HARTFORD, Conn. - Katie George, scored twice to lead the visiting Middlebury College Panthers to a 4-2 victory over the Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) field hockey action this afternoon on Sheppard Field.  Trinity, ranked No. 9 in the nation, falls to 10-4 overall and 5-4 in the NESCAC, while the top-ranked Panthers are now 14-0 overall and 9-0 in the league.  The Bantams face No. 7-ranked Amherst in the final regular season game of the fall on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Middlebury finishes up its regular season at No. 11-ranked Williams on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.  Trinity sophomore goalkeeper Olivia McMichael (Glenside, Pa.) made 13 saves for the Bantams.

After a scoreless first quarter that saw McMichael make four saves and Trinity senior captain India Shay (Southborough, Mass.) nearly score on a diving redirect that was turned away by Middlebury goalie Grace Harlan, the teams scored five times in the second frame.  The Panther struck first 2:06 into the second quarter when Isabel Chandler knocked the ball in from the left after the initial shot by Erin Nicholas had been stopped by McMichael.  Trinity answered when sophomore Jackie Frank (Longmeadow, Mass.) converted on a pass by Shay just 1:36 later. 

Middlebury took a 3-1 lead on consecutive goals 2:10 apart.  George scored in transition thanks to a pass from the right wing by Grace Murphy and Amy Griffin blasted a high shot past McMichael from the top of the circle.  The Bantams pulled to within a goal at the 5:20 mark of the second stanza on a rocket off a Middlebury stick by senior captain Christine Taylor (Westport, Conn.).  The goal was scored off a penalty corner inserted by sophomore Katrina Winfield (Wilmington, Del.) and stopped by classmate Kyle Tierney (Garden City, N.Y.).  George scored an insurance goal for the visitors on a rebound just 1:09 after halftime, and the Middlebury defense tightened up and did not yield a shot in after the break.  Harlan improver her record to 14-0 with two saves.