Four Hamilton College players scored goals and the Continentals posted a 4-2 NESCAC win against the previously unbeaten and nationally ranked No. 3 Middlebury College Panthers at Hamilton's Goodfriend Field on Sunday afternoon.

The Continentals (3-3, 2-2 NESCAC) knocked off Middlebury for the first time since 1991. Hamilton is averaging 2.8 goals per game so far this year.

The Panthers (4-1, 3-1) were handed their first loss this year and their first since the 2015 NESCAC Field Hockey Championship final. Middlebury went on to win the 2015 NCAA Division III championship. The Panthers were coming off a 3-2 victory against No. 1 Bowdoin on Saturday. Middlebury had gone 48 games without allowing as many as four goals.

Michaela Giuttari '20 led the Continentals' offense with a goal and an assist. Giuttari finished the weekend with eight points. Julia Booth '19 made eight saves in her sixth start this year.

Hamilton put the pressure on the Panthers right away with two goals on penalty corners in the first five minutes. Giuttari scored her fifth goal this year just 1:49 into the first half. Caroline Ames '17 hammered a shot that was blocked and the ball popped up in the air over to Giuttari at the right post where she batted it into the cage.

Ames made it 2-0 at 4:51 of the half. Emma Anderson '17 inserted the ball on a corner and Liz Wagenbach '18 stopped it for Ames, who blasted a shot from the top of the circle that was deflected on its way into the cage.

Middlebury was awarded eight corners in the last 12 minutes of the half and the Panthers tied the score on a pair of goals less than two minutes apart. Lauren Schweppe controlled a loose ball, moved a few feet into the top of the circle and smacked a shot past Booth with 4:07 left in the half.

Annie Leonard tied the score at 2-2 following a corner with 2:13 remaining. Leonard took a shot that was saved by Booth and a scrum in front of the goal ensued. Somehow, Leonard found the ball and flipped it over Booth's head and into the cage. Leonard is tied for the conference lead with nine goals and is first in points with 21.

Eva Rosencrans '17 -- one of the most prolific scorers in program history for the Continentals -- gave Hamilton the lead for good 5:30 into the second half. Giuttari passed ahead to Rosencrans in the circle, she maneuvered around the charging goalie and swept the ball into the lower left-hand corner of the cage as she fell to the turf. Rosencrans is second on the team's all-time list with 42 goals.

The Continentals found magic again following their sixth and final corner of the day. The ball was stopped by Ames, who pushed it to a wide open Margaret Revera '18 on the left. Revera unleashed a hard shot that was redirected into the cage by Tatiana Bradley '19 for her third goal this year with 8:49 to go.

Now trailing 4-2, Middlebury called a timeout to regroup. The Panthers managed three corners and three shots -- two of which were saved by Booth -- in the final seven minutes. Middlebury's fate was sealed when one of its players was sent off with a five-minute yellow card with 4:26 left and the Panthers were forced to finish the game with just 10 on the field.

Middlebury held an 18-7 shot advantage and was awarded 15 corners to six for Hamilton.

The Continentals make the short trip to Utica College for a non-conference game on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. The Panthers travel to Skidmore College for a non-league contest on Wednesday at 4 p.m.