Middlebury, Vt. - The Middlebury College Panthers won their fourth straight game with a 3-2 win over the visiting Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's ice hockey action at Kenyon Arena. The Bantams fall to 11-5-3 overall and 8-3-3 in NESCAC play with their first loss in six games.  The Panthers  improve to 10-8-2 overall and 9-3-2 in the league.  The season series ends at 1-1, as Trinity had won on January 5, 2-1.       

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead 6:41 into the first period with a power play goal. Derek Pimental intercepted a pass and quickly found Ben Wiggins for an open look resulting in his fourth of the season. Trinity answered at 11:10, when senior captain Zachary Lombardi (Locust VAlley, N.Y.) found Larry Bero (Foxboro, Mass.) in transition for his second of the year. The Panthers regained the lead with 2:28 left in the period, when Mathieu Castonguay scored his first of the season from the left side past a screened Trinity junior goalie Ben Coulthard (South Windsor, Conn.) who finished with 35 saves.

The Panthers had a great chance to extend their lead 8:40 into the second period while shorthanded. Michael Longo picked up the puck and skated in alone after a Trinity defender had fallen down. After a nice move to the backhand, Longo was denied by a great pad save from Coulthard.  Neither team scored in the second period, with Middlebury holding a 13-1 shots advantage. The Bantams had two power plays in the period, with their first shot coming at the 14:35 mark.

Trinity tied the game with a shorthanded goal 12:48 into the third period. Junior forward Charlie Mullan (Buffalo, N.Y.) fed sophomore forward Tim Shea (Somerset, Mass.), as the lefty scored with a far side shot from the right wing for his second of the year. Middlebury answered with the game-winner just 1:21 later as Evan Neugold's shot from the goal line area deflected past Coulthard for the 3-2 lead.  Trinity pulled Coulthard with 1:00 to go and went on the power play with 20 seconds left, but took a penalty five seconds later to end the extra-man opportunity. Coulthard returned to the net for the final 15 seconds as Middlebury hung on for the win.  The Panthers held a 38-14 shots advantage in the game, getting a dozen saves from Dan Fullam to earn the win.  

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