Panthers Beat Pilgrims 6-3

The win improves the #7 ranked Panthers to 13-2-1 overall and 9-1-1 in NESCAC play.  The loss snaps a five game unbeaten streak for the Pilgrims dropping their record to 10-3-3 on the season and 5-2-3 in the ECAC East.
 
With the win Middlebury head coach Bill Beaney earned his 500th career victory.  Beaney is just the 18th coach in college hockey history to amass 500 wins, sporting a career record of 500-291-45 over 28 years.  Beaney recorded 86 of those victories at NEC (79’-86) and has a record of 414-115-28 in 21 years at Middlebury.  He is currently second among active Division III coaches in wins, while ranked fourth all-time in victories.
 
The two teams battled evenly through the opening minutes of play but Middlebury’s Chaz Svoboda (Verdun, Quebec) would net his fourth goal of the season at the 5:13 mark to put the Panthers up 1-0.  Middlebury wouldn’t waste much time adding to their lead with Scott Bartlett (Pittsford, N.Y.) scoring a power-play goal assist by Michael Kretschmer (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Svoboda just a minute later putting the Panther up 2-0.  Middlebury would add a goal late in the period scoring their second power-play goal of the game with just under two minutes remaining in the period to head into the first intermission up 3-0.
 
NEC would strike early in the second period with Pilgrim’s leading scorer Mark Ehl (N. Vancouver, B.C.) netting a power-play goal assisted by Mike Carmody (Falmouth, Maine) and Mike Mullen (Pittsburgh, Pa.) at the 1:02 mark.  Ehl would strike again scoring his second power-play goal of the game and his 16th goal of the season at the 9:09 mark to cut the Panther lead to 3-2.
 
Middlebury would answer in the third period with Mason Graddock (Stowe, Vt.) scoring on a break away just 3:17 into the period as the Panthers would regain the two goal lead.  Middlebury’s Bartlett would net his second goal of the afternoon to give the Panthers a 5-2 cushion with just 10 minutes remaining in the game. NEC’s Mark Ehl would score his third power-play goal of the night with just under 2:30 remaining but Middlebury would tack on an empty netter late to capture the 6-3 victory.
 
Picking up the win in goal for Middlebury College was Doug Raeder (Needham, Mass.) who finished the afternoon with 31 saves.  In net for the Pilgrims was Ron Baia (West Haven, Conn.) who finished with 25 saves.