NESCAC Field Hockey teams make up half of the Elite 8 matchups set for Sunday, November 16. Bates, Middlebury, Tufts, and Wesleyan posted wins to advance to the third round.
Elite 8 Schedule – Sunday, November 16
- 1pm – Middlebury at Johns Hopkins
- 1pm – Tufts at Bates
- 1pm – Wesleyan at Babson
- 1pm – Salisbury at Christopher Newport
The Elite 8 winners advance to the NCAA Final Four set for November 21 at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. The NCAA Championship game will be played on November 23, also at Trinity.
All games during the NCAA Tournament can be watched for free via
ncaa.com/champs-pass and the NCAA Championships Pass app, available on smart TVs.
Bates def. Amherst, 1-0 | Box Score
After a scoreless first 30 minutes, Bates’ Elsa Copeland scored two minutes into the third quarter, and the Bobcats held off Amherst the rest of the way to earn a 1-0 victory and advance to the Elite 8 round. Bates was able to net the game-winner on a sequence of three consecutive corners. In the final attempt, Copeland buried a point-blank shot for her seventh goal of the season. Amherst finishes its season with a record of 9-9.
Wesleyan def. Hamilton, 1-0 | Box Score
Leila Feldman collected a bouncing cross and knocked the ball into the net at the far post just 11 minutes into the game. Feldman’s goal stood the rest of the way to lift the Cardinals past NESCAC foe Hamilton, 1-0, and into the third round for the first time in team history. Wesleyan limited the Continentals to just three shots in the game, while firing off 17 shots themselves. Hamilton goalie Kelly Janssen made eight saves while Audrey Pace was not tested in the Wesleyan net. Hamilton closes out the season with an 11-6 mark.
Tufts def. Williams, 2-1 (2OT) | Box Score
First-year Eleanor Helm scored two minutes into the second overtime period to lift Tufts past conference foe Williams and into the third round. The Jumbos trailed 1-0 after Kiki Higgins scored at 8:05 in the first to give the Ephs the lead. Hannah Murray evened the score at the 57:12 mark to force extra time. On a Tufts penalty corner, Helm’s second effort on a rebound off the initial shot slipped into the net to set off a Jumbo celebration. Ellie Smith made 10 saves for Williams while Lydia Eastburn was credited with three for Tufts. Williams closes out the season with a 9-9 record.
Middlebury def. Endicott, 2-1 (2OT) | Box Score
Claire McMichael scored 3:13 into the second overtime period to propel the Panthers into the Elite 8 and finish off a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Endicott. The Gulls scored two goals in the first quarter, but Middlebury evened the score in the third with McMichael’s first tally of the game at 36:33 and Megan Fuqua provided the equalizer at 44:25. It was McMichael’s back-handed shot that sent the Panthers to the regional final.
Babson def. Bowdoin, 2-1 | Box Score
The Bowdoin Polar Bears bowed out of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-1 setback to No. 3 Babson in Babson Park, Mass. in the second round of the championship. The Beavers took a 1-0 lead just 2:22 into the game. Bowdoin answered midway through the second quarter, converting a penalty corner. Emily Ferguson’s deflection tipped past the Babson defense for her 15th goal of the season. Babson broke the 1-1 tie with just a few seconds remaining in the third quarter, converting its second penalty corner of the contest. Bowdoin finishes its season with a 10-8 record and qualified for the NCAA Tournament or the first time since 2021.
