Midfielder/defender Elise Kornack '09 turns upfield in front of the Middlebury bench. (H. Jay Burns photo)

LEWISTON, Maine -- Middlebury College struck for five goals in the first half en route to a 7-2 NESCAC women's soccer victory over host Bates College on Saturday.

Middlebury's win represents the first time either team has beaten the other on the road since 1999, when the Bobcats won 2-1.

Middlebury junior Ashley Pfaff (Charlotte, Vt.) scored in the 13th minute to put the Panthers ahead for good at 2-1, and added another score 16 minutes later for her seventh goal of the season. Pfaff's first goal came courtesy of a fine pass by Jenny Galgano. Bates first-year goalie Brittney French (Auburn, Maine) dived for the ball but missed, leaving Pfaff to finish the play with ease. Pfaff later scored off of a Nora Tomlinson-Weintraub corner kick, with her shot barely crossing the line before French could control it.

Margaret Owen, Paola Carbonargi, Caitlin Parker, Zoe Victor and Carly Berger all added goals for the Panthers (8-3-2, 4-3-1 NESCAC), with Parker and Berger adding one assist apiece.

Bates (2-10, 0-8 NESCAC) received a game-tying goal on a penalty kick in the 12th minute by senior Molly Wagner (Longmeadow, Mass.), her second goal of the season. Junior Amy Werblin (Huntington Beach, Calif.) added her first goal of the season with 2:30 left in the game, on an assist by first-year Hannah Porst (Madison, Wis.).

Middlebury took a 5-1 lead into halftime and didn't score again until the 85th minute, as Berger assisted Victor's goal before adding one of her own a minute later on a breakaway.

Middlebury outshot Bates by a 28-10 margin, as Bates goalkeepers French and Emily Staszak (Auburn, Maine) combined for eight saves, with French starting the game and Staszak working the second half.

Lauryn Torch started and made three saves for the Panthers; Adele Plunkett played the second half and made two more saves.

It was the final home game for four Bates seniors: Ali Emery (Richmond, Vt.), Jen Pflanz (Westwood, Mass.), Nini Spalding (San Francisco, Calif.) and Wagner. Bates has a non-league game at UMaine-Farmington on Wednesday at 3:30, then will play at Colby in a NESCAC game on Oct. 27 at 11 a.m.

BOX SCORE: Middlebury 7, Bates 2