momentum going and put in 2 more goals to finish off the half, allowing only 1 goal from the Camels. What was really great about this game too was that no player scored more than one goal, but everyone really helped to participate in the win. After Conn, we could only be excited about our next game at St. Lawrence!

Allison Grant '11, Chase Delano '11

Player Perspective--Union and Amherst

This past Tuesday we took on the Union Dutchmen under the lights. After a successful doubleheader weekend, Midd couldn't wait to get back out on the field. Although we were a bit taken back by their lack of warm-up music, we decided to create our own beat on the field. Lauren Greer '13 started us off on the right note with a beautiful flick that "went over all and in goal." Heather McCormack followed suit with her clutch tip late in the half. Mullery Doar's '10 bangin' shots and Sally Ryan's '11 clean up in the goal put Midd up 4-0 in the second half. With everyone making their own unique contribution, Midd tacked yet another win (our fifth straight!) to their record.

On Saturday, Middlebury suffered a tough loss to the Amherst Purple Cows. With 2 quick goals at the beginning of the first half, Amherst put Middlebury on its heels. Yet, Midd answered right away with a quick goal from Charlotte Gardiner '13. After both teams scored once more making it 3-2, it looked like a close game. When Amherst player, Haley Douds, completed her hat trick of the game in the second half, the Panthers were running out of time. We fought hard till the end of the game, but unfortunately, couldn't pull out the W. After 5 games in 8 days, the Middlebury Panthers were in need of a break. We spent the rest of the long weekend in Burlington watching Fame and pumpkin carving at Breadloaf.
--Maddie Kahn '11, Sally Ryan '11

Player Perspective--Colby, Wesleyan and the Senior Dinner

So this past weekend, we started off a double header weekend against Colby on Saturday. So nice not to have to trek up to Augusta and also to be home for parents weekend! SUCH a big crowd, all our families and friends and according to the Middlebury Campus newspaper even President Ron Leibowitz! Everyone got to play, contributing to a great team win with goals by so many different players. Both Hannah Clarke ’12 and Molly Downey ’13 scored their first collegiate goals, and the goalies gave us another shutout performance. All the hard work and effort that went into the win gave us HUGE appetites for our senior dinner that night. We headed up to Shoreham to Charlie Jackson’s house to honor this years seniors (we love you Mulls, Dana, Heather and Kerry!), and to remember our 5 fantastic alumni from 2008 (Missed you Marn-Monster!). We all ate WAY too much, but with swordfish, steak, amazing salads, Mrs. Souther’s phenomenal cookies and B-Shaw’s chocolate fountain (a new staple at every tailgate?) how could we resist!

The Wesleyan Cardinals made the trek up to face us on our second game of the weekend. We took our momentum from our Saturday game into this one also, and came out with another win. It was another great performance by so many players and a wonderful way to top off our fall family weekend. We wrapped up a very busy stretch (four games in eight days) with our fifth straight win. Once again, Mrs. Souther's cookies featured in our celebration, and the "high five" hand shaped cookies, representing our five wins, were a huge hit! This 4-0 win over Union was a solid performance by the entire team; goals came from all around, and goalkeeper Maddie Brooks earned another shutout win! The strong performances, and the excitement for the approaching fall break kept the team's spirits up as midterm week got busy. Next on the list: preparations for Middlebury's Saturday opponent--Amherst.
--Emily Blair '12, Hannah Clarke '12, Liz Garry '12