MIDDLEBURY, VT. – The Wesleyan men's ice hockey team suffered a 5-2 NESCAC loss to Middlebury College on Saturday afternoon as the team was led by Dylan Margel with a team-leading sixth goal from Middlebury's Kenyon Arena.

Flocking inside the Cardinals' (7-13-0 overall, 6-8-0 NESCAC) zone, the Panthers (12-6-3 overall, 8-5-2 NESCAC)spent the opening minutes surrounding goaltender Patrick McDevitt '28 but with just five minutes underway Danny Markham '28 gave the Cardinals the go ahead with the opening goal. Corralling the puck down behind the net, Andrew Haxton '28 released the puck to Troy Maldonado '28 at the blue line with Markham making his way across the crease. Markham tucked Maldonado's pass over the goal line, taking the one-goal lead. The Panthers took an immediate penalty and sent the Cardinals to the power play but neither team would convert for the remainder of the period.

Taken to task as the Panthers opened the second period on the power play, the Cardinals faced five Panthers power plays in a row with McDevitt and the penalty kill units allowing just seven shots on goal. While the Panthers managed to tie the game on the Cardinals' hooking call, the Cardinals staved off three more-man advantages before catching a break as the Panthers collapsed with two many men on the ice.  

Allowing just two minutes of play from the opening faceoff of the third period, the Panthers took their first lead of the game with a second power-play goal. The Cardinals wasted little time in bringing the game to a two-goal tie, giving Dylan Margel '29 his sixth goal of the season. Settled inside the Panthers blue line, Margel lasered a shot to the left corner with help from Ethan Davidson '26 emerging from behind the net.

Easing into the final 10 minutes of regulation, the Panthers capitalized on three more scoring opportunities. The Panthers were led by Tyler Wishart with a goal, two assists, and four shots on goal. Margel finished the afternoon with a team leading four shots on Andrew Heinze.

McDevitt stopped 34 shots for the Cardinals with Heinze stopping 18 in the opposing net.

The Cardinals return to the ice on Friday, Feb. 13, when they host Colby at 7 p.m.