West Hartford, Conn. - Junior defense Catherine Elkins (Bernardsville, N.J.) totaled six points with two goals and four assists to lead the visiting Middlebury College Panthers to a 9-0 win over the Trinity College Bantams in Eastern College Athletic Conference women's ice hockey action this afternoon at Kingswood-Oxford rink. Trinity falls to 1-17-3 and 1-14-1 in the ECAC, while the No. 1-ranked Panthers improve their record to 16-1-1 overall and 15-0-1 in the ECAC.

Trinity did manage to hold Middlebury scoreless for the first 10:28, before senior forward Michelle Labbe (Pointe Claire, Quebec) scored the Panthers first of three goals in the opening frame. Elkins assisted Labbe on the score and followed it up with her own goal 7:07 later. Elkins assisted freshman defense Molly Turco (Norwich, Vt.) at 19:26 for the third Middlebury goal.

Elkins scored another and assisted on two more Panther goals, as Middlebury scored three times in each period. Middlebury junior forward Nina Kieves (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored twice and classmate Laurie Richmond (Wellesley, Mass.) notched three assists.

Trinity freshman goaltender Blair Kurtz (Encino, Calif.) made 48 saves in 40 minutes before giving way to classmate Mimi MacKinnon (Glen Cove, N.Y) who stopped 14 shots in the third stanza. Junior goalie Megan Hutchinson (Windsor, Nova Scotia) had five saves in the shutout victory for the Panthers.

Middlebury (16-1-1)      3 3 3 -- 9

Trinity, Conn. (1-17-3)         0 0 0 -- 0

1.      M- Michelle Labbe (Gabrielle Fonseca, Catherine Elkins) 10:28, M- Catherine Elkins (Michelle Labbe,            Amber Neil) pp 17:35, M- Molly Turco (Catherine Elkins) 19:26.

2.     M- Nina Kieves (Jean Butler) pp 1:35, M- Catherine Elkins (Jean Butler, Anna Hastings, M- Kristin Reid           (Angela Kapus, Laurie Richmond) 15:54.

3.    M- Erin Neil (Laurie Richmond, Heather Wende) 4:37, M- Angela Kapus (Kristin Reid, Catherine Elkins)          8:59, M- Nina Kieves (Laurie Richmond, Catherine Elkins).

GOALIE SAVES

M- Megan Hutchinson - 5

TC- Blair Kurtz (40:00) - 48, Meredith MacKinnon (20:00) - 14

PENALTIES

M- 2/4, TC- 4/8

POWER PLAYS