MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Middlebury advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinal round for the ninth consecutive season with a 5-2 win over Bowdoin (13-7) in the third round of the Division III Tournament Sunday afternoon. The Panthers (18-3) will defend their national title at championship week with a quarterfinal match on Tuesday, May 24th in Claremont, California. Due to rain, today's matches took place inside the Nelson Recreational Center on the campus of Middlebury College.

Middlebury took the #3 doubles match 8-4 and picked up an 8-6 win at #2 to lead 2-0. The #1 singles match between Middlebury's Andy Peters/Brantner Jones and Bowdoin's Stephen Sullivan/Oscar Pena was a long one. Bowdoin was up a break and serving for the match at 7-6, but the Panthers broke to tie the match at 7-7. Middlebury then held service and once again broke the Polar Bears to pick up the 9-7 win.

Bowdoin jumped right back into the match with a pair of singles wins. Sam King earned a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Zach Bruchmiller at #2, before Chris Lord fought off cramping and came from a set down to defeat Alec Parower 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 at #3.

Shortly after Lord's victory, Peters gave the Panthers a two-point lead, coming from a set down to pick up a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Sullivan in the #1 singles slot. Derrick Angle sealed the victory for Middlebury at #4, topping Oscar Pena, 6-3, 6-2.

Middlebury 5, Bowdoin 2
Doubles
1. Peters/Jones (M) def. Sullivan/Pena (B) – 9-7
2. Mike Malhame/Derrick Angle (M) def. King/Lord (B) – 8-6
3. Spencer Lunghino/David Farah (M) def. Kent Winingham/Grindon (B) - 8-4

Singles
1. Andy Peters (M) def. Stephen Sullivan (B) – 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. Sam King (B) def. Zach Bruchmiller (M) – 6-3, 6-4
3. Chris Lord (B) def. Alec Parower (M) – 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
4. Derrick Angle (M) def. Oscar Pena (B) – 6-3, 6-2
5. Casey Grindon (B) led Spencer Lunghino (M) – 2-1
6. Brantner Jones (M) vs. Michael Power (B) – 1-1