HADLEY, Mass. - For the sixth time in NESCAC Men’s Soccer Championship history the top seed was knocked out in the quarterfinal round. Amherst, the No. 8 seed, upset top-seeded Middlebury, 3-2, and was one of three lower seeds to win in the quarterfinal round. The 2026 tournament marks the second time and the first since 2018 that three lower seeds have reached the semifinals.
 
The second-seeded Williams Ephs will host the remaining rounds of the NESCAC Tournament at Cole Field on November 7-8. The Ephs edged No. 7 Wesleyan, 1-0, while No. 6 Hamilton defeated No. 3 Bowdoin, 2-1, and No. 5 Tufts advanced past No. 4 Conn. College on penalties, 5-3.
 
How to Watch
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. Download the app and begin watching wherever you are.
 
NESCAC Tournament History
Williams (6, last: 2009), Tufts (4, last: 2025), and Amherst (7, last: 2023) have combined for 17 of the 25 NESCAC Championships. Hamilton is looking for its first title in program history.
 
In the Polls
All four remaining teams are ranked or receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll: Williams (#2), Tufts (#4), Hamilton (#24), Amherst (RV).
 
No. 2 Williams (11-2-2) vs. No. 8 Amherst (8-3-5)

• Williams is making its second semifinal appearance in three years after the Ephs knocked out Wesleyan, 1-0. Nick Appleton provided the game-winner in the 74th minute.
• The Ephs are 7-1-1 over their last nine matches.
• Alex Bethencourt leads the team in scoring with 14 points and is tied for the most assists (7) in the conference. Lorcan Mitchell has come off the bench to score a team-best six markers for 12 points, and JJ Ruehlemann also has 12 points (4G, 4A).
• Kai Darrell leads the NESCAC in saves per game (4.47), while carrying a 0.90 goals against average and an .838 save percentage.
• Amherst enters the semifinal riding a 10-game unbeaten streak (6-0-4).
• The Mammoths advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2023 after Finn Hoefer scored two of the three Amherst goals, including the game-winner, in the 3-2 upset at No. 1 Middlebury. Hoefer is the team’s leading scorer with 14 points (6G, 2A). Edward Wilkey has also notched six goals, and Mohammed Nuhu has handed out seven assists, tying for the top mark in the NESCAC.
• Trey Sheppard has been the primary goalkeeper for the Mammoths and owns a 0.82 goals against average and a .788 save percentage with four shutouts.
• Amherst ranks second among NESCAC teams with 35 goals.
• Amherst leads the NESCAC with seven conference titles (last: 2023).
• Williams defeated Amherst, 1-0, at Cole Field on September 26 with Nick Appleton netting the game-winner with 57 seconds left in regulation. The NESCAC Tournament series stands even at 2-2-0. The teams last met in the 2013 championship match with Amherst winning, 1-0.

No. 5 Tufts (9-3-4) vs. No. 6 Hamilton (7-4-4)

• Tufts, the defending NESCAC Champion, is making back-to-back trips to the semifinals for the first time in team history and its sixth semifinal appearance in the last 10 years.
• Tufts played to a 1-1 draw at No. 4 Conn. College and the Jumbos advanced on PKs, 5-3.
• Xavier Canfin leads the team with 16 points (5G, 6A). Teammate Henry Brown is second on the team in scoring with six goals and 12 points. Nikola Antic has six shutouts to go with a 0.81 goals against average and an .803 save percentage.
• The Jumbos have scored 35 goals this season, tied for second in the NESCAC.
• Hamilton is making just its fourth semifinal appearance in program history and its first since 2018.
• Troy Miller, who ranks second in the NESCAC with nine goals, scored twice in the final 15 minutes of regulation to complete the Continentals’ comeback at No. 3 Bowdoin in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over the Polar Bears.
• Miller has 20 points (9G, 2A) to pace the Continentals. Tobin Walsh has played the most minutes among the Hamilton goalies and owns a 0.67 goals against average and an .828 save percentage.
• Hamilton has won four straight matches and is 6-1-1 in its last eight contests.
• Tufts earned a 4-0 shutout at Hamilton on October 4. The Jumbos are 2-0-0 against the Continentals in the NESCAC Tournament. The last meeting was the 2019 quarterfinals, where Tufts posted a 3-0 win.