Middlebury College Women’s Hockey (Photo by Annica Nassiry)
#11 Colby College Mules (15-5-1) @ Middlebury College Panthers (15-3-4)
Friday & Saturday – February 20 / 21 – 7pm / 3pm ET
Middlebury leads all-time series 49-15-1
As the women’s regular season winds down, several key matchups remain on the calendar. Among them is this weekend’s series between the Colby College Mules and the Middlebury College Panthers, a NESCAC rivalry that has long tilted in Middlebury’s favor.
All time, Middlebury leads the series 49-15-1 and has dominated the matchup in the modern era. Since 2001, the Panthers are 49-4-1 against the Mules. Colby briefly flipped the script last season, winning two of the three meetings & sweeping the regular-season series before Middlebury ended the Mules’ season in the NESCAC semifinals.
Postseason implications are firmly in play. Middlebury holds a 3.5-point lead over Amherst in the NESCAC standings and controls its path to the top seed. A single victory this weekend would clinch the conference’s number one seed, regardless of what Amherst does against Hamilton. If Middlebury takes one of two this weekend and wins their quarterfinal game of the NESCAC playoffs, the NESCAC semifinals / finals would take place in their home rink.
Middlebury hosts both games at Chip Kenyon ’85 Arena, with Friday’s matchup set for 7:00 p.m. and Saturday’s matinee scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
The Panthers enter the weekend after a win and a tie against #12 Williams. Throughout the season, one consistent theme has been their ability to thrive in close games. Middlebury has 11 games decided by one-goal this season, accounting for half (50%) of its schedule. In those tight contests, the Panthers have captured wins in more than half of them. For comparison, Colby has played six one-goal games this season.
That success in close matchups has been driven by key contributors at both ends of the ice. First-year forward Trinity Walsh has made an immediate impact, recording 29 points in 22 games with 10 goals and 19 assists. She ranks third nationally in points among rookies. In net, senior Sophia Will has provided steady play in her 19 starts, posting a 1.40 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. Will has faced 471 shots and allowed just 27 goals.
Colby enters the weekend after splitting a series with Wesleyan and finds itself needing strong results to remain in the NPI at-large conversation should it fall short of the conference’s automatic bid. Simply having two away game at Middlebury on their NPI resumé will carry a good amount of weight, but wins of course would do wonders for the Mules. The Mules carry confidence from last season’s regular-season sweep of Middlebury and boast an impressive 9-0-1 record away from home this year.
Offensively, Colby features a balanced attack with nine skaters recording at least 10 points. Courtney Schumacher and Molly Lefebvre share the team lead with 15 points apiece. Schumacher has scored a team-high 12 goals, while Lefebvre has contributed seven goals and eight assists.
Special teams could also play a decisive role this weekend. Colby and Middlebury rank second and third nationally in penalty kill percentage, respectively, according to USCHO statistics. With both teams also operating efficient power plays, discipline and execution could prove critical in what may be a top-seed-clinching weekend for the Panthers.
With conference positioning and at-large implications on the line, Middlebury and Colby close out the regular season in a high-stakes NESCAC showdown. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday and 3:00 p.m. Saturday in Middlebury.
