HARTFORD, Conn. – Claudia Vira scored two goals to lead top-ranked Middlebury College to a 5-0 victory over the Trinity College women's ice hockey team on Saturday afternoon in the Koeppel Community Sports Center. The Bantams slide to 6-9-1 overall with a 2-7 record in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play while the Panthers remain unbeaten, improving to 18-0 (12-0 NESCAC). Next up for Trinity is a 7 p.m. tilt on the road against Amherst College this coming Tuesday while Middlebury has nearly a week off before traveling to Williams College on Friday for a 7 p.m. puck drop. 
 
The Bantams managed to hang around in the first period against the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, only trailing the Panthers by one goal after the first. Alexis Ryan put the visitors on the board at the 6:26 mark. In the second frame, Middlebury netted three goals with Jenna Letterie (2:21 P2), Claudia Vira (5:22 P2), and Kate Dudley (19:06 P2) all cashing in. Letterie and Dudley's goals each came at even strength while Vira buried the first power play score of the afternoon. 
 
At the top of the third, Vira quickly added her second tally of the day (1:22 P3) while extending the Panthers lead to five. Trinity had four power plays but were unable to take advantage on each opportunity. Middlebury outshot the Bantams 49-21 while Hannah Leclair racked up 44 saves in net, marking the fourth-consecutive game the sophomore goaltender has posted at least 40 saves. Sophia Merageas collected 21 stops in net for the Panthers.