Women's Ice Hockey

NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship Weekend Heads to Middlebury

HADLEY, Mass. – The Middlebury Panthers will host the remaining rounds of the 2026 NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship for the first time since 2022. The semifinals and finals will be played on March 7-8 at Chip Kenyon ’85 Rink.

For the fifth time in the last six seasons, the top four seeds in the NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship advanced through to the semifinal round. The top-seeded Panthers will face No. 4 Colby in the first semifinal at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 7. No. 2 Amherst plays No. 3 Williams at 4:30 p.m. in the second semifinal. The winners will meet in the NESCAC Championship game on Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m.

TICKETS
Tickets for the semifinal games are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for students/children 3 and older, and children under 3 are free. One ticket is good for both semifinal games. Complete ticket information can be found HERE.

HOW TO WATCH
A live webcast will be available at NESCAC.com on computers and mobile devices. The webcast 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
NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship merchandise is available now on SquadLocker. NESCAC Championship gear can be personalized with a name or number and shipped directly to your home. Click the Shop Now button below.

 
No. 1 Middlebury Panthers (17-4-4) vs. No. 4 Colby Mules (16-6-1)
  • The Middlebury Panthers advanced to the semifinals for the 11th tournament in a row and 23rd time in team history after a 1-0 win over No. 8 Trinity. Avery McInerny scored the game's lone goal at 11:01 of the first period, and Sophia Will made 23 saves as the Panthers blanked the Bantams at Chip Kenyon ’85 Arena. 
  • Trinity Walsh (11-21-32) and Avery McInerny (10-20-30) have combined for 62 points on 21 goals and 41 assists. Caroline Thomas is the leading goal scorer for the Panthers with 17 markers (9 assists) and 26 points.
  • Sophia Will has started all 22 games she has played and owns a 1.39 goals against average with a .944 save percentage and 14 wins.
  • Middlebury has played in the championship game 17 times, including three of the last four finals.
  • Middlebury and Colby are tied for the most goals in the NESCAC at 81 each. The Panthers have allowed 34 goals, while the Mules have given up 38.
  • Colby advanced to its sixth straight semifinal with a decisive 6-2 win over No. 5 Hamilton. Six different players scored and Ally Martiniello made 21 saves as Colby dominated Hamilton at Jack Kelley Rink. Colby built a 4-0 lead through two periods before Hamilton managed to get on the board.
  • The Mules are looking to reach the championship game for the first time since 2008.
  • Molly Lefebvre leads 11 Mules who have reached double-digits in the points column this year. Lefebvre has 18 points on 10 goals and eight assists. Three players are tied for the team lead in assists with 10 and Courtney Schumacher is the leading goal scorer with 13 markers.
  • Ally Martiniello is the top netminder for Colby with a 1.24 goals against average and a .943 save percentage in 19 games.
  • Middlebury and Colby meet in the semifinals for the third consecutive season. The Panthers won the 2024 and 2025 matchups by 3-0 scores and own a 7-1 lead in the NESCAC Tournament series. The teams met in the last weekend of the regular season (Feb. 20-21) and split the series. Colby won the opening game, 3-2, and the Panthers won the second game, 3-1.
No. 2 Amherst Mammoths (16-2-6) vs. No. 3 Williams Ephs (17-3-5)
  • Amherst advanced to its 18th semifinal in the last 19 tournaments with a 2-1 overtime win over No. 7 Bowdoin. Ayla Abban scored a power-play goal 1:27 into overtime as Amherst rallied to defeat the Polar Bears at Orr Rink. Abban, who also assisted on the game's first goal, capitalized on a Bowdoin penalty just 40 seconds into the extra period. 
  • The Mammoths, the defending NESCAC Champion, have played in four of the last five championship games and have won two of the last three tournament titles.
  • Amherst has allowed a NESCAC-low 19 goals this season while scoring 62.
  • Maeve Reynolds leads three skaters with 20 or more points. Reynolds has 10 assists and a team-leading 17 assists for 27 points. Blueliner Gretchen Dann has scored a team-best 13 goals with nine assists for 22 points, and Marie-Eve Marleau has tallied 20 points on nine goals and 12 assists.
  • Natalie Stott is Amherst’s top goaltender. The senior has broken the NCA Division III records for career shutouts (42) and total wins by a goaltender (83). Stott has posted nine shutouts and owns a 0.70 goals against average with a .968 save percentage.
  • Williams is making its first semifinal appearance since 2019 following a 5-3 win over No. 6 Wesleyan. Chloe Noxon scored twice and added an assist as Williams withstood a furious third-period rally by Wesleyan to claim a win at Lansing Chapman Rink. The Ephs held a 3-0 advantage heading into the third period, but Wesleyan rallied to score three consecutive goals to tie the game at 3-3 before Williams regained control in the final three minutes.
  • The Ephs have advanced to the championship game three times and own two NESCAC titles (2014, 2019).
  • A total of 10 players have reached double-figures in the points column, led by Lucie Bond (8-10-18), Charlotte Fetherstoen (8-10-18), and Savana Littlewood (5-13-18) with 18 points each.
  • Erin Pye has played nearly every minute in net and owns a 1.18 goals-against average and .965 save percentage to go with five shutouts.
  • The Mammoths and Ephs squared off on the opening weekend of the season (Nov. 14-15). The teams played to a 1-1 tie in the first game, and Amherst posted a 1-0 victory to close the series. Amherst holds a 2-1 advantage in the NESCAC Tournament series. The teams last met in the 2019 semifinals with Williams winning 3-1 en route to the Ephs’ last title.