HADLEY, Mass. - Williams secured the top seed in the 2026 NESCAC Women's Soccer Championship with a 1-0 win over Middlebury in its final regular-season contest. The Ephs are the No. 1 seed for the 10th time in team history and the first time since 2018.
 
The tournament begins with quarterfinal action on Saturday, October 31 at the higher seeds. The four quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinal round on Saturday, November 7 at the highest remaining seed. The championship game is set for Sunday, November 8, at the semifinal host site.

All games will be streamed for free via the NESCAC NETWORK powered by NSN. The NESCAC NETWORK is available on the streaming apps for television (Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku), computers, and mobile devices (iOS, Android). Find the apps by searching for NESCAC Network in your device’s app store and installing them for free. Download the app and begin watching wherever you are.
 
No. 1 Williams (11-2-1, 8-1-1 NESCAC) vs. No. 8 Bates (7-6-2, 3-6-1 NESCAC)

• The Ephs, the 2025 NESCAC Runners-Up, will host a quarterfinal for the 19th consecutive tournament appearance.
• Williams has qualified for 25 of the 26 NESCAC Tournaments, and this is the Ephs fifth consecutive berth to the championship field.
• The Ephs finished the regular season with a 6-0-1 mark over the final seven matches and posted five shutouts.
• Williams’ eight NESCAC wins are the most since 2018. The Ephs also own eight NESCAC Championships (last: 2017), tied for the most by a school.
• Bates is making its first appearance in the conference tournament since 2015 and ninth in team history.
• The Bobcats are the No. 8 seed. The last time Bates was the No. 8 seed was in 2010, when it upset top-seeded Tufts on penalty kicks.
• Bates’ seven wins are the most since the 2017 campaign.
• Williams and Bates met in the season opener on September 5 with the Ephs winning 1-0 in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The quarterfinal match will be just the second meeting in the NESCAC postseason between the teams. Bates won the only other match, 1-0, in the 2005 quarterfinals.

No. 2 Tufts (11-0-3, 7-0-3 NESCAC) vs. No. 7 Wesleyan (9-6-0, 4-6-0 NESCAC)

• The Jumbos, the defending NESCAC Champion, are the No. 2 seed for the second time in three tournaments.
• Tufts finished the regular season unbeaten in conference play at 7-0-3, marking the 11th unbeaten mark in NESCAC Women’s Soccer since 2000 and a first for the Jumbos.
• Tufts is making its 13th consecutive appearance in the tournament and 25th overall.
• The Jumbos have scored a league-best 42 goals while conceding seven.
• Wesleyan has qualified for the NESCAC tournament for the eighth consecutive season and is the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2019.
• The Cardinals have reached the semifinals four of the last five seasons.
• Wesleyan started the season with a 7-1 record.
• Tufts and Wesleyan will meet in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Last season, the Jumbos won 2-1 and are 2-0-1 against the Cardinals in the NESCAC Tournament series. In the regular season, Tufts recorded a 2-0 victory at Wesleyan on September 15.

No. 3 Hamilton (10-2-3, 6-2-2 NESCAC) vs. No. 6 Conn. College (8-6-1, 4-5-1 NESCAC)

• Hamilton is making its fourth straight appearance in the conference tournament and 12th overall since becoming a full-playing member of the NESCAC in 2011.
• The Continentals are the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2021, matching the highest seed in program history.
• Hamilton went 3-0-2 to close out the regular season.
• The Continentals are seeking to make their first semifinal appearance since 2021.
• Conn. College grabbed the No. 6 seed with a 2-0 win over Wesleyan in the regular season finale.
• The Camels are in the tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons and are making their 13th appearance all-time.
• Conn. College went 5-1-0 to wrap up the regular season.
• Hamilton defeated the Camels, 2-0, on September 25 in New London, Connecticut. The quarterfinal match marks the first time the teams will square off in the tournament.

No. 4 Colby (9-3-3, 5-2-3 NESCAC) vs. No. 5 Middlebury (8-3-4, 5-3-2 NESCAC)

• Colby’s No. 4 seed in the NESCAC Tournament is the highest in program history.
• The Mules, who were the 2024 NESCAC Runners-Up after reaching the championship game for the first time in program history, enter the tournament unbeaten in their last three matches.
• Colby, which started the season 7-1, is looking to make a third consecutive trip to the semifinals, which would be a first in team history.
• Middlebury is the No. 5 seed for the second time in three seasons.
• The Panthers have earned a spot in 25 of the 26 NESCAC Tournaments.
• Middlebury has won five NESCAC titles in team history, the last coming in 2021.
• The Panthers went 5-1-0 in their last six matches. All five victories were by shutout.
• The Mules and Panthers played to a 2-2 draw at Middlebury on October 3. Middlebury holds a 3-0-0 advantage against Colby in the NESCAC postseason series. The teams last met in the 2013 quarterfinals, when the Panthers won 3-1.

Tiebreaker

• Bates and Trinity finished with 10 points. In head-to-head competition, Bates defeated Trinity to earn the No. 8 seed.