HADLEY, Mass. – Following a 19-15 victory at Bowdoin in the final game of the regular season, the Tufts Jumbos closed out a perfect NESCAC regular season at 10-0 to earn the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC Men's Lacrosse Championships for the second straight year. Quarterfinal action begins on Saturday, April 29 on the campuses of the higher seeds. The four quarterfinal winners will square off in the semifinal round on Saturday, May 6 at the highest remaining seed, and the championship game is set for Sunday, May 7 at the site of the semifinal matches.
2022 NESCAC Championship Recap
The Tufts University Jumbos won their 11th NESCAC Men's Lacrosse Championship with a 20-11 victory over Bowdoin at Bello Field. Mac Bredahl scored six goals and added two assists while Jack Boyden chipped in six tallies to lead Tufts. The Jumbos held a 6-4 lead with under seven minutes to go in the second quarter and broke open the contest with 11 straight goals and limited Bowdoin to two scores in the third quarter to move out to a 17-4 advantage. The Polar Bears scored seven times in the final 20 minutes for the final margin. Donal Mullane finished the game with three goals and five assists while Will Byrne tallied four goals with two helpers to pace Bowdoin.
NESCAC Championship History
Four programs have won NESCAC Men's Lacrosse titles since 2001. Tufts leads the pack with 11 and has won the last four crowns. Middlebury won seven titles in consecutive years from 2001 to 2007. Wesleyan owns two titles, its most recent in 2017 and Williams won the 2008 NESCAC title.
#1 Tufts Jumbos
2023 Record: 15-0 / 10-0 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 22
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 13 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 11 (last: 2022)
Notes: Defending NESCAC Champion … Tufts, the four-time defending champion, is the No. 1 seed for the eighth time in program history and has qualified for every NESCAC Tournament … The Jumbos will host a quarterfinal game for the fourth straight season when they face No. 8 Connecticut College … Tufts defeated the Camels, 15-14, on April 8 and are 6-0 against them in the NESCAC postseason, including a 19-14 win in last year's quarterfinals … Tufts is the only unbeaten team in Division III (15-0) … The Jumbos' perfect regular-season record marks the sixth time since 2001 a team has gone unbeaten in NESCAC play … Tufts is the second team to post a 10-0 conference record joining Bates (2017).
#2 Middlebury Panthers
2023 Record: 14-1 / 9-1 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 20
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 11 (last: 2017)
NESCAC Titles Won: 7 (last: 2007)
Notes: Middlebury is the No. 2 seed for the first time in program history and will host a quarterfinal contest for the first time since 2016 when the Panthers face No. 7 Hamilton … Middlebury defeated the Continentals, 14-7, on April 5 and the teams have never met in the NESCAC Championship … Middlebury enters the tournament with a seven-game win streak.
TIEBREAKER: Williams, Amherst, and Bowdoin finished with identical conference records of 6-4. In head-to-head competition, Williams went 2-0 to earn the No. 3 seed, Amherst went 1-1 to earn the No. 4 seed, and Bowdoin went 0-2 to earn the No. 5 seed.
#3 Williams Ephs
2023 Record: 9-6 / 6-4 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 16
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 3 (last: 2021)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2008)
Notes: Williams is the No. 3 seed and will host a quarterfinal game for the first time since 2019 when it faces No. 6 Trinity … The Ephs opened the 2023 campaign with a 16-6 win over the Bantams … The quarterfinal marks the first meeting between the two teams in the NESCAC Tournament … The Ephs have played in two of the last three NESCAC Championship games (2019 & 2021).
#4 Amherst Mammoths
2023 Record: 10-4 / 6-4 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 20
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 2 (2015 & 2016)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Amherst is the No. 4 seed for the first time since 2019 and will host a quarterfinal for the eighth straight tournament … The Mammoths will face No. 5 Bowdoin which they defeated 13-12 on April 1 … The NESCAC postseason series stands even at 3-3 … The Polar Bears won the last meeting , 15-14, in the 2022 semifinals.
#5 Bowdoin Polar Bears
2023 Record: 11-4 / 6-4 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 19
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 4 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: 2022 NESCAC Runners-Up … Bowdoin is the No. 5 seed for the first time since 2013 and travels to No. 4 Amherst to open the NESCAC Championship … The Polar Bears suffered a 13-12 loss to Amherst on April 1 … Bowdoin evened the NESCAC Tournament series record at 3-3 with a 15-14 win over the Mammoths in the 2022 semifinals … The Polar Bears enter the tournament having won five of their last six games.
#6 Trinity Bantams
2023 Record: 8-7 / 5-5 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 9
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Trinity has qualified for the NESCAC Championships for the first time since 2019 and is the No. 6 seed for the first time since 2004 … Trinity travels to No. 3 Williams for a quarterfinal matchup … The two teams met in the 2023 season opener with the Bantams falling, 16-6, and the quarterfinal contest marks the first meeting between the two teams in the NESCAC Tournament … The Bantams are looking to earn their first NESCAC Tournament win since 2012.
TIEBREAKER: Hamilton, Conn. College, and Wesleyan finished with identical conference records of 4-6. In head-to-head competition, all three teams went 1-1. All three teams finished with 4 conference wins. In results against the top four teams, including all teams at the 4th spot (Tufts, Middlebury, Williams, Amherst, and Bowdoin), all three teams were 1-4. In results against the top eight teams, including all teams at the 8th spot (Tufts, Middlebury, Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Trinity, Hamilton, Conn. College, and Wesleyan), all three teams went 2-6. In comparing results against teams in rank order, all three teams lost to #1 Tufts and #2 Middlebury while Hamilton and Conn. College defeated #3 Williams and Wesleyan lost to #3 Williams. Wesleyan was separated from the tiebreaking process to finish in 9th. Hamilton and Conn. College were then compared in head-to-head competition. Hamilton defeated Conn. College to earn the No. 7 seed. Conn. College earned the No. 8 seed.
#7 Hamilton Continentals
2023 Record: 7-7 / 4-6 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 5
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Hamilton is making back-to-back appearances in the NESCAC for the first time since the 2012 and 2013 seasons … The Continentals are the No. 7 seed for the second straight season and will travel to No. 2 Middlebury … Hamilton suffered a 14-7 loss to Middlebury on April 5 and the teams have never squared off in the NESCAC Tournament … The Continentals are seeking their first NESCAC postseason victory in program history.
#8 Connecticut College Camels
2023 Record: 6-7 / 4-6 NESCAC
NESCAC Tournament Appearances (including this year): 15
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: The Camels are making their 15th appearance in the NESCAC Tournament and are the No. 8 seed for the second straight season … Conn. College travels to No. 1 Tufts for a quarterfinal matchup … The Camels nearly knocked off the Jumbos in the regular season, falling 15-14, on April 8 … Tufts improved to 6-0 versus Conn. College in the NESCAC postseason series with a 19-14 win in the 2022 quarterfinals … The Camels are looking to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2013.
