HADLEY, Mass. – Wesleyan is the top seed in the 2023 NESCAC Men’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.
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Championship Central
2023 NESCAC MEN’S ICE HCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarterfinals - Saturday, Feb. 25 at higher seeds
No. 8 Williams at No. 1 Wesleyan - 3:00 p.m.
No. 7 Bowdoin at No. 2 Trinity - 1:00 p.m.
No. 6 Tufts at No. 3 Amherst - 7:00 p.m.
No. 5 Colby at No. 4 Hamilton - 4:30 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 Men’s Ice Hockey Championship and all 10 teams were eligible for the tournament. Colby was the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2008 and hosted the semifinals and final. The Mules were joined by Hamilton, Trinity, and Williams in the semifinal round. Trinity defeated Colby, 4-1, to capture its sixth NESCAC crown.
Tiebreaker: Wesleyan and Trinity finished the regular season with 39.5 points. In head-to-head competition, Wesleyan went 2-0-0 versus Trinity in the final series of the regular season to earn the No. 1 seed, with Trinity earning the No. 2 seed.
#1 Wesleyan Cardinals
2022-23 Record: 15-6-3, 11-4-3 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2020)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2020)
Notes: The Cardinals are the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history … Wesleyan grabbed the top seed with a sweep of Trinity in the home-and-home series, 3-0 and 2-1, that closed out the regular season … The Cardinals will host No. 8 Williams in the quarterfinals … The two teams skated to a 3-3 tie on January 7 and Wesleyan posted a 4-2 win over the Ephs on February 4 … The NESCAC Championship series stands at 1-1 with the Cardinals earning a 3-2 overtime win in the 2020 semifinals en route to winning their lone NESCAC title … The Cardinals are in the NESCAC Tournament for the sixth consecutive season and have reached the semifinals in four of their last five appearances.
#2 Trinity Bantams
2022-23 Record: 16-7-1, 13-4-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 9 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 6 (last: 2022)
Notes: Defending NESCAC Champion … Trinity is the No. 2 seed for the second straight championship and will host a quarterfinal game for the 10th year in a row … The Bantams will meet No. 7 Bowdoin in the opening round … Trinity swept the regular-season series against the Polar Bears, winning 5-2 on January 14 and 4-0 on February 11 … Bowdoin is 6-2 against Trinity in the NESCAC postseason series which includes a 5-4 win in the most recent meeting in the 2014 semifinals … Trinity has won four of the last six NESCAC titles and owns six NESCAC crowns overall … Trinity is 9-2-1 at home this season and put together a 13-game unbeaten streak toward the end of the season.
#3 Amherst Mammoths
2022-23 Record: 15-5-4, 13-3-2 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 7 (last: 2019)
NESCAC Titles Won: 3 (last: 2015)
Notes: Amherst has qualified for every NESCAC Championship … The Mammoths are the No. 3 seed and will host a quarterfinal for the first time since 2019, the same year they made their last appearance in a championship game … Amherst will face No. 6 Tufts in the quarterfinal round … The teams split the regular season series … The Mammoths won at Tufts, 3-2, on January 13 and the Jumbos defeated the Mammoths in Amherst, 2-0, on February 10 … Amherst is 2-0 against Tufts in the championship series but the teams haven’t played since the 2015 semifinals, a 3-2 victory for the Mammoths.
#4 Hamilton Continentals
2022-23 Record: 13-9-2, 11-5-2 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2017)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Semifinalist … Hamilton is the No. 4 seed for the first time since 2019 and will host a quarterfinal for the sixth time in seven years when it plays No. 5 Colby … The home teams were victorious in the regular season series … Colby won 4-3 in Waterville, Maine on January 6 while Hamilton recorded a 3-1 win in Clinton, N.Y. on February 3 … The Mules are 2-1 against the Continentals in the NESCAC Tournament, including a 6-4 win in last year’s semifinals … Hamilton is making its eighth consecutive appearance in the tournament and has reached three straight semifinals … The Continentals' lone appearance in the championship game was in 2017.
#5 Colby Mules
2022-23 Record: 12-10-2, 10-7-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 2 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2018)
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Runner-Up … Colby is the No. 5 seed for the first time in program history and is competing in the NESCAC Championship for the sixth time in seven tournaments … The Mules travel to No. 4 Hamilton for the quarterfinals … In the regular-season series, the home teams came away with wins … Colby won 4-3 in Waterville, Maine on January 6 while Hamilton recorded a 3-1 win in Clinton, N.Y. on February 3 … The Mules improved to 2-1 against the Continentals in the NESCAC Tournament with a 6-4 win in last year’s semifinals … Colby has played in two of the last four championship games and won its only NESCAC title in program history in 2018.
Tiebreaker: Tufts and Bowdoin finished the regular season with 22.5 points. In head-to-head competition, Tufts went 1-0-1 versus Bowdoin to earn the No. 6 seed, with Bowdoin earning the No. 7 seed.
#6 Tufts Jumbos
2022-23 Record: 10-13-1, 7-10-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Tufts is the No. 6 seed for the first time since 2017 and is making its seventh appearance in the last eight NESCAC Championships … The Jumbos travel to No. 3 Amherst for the quarterfinals … The teams split the regular-season series with the road team winning each time … The Mammoths won at Tufts, 3-2, on January 13 and the Jumbos defeated the Mammoths in Amherst, 2-0, on February 10 … Amherst is 2-0 against Tufts in the championship series but the teams haven’t played since the 2015 semifinals, a 3-2 victory for the Mammoths.
#7 Bowdoin Polar Bears
2022-23 Record: 12-9-3, 6-9-3 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 7 (last: 2014)
NESCAC Titles Won: 2 (last: 2014)
Notes: Bowdoin is the No. 7 seed for the second straight season … The Polar Bears will play No. 2 Trinity in the quarterfinals … Trinity swept the regular season series, winning 5-2 on January 14 and 4-0 on February 11 … Bowdoin is 6-2 against Trinity in the NESCAC postseason series which includes a 5-4 win in the most recent meeting in the 2014 semifinals … The Polar Bears are making their third consecutive appearance in the NESCAC Championship and have qualified for 19 of the 23 NESCAC Championships … Bowdoin’s last semifinal appearance was in 2014, the same year the Polar Bears won their last title.
#8 Williams Ephs
2022-23 Record: 7-15-2, 5-11-2 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 4 (last: 2015)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Semifinalist … The Ephs are the No. 8 seed for the first time in program history and travel to top-seeded Wesleyan for the quarterfinals … The teams played to a 3-3 tie on January 7 and Wesleyan posted a 4-2 win over the Ephs on February 4 … The NESCAC Championship series stands at 1-1 with Wesleyan earning a 3-2 overtime win in the 2020 semifinals en route to winning its lone NESCAC title … Williams has qualified for every NESCAC Championship and reached the semifinals 10 times, including last season.
