Middlebury's men's ice hockey team defeated St. Thomas (Minnesota) March 19 to complete a sweep of the Division III ice hockey championships for the Panthers. The Panthers claimed their seventh NCAA title -- and second in a row -- with a 5-0 defeat of the Tommies.

The Panthers posted their fourth shutout in NCAA championship play. Middlebury's 2004 championship victory also was a shutout -- a 1-0 overtime win over St. Norbert. The 2005 title was the first won on the Panthers' home ice.

Middlebury's Mickey Gilchrist scored the first goal of the game and his 21st of the season at the 9:25 mark of the first period. After stopping a St. Thomas power play later in the period, Middlebury converted one of its own to build a two-goal lead off a shot by Patrick Nugent.

The Tommies attempted several shots on Panther goalie Ross Cherry in the second period, but Cherry, a freshman, was able to save each of them. Middlebury's John Sales increased the score to 3-0 with a sharp shot into the top right corner at 11:01. Sales also made the final score of the period, tapping the puck into the net with five seconds left.

Middlebury scored its final goal at the 7:37 mark in the third period when Darwin Hunt deflected a shot into the net off St. Thomas goalie Zach Sikich.

Strong defensive play by the Panthers held St. Thomas to 0-for-9 on power plays.

The shutout was the first against St. Thomas this season and ended the team's eight-game winning streak. The whitewash also was the sixth in Division III championship-game history.

The championship-game appearance was only the second for St. Thomas, which lost to Norwich in the 2000 finals.

Middlebury finished the year 23-4-3, while the Tommies end their season at 20-6-5. The Panthers hold a 28-5-2 record in NCAA tournament play, having won more games than any other team.

First round

St. Thomas (Minn.) 4, St. John's (Minn.) 1

Quarterfinals

Middlebury 6, Curry 0; New England Col. 4, Manhattanville 2; St. Thomas (Minn.) 3, St. Norbert 2; Trinity (Conn.) 4; Geneseo St. 0

Semifinals

St. Thomas (Minn.) 4, Trinity (Conn.) 1

First period: ST -- John Bottoms (Brandon Wilcox, Anthony Blumer) 9:38.

Penalties: ST -- Matt Kaiser (holding) 6:57; Bottoms (hooking) 10:40; Kevin Rollwagen (elbowing) 13:59; Andrew Edwards (tripping) 17:16. T -- John Halverson (hooking) 8:27; Ryan Stevens (holding the stick) 18:12.

Second period: ST -- Ryan Hoehn (Garrett Gruenke) 11:06; Brady Fougner (Nick Nelson, Colin Greenlees) 13:24.

Penalties: ST -- Kaiser (tripping) 18:02. T -- Joseph Ori (interference) 18:22.

Third period: ST -- Kaiser (Dan Krmpotich) 18:40. T -- Cameron Finch (Adam Ladd) 4:37.

Penalties: ST -- Krmpotich (cross-checking) 5:15.

Saves: Zach Sikich [St. Thomas (Minn.)] 31, Douglas Kisielius [Trinity (Conn.)] 22.

Middlebury 5, New England Col. 2

First period: NEC -- Greg Tam (Rashaun Ewing) 4:02; M -- Shady Young (Eric LaFreniere) 16:54.

Penalties: NEC -- Evan Erdmann (obstruction, hooking) 6:39; Tam (cross-checking) 14:42.

Second period: NEC -- Robin Bjorkman (Mike Carmody, Nick Fouts) 11:51.

Penalties: NEC -- TJ Carmody (hooking) 19:40. M -- Scott Ward (contact to the head) 7:57; Young (obstruction, hooking) 10:55; Robert MacIntyre (tripping) 14:17.

Third period: M -- Jocko DeCarolis (Tim Graham, Patrick Nugent) 2:36; Brett Shirreffs (Graham) 10:15; Mickey Gilchrist (Nugent) 13:16; DeCarolis (Darwin Hunt) 18:57.

Penalties: NEC -- Carmody (misconduct) 18:57.

Saves: Scott Gray (New England Col.) 25, Ross Cherry (Middlebury) 16.

Championship game

Middlebury 5, St. Thomas 0

First period: M -- Mickey Gilchrist (Eric LaFreniere) 9:25; Patrick Nugent (John Sales, Tom Maldonado) 16:42.

Penalties: M -- Samuel Drive (obstruction, holding) 1:35; Jeff Smith (obstruction, tripping) 3:21; Jocko DeCarolis (hooking) 11:39; Brian Phinney (boarding) 12:25. ST -- Dustan Lick (obstruction, holding) 1:35; Ryan Van Bockel (interference) 5:18; John Bottoms (interference) 15:35, Colin Greenlees (contact to the head) 17:36.

Second period: M -- Sales 11:01; Sales (Phinney) 19:55.

Penalties: M -- Brett Shirreffs (interference) 8:42; Scott Ward (hooking) 12:22; ST - Dam Krmpotich (contact to the head) 8:42; Lick (contact to the head) 17:57.

Third period: M -- Darwin Hunt (Phinney) 7:37.

Penalties: M -- Patrick Nugent (elbowing) 3:00; Nugent (interference) 7:04; Richie Fuld (interference) 10:43; Maldonado (tripping) 12:01. ST -- Andrew Edwards (obstruction, interference) 9:13; Anthony Blumer (slashing) 10:16; Krmpotich (tripping) 17:16.

Saves: Zach Sikich [St. Thomas (Minn.)] 28; Ross Cherry (Middlebury) 29.