HADLEY, Mass. – For the sixth straight year, Middlebury College has earned the top seed in the NESCAC Field Hockey Championship. The 2023 tournament begins with quarterfinal action on Saturday, October 28 at the higher seeds. The four quarterfinal winners will square off in the semifinal round on Saturday, November 4 at the highest remaining seed. The championship game is set for Sunday, November 5 at the site of the semifinal host.
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Championship Central
2023 NESCAC FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, October 28 at Higher Seeds
Quarterfinal Games
No. 8 Trinity at No. 1 Middlebury – 11:00 a.m.
No. 7 Amherst at No. 2 Tufts – 12:00 p.m.
No. 6 Bowdoin at No. 3 Bates – 12:00 p.m.
No. 5 Wesleyan at No. 4 Williams – 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 4 at Highest Remaining Seed
Semifinals – Games at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Highest Remaining Seed vs. Lowest Remaining Seed
Remaining Quarterfinal Winners
Sunday, November 5 at Semifinal Site
Final - 12 p.m.
Semifinal winners
#1 Middlebury Panthers
2023 NESCAC Record: 10-0 (15-0 overall)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 23
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 15 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 9 (last: 2022)
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Champion … The Panthers, who have qualified for every NESCAC Tournament, are the No. 1 seed for the sixth year in a row and the 10th time overall … Middlebury will host a quarterfinal game for the 19th time and faces No. 8 Trinity … The Panthers, who finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 conference record and stand 15-0 overall, posted a 6-2 win over Trinity in the regular season matchup on October 14 and are 6-1 against the Bantams in the NESCAC postseason series which includes a 4-0 win in the 2021 semifinals when the teams last met in the tournament … Middlebury carries a 23-game win streak into the tournament and posted its fifth undefeated NESCAC regular season in 2023 … The Panthers have won the last five NESCAC titles and have played in every NESCAC Championship game since 2011.
#2 Tufts Jumbos
2023 NESCAC Record: 8-2 (11-4 overall)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 21
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 7 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 2 (last: 2016)
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Runners-Up … Tufts will host a quarterfinal game for the eighth straight year and is the No. 2 seed for the second consecutive tournament … The Jumbos will face No. 7 Amherst in the quarterfinals … Tufts edged the Mammoths, 2-1 in overtime, in the regular season on September 15 … The quarterfinal marks the third meeting between the teams in the NESCAC Championship with Tufts holding a 2-0 advantage … The Jumbos recorded a 2-0 win in the 2018 quarterfinals in the last meeting with Amherst in the tournament … Tufts has advanced to the semifinals nine of the last 10 years and played in the championship game three times since 2018 … The Jumbos have played five overtime games and are 3-2 in those contests.
#3 Bates Bobcats
2023 NESCAC Record: 7-3 (11-4 overall)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 11
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Bates has earned the No. 3 seed in the NESCAC Championship, marking the highest seed in program history … The Bobcats have qualified for their fourth straight NESCAC Championship and are in the tournament field for the seventh time in eight seasons … Bates will host a quarterfinal for the first time in program history when they face No. 6 Bowdoin … The Bobcats defeated the Polar Bears, 3-1, on September 9 … Bowdoin owns a 2-0 advantage in the NESCAC postseason series and won the last meeting in the 2015 quarterfinals, 4-1 … Bates’ seven NESCAC wins are the most in program history and the team’s 11 overall wins are the most since 1999 … Bates has won four straight and eight of their last nine games entering the tournament.
#4 Williams Ephs
2023 NESCAC Record: 6-3 (9-5 overall)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 22
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 6 (last: 2005)
NESCAC Titles Won: 3 (last: 2004)
Notes: The Ephs have qualified for all but one NESCAC Championship field and are the No. 4 seed for the first time since 2019 … Williams will host No. 5 Wesleyan in the quarterfinals … The Ephs posted a 3-2 win over the Cardinals on October 14 and are 2-0 in the NESCAC postseason series … The teams last played each other in the 2003 quarterfinals with Williams earning a 3-1 victory … The Ephs have advanced to the semifinals five of the last six tournaments.
#5 Wesleyan Cardinals
2023 NESCAC Record: 5-5 (9-6 overall)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 14
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Tiebreaker: Wesleyan, Bowdoin, and Amherst finished with identical conference records of 5-5. In head-to-head competition, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, and Amherst went 1-1 against each other. In comparing results against the top four teams (Middlebury, Tufts, Bates, and Williams), Wesleyan, Bowdoin, and Amherst went 1-3. In comparing results against the top eight teams (Middlebury, Tufts, Bates, Williams, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Amherst, and Trinity), Wesleyan went 3-4, Bowdoin went 2-5, and Amherst went 2-5. Wesleyan earned the No. 5 seed. In head-to-head competition, Bowdoin defeated Amherst to earn the No. 6 seed and Amherst is the No. 7 seed.
Notes: Wesleyan returns to the NESCAC Championship field for the first time since 2013 … The Cardinals are the No. 5 seed for the first time since 2010 … Wesleyan travels to No. 4 Williams for the quarterfinals … The Ephs defeated Wesleyan, 3-2, on October 14 and hold a 2-0 advantage in NESCAC Tournament play … Wesleyan and Williams last met in the NESCAC Tournament in the 2003 quarterfinals with the Ephs posting a 3-1 win.
#6 Bowdoin Polar Bears
2023 NESCAC Record: 5-5 (10-5 overall)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 23
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 13 (last: 2021)
NESCAC Titles Won: 8 (last: 2015)
Notes: Bowdoin is the No. 6 seed for the second straight tournament … The Polar Bears have qualified for every NESCAC Championship (23 straight) … Bowdoin travels to neighboring Bates for a quarterfinal contest … The Polar Bears dropped a 3-1 decision to Bates on September 9 but are 2-0 against the Bobcats in the NESCAC Tournament, including a 4-1 in in the last meeting in the 2015 quarterfinals … Bowdoin went 3-2 in the final five games with the two losses were in overtime and by shootout … The Polar Bears are looking to return to the semifinals for the second time in three years … Bowdoin has won eight NESCAC titles in program history.
#7 Amherst Mammoths
2023 NESCAC Record: 5-5 (9-6 overall)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 20
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2001)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Amherst is the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2018 … The Mammoths won three of their last four games to close out the regular season … Amherst, which has qualified for the tournament for the 20th time, travels to No. 2 Tufts for a quarterfinal matchup … The Mammoths fell in overtime, 2-1, to the Jumbos on September 15 … The teams will meet for the third time in the tournament with Tufts owning a 2-0 advantage, including a 2-0 win in the 2018 quarterfinals in the last meeting … Amherst is looking to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2015.
#8 Trinity Bantams
2023 NESCAC Record: 4-6 (9-6 overall)
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 18
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 2 (last: 2017)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Trinity is the No. 8 seed for the first time since 2019 … The Bantams have qualified for the NESCAC Championship for the 17th year in a row … Trinity is looking to earn a spot in the semifinals for the third straight year when it travels to top-seeded Middlebury … The Panthers posted a 6-2 win over Trinity in the regular season matchup on October 14 … The Bantams are 1-6 against Middlebury in the NESCAC postseason series.
