NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Connecticut College field hockey team fell to No. 1 Middlebury by a 7-2 score on Saturday afternoon at Silfen Field.
 
The teams played an even first half on the scoreboard and found themselves deadlocked at 1-all by recess. The Camels were able to strike first just 5:24 into the contest when junior Abby Marchand (Oak Bluffs, Mass.) caged a feed from sophomore Elektra Rodger (Greenwich, Conn.), and the Panthers had a response less than four minutes later when a diving Katie George finished by herself through traffic.
 
Middlebury (9-0, NESCAC 4-0), which had a 14-1 advantage in shot attempts through the first half, were able to solve the Camel defense and senior goalie Jackie Mountford (New London, N.H.) in the second. Beginning with another George strike, the visitors were able to score three times in the third quarter and another three times in the fourth to put the game away. Freshman Rowan Galanis (Ipswich, Mass.) sealed the outcome by sending the ball past backup goalie KK Newton in the waning minutes.
 
Grace Harlan picked up the win between the posts without needing to make a save for Middlebury, which had a 31-3 advantage in total shots and a 16-1 advantage in penalty corners. Mountford stopped 11 shots in the losing effort.
 
Connecticut College (1-6, NESCAC 0-5) will quickly regroup and next host Williams College tomorrow afternoon. The Camels will also recognize their senior class prior to the contest.