Women's Ice Hockey

Amherst Earns the Top Seed in the NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship

HADLEY, Mass. – Amherst is the top seed in the 2023 NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship which will be played from February 25 through March 5. Quarterfinal games will be played at the higher seeds on February 25. The semifinals and final are set for March 4 and 5 at the highest remaining seed.  
2023 NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship Logo> Championship Central

2023 NESCAC WOMEN’S ICE HCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarterfinals - Saturday, Feb. 25 at higher seeds
No. 8 Wesleyan at No. 1 Amherst - 1:00 p.m.
No. 7 Williams at No. 2 Hamilton - 1:00 p.m.
No. 6 Trinity at No. 3 Colby - 3:00 p.m.
No. 5 Conn. College at No. 4 Middlebury - 3:00 p.m.
Semifinal - Saturday, March 4 at highest remaining seed 
Lowest Remaining Seed vs. Highest Remaining Seed - 1:00 p.m.
Other Quarterfinal Winners - 4:00 p.m.
Final - Sunday, March 5 at Semifinal host
Semifinal Winners - 2:00 p.m.

 
2022 NESCAC Championship Recap
Due to COVID protocols impacting teams and creating a disparity in the number of games played last season, the NESCAC membership agreed to modify the NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship and all nine teams were eligible for the tournament. Middlebury was the No. 1 seed for the 14th time and hosted the semifinals and final. The Panthers were joined by Amherst, Colby, and Hamilton in the semifinal round. Middlebury skated to a 2-0 victory over the Mammoths to claim its 11th NESCAC title.
 
#1 Amherst Mammoths
2022-23 Record: 21-3-0, 13-3-0 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 11 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 4 (last: 2020)
Notes: NESCAC Runner-Up … Amherst is the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2010 … The Mammoths have qualified for every NESCAC Championship and will host a quarterfinal game for the third straight season when they face No. 8 Wesleyan in their opening game … Amherst swept the regular-season series against the Cardinals, winning 6-0 and 3-1 on January 20-21 … The 2023 quarterfinal marks the first meeting between the teams in the NESCAC Tournament … Amherst put together an 18-game win streak that spanned from November 22-February 3 … The Mammoths have reached seven straight semifinals and played in five of the last six championship games … Amherst’s 21 wins mark the first 20-win season since the 2015-16 campaign.
 
#2 Hamilton Continentals
2022-23 Record: 18-4-2, 12-3-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Semifinalist … Hamilton’s No. 2 seed marks the highest in program history … The Continentals’ will host a quarterfinal for the sixth straight year when they face No. 7 Williams … The teams split the regular season series at Hamilton on January 13-14 … The Ephs won the opening game, 1-0, and the Continentals won the second contest, 4-1 … Hamilton owns a 2-1 edge versus Williams in the NESCAC postseason series which includes a 1-0 win in the 2022 quarterfinals … The Continentals are making their eighth consecutive appearance in the tournament and reached the semifinals in the last three championships … Hamilton’s 18 wins are the most in a single season in program history … The Continentals went 8-1-2 to close out the regular season.

#3 Colby Mules
2022-23 Record: 16-6-0, 10-6-0 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2008)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Semifinalist … Colby is the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2002 and is making its 19th tournament appearance … The Mules are hosting a quarterfinal for the third year in a row and will face No. 6 Trinity in a rematch of the 2022 quarterfinals … Colby swept the Bantams, 2-0 and 9-3, on January 27-28 in Waterville, Maine … The 2022 quarterfinal game, which the Mules won, 3-1, marks the only meeting between the two teams in the NESCAC Tournament … The Mules have reached the semifinals in back-to-back tournaments and their lone appearance in the championship game was in 2008 … Colby enters the tournament riding a five-game win streak.
 
#4 Middlebury Panthers
2022-23 Record: 15-6-3, 10-4-2 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 14 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 11 (last: 2022)
Notes: Defending NESCAC Champion … Middlebury is the No. 4 seed for the first time in program history … The Panthers will host No. 5 Connecticut College in the quarterfinals … The Camels went 1-0-1 against Middlebury in the regular season series on January 27-28 in New London, Conn. … The teams skated to a 1-1 tie in the opening game and Middlebury dropped a 2-1 decision in the second contest … Middlebury is 4-1 versus the Camels in the NESCAC Championship series which includes a 2-1 win in the 2022 quarterfinals … The Panthers, who have played in seven consecutive championship games, have qualified for every NESCAC Championship and own 11 NESCAC titles, the most among any school in the conference.

#5 Connecticut College Camels
2022-23 Record: 12-11-1, 6-9-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Connecticut College is the No. 5 seed for the time since 2015 … The Camels are competing in the NESCAC Championship for the 15th consecutive tournament … Connecticut College will take on No. 4 Middlebury in a rematch of the 2022 quarterfinals … The Camels went 1-0-1 against the Panthers in the regular season on January 27-28 … The teams played to a 1-1 tie in the first game and Connecticut College earned a 2-1 win in the second game … The Camels are 1-4 against Middlebury in the NESCAC Tournament series … Connecticut College’s last semifinal appearance was in 2018.
 
#6 Trinity Bantams
2022-23 Record: 12-10-1, 6-9-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 2 (2015)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2015)
Notes: Trinity is the No. 6 seed for the first time since 2014 … The Bantams are in the tournament field for the fourth year in a row and have qualified for 15 of the last 17 NESCAC Championships … The Bantams travel to No. 3 Colby in a rematch of the 2022 quarterfinals … Colby swept the regular season series versus the Bantams, 2-0 and 9-3, on January 27-28 in Waterville, Maine … The 2022 quarterfinal game, which the Mules won, 3-1, marks the lone meeting between the two teams in the NESCAC Tournament … Trinity’s last semifinal appearance was in 2015.

#7 Williams Ephs
2022-23 Record: 11-11-1, 6-9-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 3 (last: 2019)
NESCAC Titles Won: 2 (2019)
Notes: Williams is the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2017 and will travel to No. 2 Hamilton in a repeat of the 2022 quarterfinals … The teams split the regular season series at Hamilton on January 13-14 … The Ephs won the first game, 1-0, and Hamilton posted a 4-1 win in the second contest … Hamilton owns a 2-1 edge in the NESCAC postseason series which includes a 1-0 win in the 2022 quarterfinals … Williams has qualified for 14 straight NESCAC Championships and won its second NESCAC title in 2019.

Tiebreaker: Wesleyan and Bowdoin both finished with 10 points. In head-to-head competition, the teams went 1-1-0 versus each other. In comparison of overall conference wins (including regulation and OT wins), Wesleyan recorded three conference wins, while Bowdoin tallied two conference wins. As a result, Wesleyan earned the No. 8 seed.

#8 Wesleyan Cardinals
2022-23 Record: 9-14-1, 3-13-0 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Wesleyan is the No. 8 seed for the second straight season … Cardinals are making their fifth appearance in the NESCAC Tournament since 2016-17 and will travel to No. 1 Amherst for a quarterfinal matchup … Wesleyan went 0-2 in the regular-season series against the Mammoths, falling 6-0 and 3-1 … The quarterfinal marks the first meeting between the teams in the NESCAC Tournament … Wesleyan is looking for the program’s first NESCAC postseason victory.