Trinity Enters as Tournament's Top Seed

HADLEY, Mass. - After finishing the regular season with a 15-2-2 mark, Trinity will enter the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Men’s Ice Hockey Championship as the top seed. The eight-team tournament will begin on Saturday, February 26.

The Bantams, ranked sixth in the nation in the latest USCHO.com poll with an overall record of 19-2-2, will host eighth-seeded Tufts (8-10-1 NESCAC, 12-11-1 overall). Trinity has met defending national champion Middlebury in the previous three NESCAC Tournament finals, defeating the Panthers in 2003 to become the only team other than Middlebury to claim the NESCAC title.

In other quarterfinal action, second-seeded and eighth ranked Middlebury (13-4-2 NESCAC, 17-4-3 overall) will host seventh seed Hamilton (8-8-3 NESCAC, 9-11-4 overall). Middlebury lost to the Continentals 3-2 in Clinton earlier this season.

Colby enters the tournament as the third seed with a 12-6-1 league record and 14-7-2 overall mark. The Mules will host sixth seeded Williams (11-7-1 NESCAC, 11-11-2). The Ephs, who have wins over both Middlebury and Norwich this year, dropped a 5-2 decision to Colby in early January.

Fifth-seeded Amherst (11-6-2 NESCAC, 13-9-2 overall) will travel to fourth seed Bowdoin (11-5-3 NESCAC, 15-5-3 overall) in the remaining quarterfinal contest. Amherst defeated the Polar Bears 4-2 in Amherst on the final day of regular season competition.

Quarterfinal winners will be re-bracketed and the semifinal and final rounds will be held at the highest remaining seed beginning on Saturday, March 5. The NESCAC tournament champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship.

2005 NESCAC MEN’S ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarterfinals - Saturday, Feb. 26 at higher seeds
No. 8 Tufts at No. 1 Trinity - 4:30 p.m.
No. 7 Hamilton at No. 2 Middlebury - 4:00 p.m.
No. 6 Williams at No. 3 Colby - 4:00 p.m.
No. 5 Amherst at No. 4 Bowdoin - 4:00 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, March 5 at highest remaining seed
Highest remaining seed vs. lowest remaining seed - 1:00 p.m.
Remaining first round winners - 4:00 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, March 6
Semifinal winners - 1:00 p.m.