MIDDLEBURY, VT -- Looking to earn a
split, the Ephs (9-13-0) traveled to Middlebury on Saturday
afternoon for a rematch with the Panthers (18-2-2). Unable to
contain the Panther offense, Williams allowed six unanswered goals
as Middlebury handed them their second straight defeat.
Picking up where they left off the previous afternoon,
Middlebury jumped out to 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.
Emily Fluke opened the scoring for the Panthers with her first
career goal. The tally came at the 11:59 mark when Fluke sent
the puck past Eph netminder Chloe Billadeau, aided by teammates
Jennifer Krakower and Grace Waters.
The Panthers upped their lead to two with just over a
minute to go in the opening frame. Set up by Lauren Greer,
Katie Sullivan drilled a shot on cage. Billadeau managed to
block Sullivan's rip, but Kate Moreau was waiting for the rebound,
which she picked up and knocked in to earn her team a 2-0 lead.
The period would come to a close with a late Eph penalty,
giving Middlebury a man-up advantage headed into the middle
frame. The Panthers kept the pressure on and challenged
Billadeau with a flurry of shots. While unable to capitalize
on the powerplay, the Panthers established offensive momentum that
they would carry throughout the remainder of the frame, recording
16 second period shots to Williams' 3.
It was not until 13:05 remaining when Middlebury's shot on
goal advantage paid off. Despite playing shorthanded, the
Panthers tacked on a third goal of the afternoon as Sullivan set up
Greer to take a commanding 3-0 lead. The Panther offense
remained relentless. After surviving a two skater advantage,
Middlebury extended their lead once again, cashing in on a
powerplay opportunity of their own. Eleven seconds before the
second intermission, Waters awaited a rebound and managed to punch
the puck past Eph goaltender. Waters was set up by Fluke and
Hannah Bielawski.
In similar fashion to the previous 40 minutes, the
Panthers allowed little leeway in the final minutes of play.
With 11:48 to go in the third, Heather Marrison took a pass from
Madeline Joyce and found the top corner of the net. Maggie
Melberg with help from Laura McConney and Lauren Greer would
continue the offensive tirade, tacking on another powerplay goal
for the Panthers. Melberg's strike with 14 seconds of play
remaining finalized the score at 6-0.
Despite entering the game as one of the leading power play
teams, Williams failed to convert on all five powerplay
opportunities. They allowed Middlebury seven man-up
advantages in turn.
Billadeau finished the afternoon with 36 saves, while
Middlebury goalie Annabelle Jones turned away 12 Eph bids in her 49
minutes of play. Becca Shaw recorded two saves for the
Panthers in her 11 minutes of play.
The Ephs will conclude their regular season with a home
double-header against Connecticut College. "We just need to
battle and compete hard. Conn College will be tough, and
preparation for next week is important," remarked Head Coach Meghan
Gillis. The first of the two-game series will be played next
Friday at 7pm.
