BOX SCORE

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The Bowdoin College men's lacrosse team won at Middlebury for the first time since 1993, defeating the Panthers 11-6 on Saturday. The Polar Bears used a 7-1 first-half run to take control of the contest and improve to 5-5 (3-3 NESCAC) while the Panthers fall to 5-3 (3-3 NESCAC). The win is Bowdoin's first against Middlebury since the 2004 season.

Billy Bergner had two goals and an assist while Steve Thomas also netted two goals for Bowdoin. Ben Chadwick and Russell Halliday added a goal with two assists for the Polar Bears. Christopher Williamson was outstanding in goal, stopping 12 shots in the win, which was Bowdoin's first in Middlebury since claiming the ECAC Championship game in 1993.

David Hild led Middlebury with two goals, as Chris Teves chipped in a goal and one assist while Ryan Deane stopped nine shots in goal for the Panthers.

A goal by Bergner tied the game at two apiece at 3:48 in the first quarter, starting the decisive run for Bowdoin. The Polar Bears rattled off three more goals for a 5-2 lead before Hild laced a 15 yard shot past Bowdoin's Williamson at 7:43 in the second quarter. Bowdoin answered quickly as Gregory Kamford scored 15 seconds later off a feed from Matthew Egan. The Polar Bears tacked on two more tallies before the half, from Bergner and Nathan Fritts, for an 8-3 advantage at intermission.

Hild opened the scoring in the third on an unassisted score at 12:58 on a driving shot to cut the deficit to 8-4. Bowdoin responded with another pair of goals later in the quarter, capped by a transition goal from George Negroponte at 5:19, for a 10-4 lead after three quarters.

The Panthers battled back in the fourth, cutting the lead to 10-6 with 4:02 left on a Pete Smith score, but Bowdoin controlled the ball and notched a late score from senior Adam Tracy to seal the win. Tracy also grabbed a team-high six ground balls in the victory.