HADLEY, Mass. – Trinity has clinched the top seed in the 2024 NESCAC Men’s Ice Hockey Championship which will be played from February 24 through March 3. Quarterfinal games will be played at the higher seeds on February 24. The semifinals and final are set for March 2 and 3 at the highest remaining seed.

2023 NESCAC Championship Recap
In the first-ever matchup of the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in a NESCAC Championship game in any sport, the Bowdoin Polar Bears became the first No. 7 seed to win the conference title in the history of the NESCAC Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. Bowdoin’s Bobbly Pearl netted the game-winner 3:56 into overtime to lift the Polar Bears past No. 8 Williams, 3-2.
 
#1 Trinity Bantams
2023-24 Record: 20-3-1 (16-1-1 NESCAC)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 10 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 6 (last: 2022)
Notes: Trinity is the No. 1 seed for the sixth time in program history and first time since 2019 … The Bantams will host a quarterfinal game for the 11th straight year when they face No. 8 Colby … Trinity won both games versus the Mules in the regular season, 4-2 and 5-3 … The quarterfinal matchup will mark the eighth time the teams have met in the NESCAC Tournament … The Bantams own a 6-1 mark which includes a 4-1 win in the 2022 NESCAC Championship game the last time the teams met in the tournament … Trinity enters the NESCAC Championship riding an eight-game winning streak and has reached the 20-win milestone for the first time since the 2016-17 season … Trinity has won four NESCAC titles since 2016 and owns six NESCAC crowns overall.

#2 Bowdoin Polar Bears
2023-24 Record: 14-6-4 (10-4-4 NESCAC)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 8  (last: 2023)
NESCAC Titles Won: 3 (last: 2023)
Notes: 2023 NESCAC Champion … Bowdoin, the defending NESCAC Champion, is the No. 2 seed for the first time since 2012 … The Polar Bears will host a quarterfinal game for the first time since 2016 when they play No. 7 Middlebury … Bowdoin went 1-0-1 against the Panthers in the regular season, winning 4-3 in overtime in Brunswick, Maine and playing to a 2-2 draw at Middlebury … Bowdoin is 2-5 against Middlebury in the NESCAC Tournament … The quarterfinal marks the first meeting between the teams since the 2014 quarterfinals between the teams where the Polar Bears picked up a 6-3 victory … Bowdoin is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the NESCAC Championship and has qualified for 20 of the 24 NESCAC tournaments.

#3 Tufts Jumbos
2023-24 Record: 12-9-3 (9-7-2 NESCAC)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Tufts is the No. 3 seed which marks the highest in program history … The Jumbos will host a quarterfinal game for the first time since the 2012 tournament when they face No. 6 Conn. College … The teams split their annual home-and-home series with the Camels earning a 4-3 overtime victory in Medford, Mass., and the Jumbos blanking Conn, 4-0, in New London, Conn. … The quarterfinal contest marks the first time the teams will meet in the NESCAC Tournament … The Jumbos are looking for their first NESCAC postseason win since 2016 … Tufts posted its best conference regular season since the Jumbos joined NESCAC in 2001-02 … The 12 victories overall are the most since the 2011-12 team which also won 12 games.

#4 Hamilton Continentals
2023-24 Record: 16-7-1 (11-6-1 NESCAC)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2017)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Hamiton is the No. 4 seed for the second straight season … The Continentals matchup against No. 5 Amherst … Hamilton swept the Mammoths in the regular season with a 3-0 win in the season opener in Clinton, N.Y. and a 7-6 victory at Amherst … Hamilton and Amherst have only squared off once in the NESCAC Tournament with the Mammoths earning a victory in the 2012 quarterfinals … Hamilton is making its ninth straight appearance in the tournament and has reached the semifinals three of the last four years … The Continentals' lone appearance in the championship game was in 2017.

#5 Amherst Mammoths
2023-24 Record: 14-9-1 (9-8-1 NESCAC)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 7 (last: 2019)
NESCAC Titles Won: 3 (last: 2015)
Notes: Amherst is the No. 5 seed for the first time since 2017 and will travel to No. 4 Hamilton for a quarterfinal contest … The Mammoths dropped both regular season contests to the Continentals, falling 3-0 in the season opener at Hamilton and suffering a 7-6 loss at Amherst … The teams have only played once in the NESCAC Tournament with Amherst recording a victory in the 2012 quarterfinals … The Mammoths, who have qualified for every NESCAC Tournament, are looking to make back-to-back trips to the semifinals for the first time since 2015 & 2016.

#6 Connecticut College Camels
2023-24 Record: 9-13-2 (7-11-0 NESCAC)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Connecticut College is the No. 6 seed for the first time since 2007 and earned a berth to the NESCAC Tournament for the fourth time in six seasons … The Camels and Jumbos split their regular season home-and-home series … Conn earned a 4-3 overtime victory in Medford, Mass., and the Jumbos shut out the Camels, 4-0, in New London, Conn. … The quarterfinal contest marks the first time the teams will meet in the NESCAC Tournament … A victory over Tufts would mark Conn’s second NESCAC postseason win as the Camels’ only semifinal appearance game came in 2015.

#7 Middlebury Panthers
2023-24 Record: 7-13-4 (5-10-3 NESCAC)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 12 (last: 2012)
NESCAC Titles Won: 8 (last: 2010)
Notes: Middlebury returns to the NESCAC Championship after a one-year absence and are the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2019 … The Panthers went 0-1-1 against the Polar Bears in the regular season, falling 4-3 in overtime in Brunswick, Maine and playing to a 2-2 draw at home … Middlebury owns a 5-2 edge over Bowdoin in the NESCAC Tournament … The matchup marks the first meeting since the 2014 quarterfinals between the teams where the Polar Bears earned a 6-3 victory … Middlebury has won eight NESCAC titles, its last coming in 2010.

#8 Colby Mules
2023-24 Record: 9-11-4 (5-9-4 NESCAC)
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 2 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 1 (2018)
Notes: Colby is the No. 8 seed for the first time since 2010 … The Mules have qualified for the NESCAC Championship for the seventh time in eight tournaments … Colby will travel to top-seeded Trinity for the quarterfinals … Trinity won both games versus the Mules in the regular season, 4-2 and 5-3 … The teams will meet in the NESCAC Tournament for the eighth time … The Bantams own a 6-1 mark in the NESCAC postseason series which includes a 4-1 in the 2022 NESCAC Championship game … Colby won its only NESCAC title in program history in 2018 … Colby went 3-1-1 over the last five games of the regular season.