MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The No. 15 ranked Wesleyan field hockey team suffered a 5-0 defeat to No. 1 Middlebury on Sunday afternoon at Hicks Field. The Cardinals (5-2, 1-2 NESCAC) battled hard and played well in spurts, but were undone by the six-time defending National Champions.
 
The Cardinals had a chance to take an early lead, generating two penalty corners in a span of 18 seconds, with Kenzie Kelly '25 getting good looks at the goal, only to see Panther goalkeeper Izzy Redzic make saves on both shot attempts.
 
Middlebury took a 1-0 lead, scoring on what was their third penalty corner of the opening quarter, as Emily Stone received the insert and passed to Amy Griffin who had time to control the pass and generate a powerful shot that snuck inside the left post.
 
The Panthers had two more penalty corners in the first quarter, but came up empty on both thanks in large part to Audrey Pace '26 who made a great save on a deflected shot right in front by Stone. The follow-up came to Hanna Medwar who was also denied by a sprawling Pace in cage.
 
Wesleyan continued to push on attack, getting another penalty corner opportunity early in the second quarter, but the Panthers were able to get two more goals in the frame to take a 3-0 lead into halftime. Caroline Segal scored with 7:50 left in the frame, scoring off a centering pass from Sarah Bona who carried deep into the circle along the end line before centering to Segal. Georgianne Defeo swept home the third Panther goal off a penalty corner that made it 3-0.
 
Middlebury scored again off a penalty corner in the third quarter, as Amy Griffin had a shot attempt saved by Pace but Griffin knocked home the rebound, getting her stick on the ball out of mid-air.
 
Segal completed the scoring with a goal early in the fourth quarter off a centering feed from Caroline Haggerty.
 
Georgia Adams '26 came inches away from scoring just under a minute following Segal's second goal as she whipped a shot off a penalty corner that skidded off the turf and struck the left post.

Pace played well in the cage for Wesleyan, keeping her team in the game with a season-high 11 saves. 
 
After playing both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, the Cardinals have full five days to regroup and prepare for a Saturday afternoon showdown against Tufts at Noon from Hicks Field.