NEW LONDON, Conn. – In a thrilling 2-1 game in front of a loud home crowd, the Connecticut College women's ice hockey team defeated No. 6 Middlebury on Saturday afternoon at Dayton Arena.

Senior goaltender Abby Wieczorek (Winnetka, Ill.) made 20 saves while only allowing the single score. The first year duo of Serena Seiple (Wilmette, Ill.) and Alana Burm (Hingham, Mass.) tallied goals for Conn, leading the squad to its first win over Middlebury since 2017. 

Following yesterday's 1-1 tie, both teams were seeking a more conclusive result in Saturday's matchup.

The first period ended in a scoreless offensive stalemate between the two teams. The Panthers outshot the Camels 9-3, but the defensive unit for the hosts held strong, killing off a pair of power play opportunities. 

Middlebury nearly broke the scoreless tie later in the period with the player-advantage. As goaltender Abby Wieczorek (Winnetka, Ill.) was forced out of the crease to contend with a shot, the loose puck slid right in front of the open goal. Fortunately, a Conn defender was able to clear the puck from the zone, and the first period would conclude with zeros on the scoreboard. 

Midway through the second period, the Camels broke through. Following a penalty on Middlebury, Conn controlled the puck in the Panthers defensive zone. In front of the blue line, defender Kiley Smith (Marion, Mass.) dished it to teammate Abby Munger (Trinity, Fla.). Munger delivered an excellent cross-ice pass to first year Serena Seiple (Wilmette, Ill.). Seiple immediately gathered the pass and fired a top shelf wrister past Panthers goaltender Sophia Will to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

However, the lead was short-lived, as Middlebury responded just over one minute later to tie the score off a rebound goal from Jenna Letterie. 

Not to be outdone, Conn continued to press the attack and was able to regain the advantage on the scoreboard at the 12:12 mark. After Rylie Griffith (West Hartford, Conn.) put a slap shot on net, Will made a diving effort to stop the attempt. First year Alana Burm (Hingham, Mass.) rushed in to poke in the rebound underneath the Middlebury goaltender who was laying in the crease after the save. Following the discussion between the officials regarding whether or not the puck crossed the goal line, the referees awarded the score to Conn, putting the hosts up 2-1 heading into the final stanza. 

Five minutes into the third, it appeared that the Camels were going to take a two-goal lead. Following a scrum in front of the Middlebury net, Kylie McCarthy (Dedham, Mass.) put a wrist shot into the back of the net off a rebound. After another consultation between the officials, they ruled that a Conn player interfered with the goaltender, nullifying the goal.

For the remainder of the period, the Panthers searched for the equalizer, but the Camels' back line and Wieczorek held them off the scoreboard. The Conn goaltender stopped three shots in the final minute to seal the 2-1 victory for the hosts.

Wieczorek had an outstanding weekend, making a combined 54 saves while only allowing a pair of goals in the two contests against the Panthers. Will stopped 20 shots for Middlebury.

With the victory, Conn moves into sole possession of second place in the NESCAC standings, while the Panthers slip to third.

Connecticut College (9-7-1 overall, 6-5-1 NESCAC) will next host non-conference opponent Nichols on Tuesday, January 31 at Dayton Arena.