MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College field hockey team split its final two regular season games, with the loss being the defending NESCAC and NCAA Division III champions’ first in 21 outings.
The Panthers (14-1, 9-1 NESCAC) will host a NESCAC quarterfinal at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with the opponent depending on the result of a Wednesday night game in which Tufts (8-1 NESCAC) hosts Bowdoin, also 8-1 in league play. If the Polar Bears prevailed the Panthers will be the league tournament’s top seed, while if Tufts won the Jumbos are the top seed and the Panthers are No. 2.
On this past Saturday the Panthers lost their first game, their No. 1 NCAA ranking and a 20-game winning streak when then No. 6 Tufts (12-2, 8-1) defeated them, 1-0. The Panthers are now ranked No. 2.
Tufts earned advantages of 11-7 in shots and 9-5 in penalty corners and scored the only goal in the third quarter. On a penalty corner Marguerite Salamone centered a pass from the right side of the cage to the goalmouth, and Gillian Roeca redirected the ball home.
The Panthers earned four penalty corners in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter, but Jumbo keeper Andie Stallman stopped the best chance, a Julia Richards tip of an Erin Nicholas shot.
Middlebury goalie Grace Harlan finished with five saves, while Stallman made three for the Jumbos.
On Tuesday the Panthers defeated fourth-place Williams, 2-1. The Ephs dropped to 12-3, 7-3 NESCAC and will be the No. 4 seed. Nicholas gave the Panthers the lead with a first-quarter penalty stroke, but Eph leading scorer Emma Ticknor equalized on a penalty corner in the second period.
Middlebury controlled most of the third and fourth quarters. Nicholas scored the game-winner on a crisply executed penalty corner at 9:52 of the third period, taking an Emma Johns pass and putting a shot inside the right post.
Middlebury outshot the Ephs, 16-4. Harlan made two saves, while Abby Lloyd made four for Williams.