Women's Ice Hockey

Middlebury Secures No. 1 Seed in 2026 NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship

HADLEY, Mass. – Determining the 2026 NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship field came down to the final weekend of the regular season. The Middlebury Panthers finished as the top seed for the 15th time in program history.
 
The NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship gets underway on Saturday, February 28 with quarterfinal games at the higher seeds. The highest remaining seed among the quarterfinal winners will host the semifinals on March 7 and the championship game on March 8.
 
HOW TO WATCH
All games will be webcast via the NESCAC Network for free and available at NESCAC.com on computers and mobile devices. The webcasts can also be seen on Roku, AppleTV, and Amazon Fire devices. Search for NESCAC Network and download the channel. Click here for more information.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR


CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY | Past Champions
Amherst is the defending NESCAC Champion, winning its third title in five years in 2025 with a 1-0 victory over Middlebury. The Panthers have won two of the last four conference crowns and own the most by a NESCAC school (12). The Mammoths have six trophies, while Bowdoin (3 last: 2013), Williams (2 last: 2019), and Trinity (1, 2015) are the other three schools to claim a NESCAC title.
 
No. 1 Middlebury Panthers (16-4-4, 11-2-3 NESCAC) vs. No. 8 Trinity (7-14-3, 3-10-3 NESCAC)
  • Middlebury, the 2025 NESCAC Runner-Up, is the No. 1 seed for the 15th time in team history and the first time since 2022.
  • The Panthers have the top offense in the NESCAC with 80 goals and 143 assists while allowing 34 goals.
  • Middlebury has qualified for every NESCAC Championship and has played in 22 semifinals while winning a NESCAC-best 12 titles.
  • The Bantams make their seventh straight appearance in the NESCAC Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 1-0-2 record over the final four games, which included back-to-back 1-1 ties with Amherst.
  • Trinity is the No. 8 seed for the first time since 2020 and is looking for its first NESCAC Quarterfinal win since 2015.
  • Middlebury swept the regular season series versus Trinity, winning 6-2 and 4-1 in Hartford, Conn. The tournament series stands at 4-2 in favor of the Panthers. The teams last played in the 2020 quarterfinals, with Middlebury registering a 4-1 win.
No. 2 Amherst (16-2-6, 9-1-6 NESCAC) vs. No. 7 Bowdoin (11-12-0, 5-11-0 NESCAC)
  • Amherst, the two-time defending NESCAC Champion, secured the No. 2 seed with a sweep of Hamilton in the final weekend of the regular season. The Mammoths are the No. 2 seed for the first time since 2016.
  • The Mammoths will host a quarterfinal for the sixth consecutive tournament and have qualified for every NESCAC Championship.
  • The Mammoths have advanced to 10 consecutive semifinals and played in seven of the last nine championship games, winning three titles.
  • Behind the play of goaltender Natalie Stott, the Mammoths have allowed a NESCAC-low 18 goals.
  • Bowdoin is the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2020.
  • The Polar Bears have qualified for the NESCAC Championship for the fourth time in six years.
  • Bowdoin's 16 wins are the most since the 2012-13 season and the Polar Bears are seeking their first NESCAC Tournament win since the 2018 campaign.
  • Amherst defeated Bowdoin, 3-1 and 2-0, on Jan. 30-31 during the regular season. The Mammoths hold a 7-2 advantage in the NESCAC Tournament series. The teams last squared off in the 2024 quarterfinals with Amherst posting a 2-0 victory.
No. 3 Williams (16-3-5, 9-3-4 NESCAC) vs. No. 6 Wesleyan (7-15-2, 4-11-1 NESCAC)
  • Williams is the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2014. The Ephs have qualified for their 17th straight NESCAC Championship.
  • The Ephs' last appearance in the semifinals was 2019, the same year they last hosted a quarterfinal game and won their last title.
  • Wesleyan returns to the NESCAC Tournament after a two-year hiatus. The Cardinals are the No. 6 seed for the second straight appearance (last: 2024).
  • The Cardinals finished the regular season with a 5-2-0 record over the final seven games to position themselves for a spot in the tournament.
  • Wesleyan is looking for its first NESCAC Tournament win in team history.
  • Williams and Wesleyan played three times during the regular season, two conference games and one non-conference matchup. The Ephs went 2-0-1 in the series and won both conference games, 4-1 and 6-2. Williams improved to 4-0 against the Cardinals in the NESCAC Tournament with a 3-0 win in the 2019 quarterfinals.
No. 4 Colby (16-6-1, 10-5-1 NESCAC) vs. No. 5 Hamilton (11-8-5, 7-6-3)
  • Colby is the No. 4 seed for the first time since 2009 and will host a quarterfinal game for the sixth consecutive season.
  • The Mules, who finished the regular season with a 6-2-1 mark over their final nine games, have played in the last four semifinals.
  • Colby ranks second in the conference in goals scored (75) and assists (112) and owns the top face-off percentage in the NESCAC at 58.8 percent.
  • Hamilton is the No. 5 seed for the second year in a row.
  • The Continentals are making their 11th straight appearance in the tournament.
  • Hamilton has reached the semifinals in the last six NESCAC Tournaments and played in two of the last three championship games.
  • The Mules swept the regular-season series with 3-2 and 4-1 wins in Waterville, Maine. Hamilton took a 3-2 lead in the NESCAC Tournament series with a 4-3 win in the 2023 semifinals in the last meeting between the teams