Men's Lacrosse

Bowdoin Claims Top Seed in NESCAC Men's Lacrosse Tournament for First Time in Team History

HADLEY, Mass. – Bowdoin and Tufts entered the regular season finale with 9-0 records in a battle for the top seed in the 2026 NESAC Men’s Lacrosse Championship. The Polar Bears earned a 14-12 win at Tufts to grab the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history. The Bowdoin victory also snapped the Jumbos’ 42-game win streak.

Quarterfinal action begins on Saturday, April 25 on the campuses of the higher seeds. The four quarterfinal winners will square off in the semifinal round on Saturday, May 2 at the highest remaining seed, and the championship game is set for Sunday, May 3 at the site of the semifinal games.
 
2025 NESCAC Championship Recap
Top-seeded Tufts earned its 13th NESCAC crown in program history with a dominant 22-10 win over No. 3-seeded Wesleyan University in the conference title game at Bello Field. 

NESCAC Championship History
Four programs have won NESCAC Men's Lacrosse titles since 2001. Tufts leads the pack with 13 and has won six of the last seven titles. Middlebury won seven titles in consecutive years from 2001 to 2007. Wesleyan owns three titles, and Williams won the 2008 NESCAC title.
 
How To Watch
All NESCAC Men’s Lacrosse Tournament games will be webcast via the NESCAC Network, which is available on computers and mobile devices at NESCAC.com. 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.
 
No. 1 Bowdoin Polar Bears (14-0, 10-0 NESCAC) vs. No. 8 Williams Ephs (7-8, 3-7 NESCAC)
  • Bowdoin is the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC Championship for the first time in program history.
  • The Polar Bears posted an unbeaten regular season (14-0) for the second time in program history (last: 1989) and their first perfect NESCAC record (10-0).
  • Bowdoin’s perfect 10-0 record marks the eighth undefeated conference record since 2001.
  • The Polar Bears will host a quarterfinal game for the fourth time since 2022 when they face No. 8 Williams.
  • Bowdoin has advanced to the semifinals three of the last four seasons.
  • Williams qualified for the NESCAC postseason for the 12th consecutive season with a thrilling 8-7 win over Middlebury in the regular season finals. The Ephs scored twice in the final 1:18 to claim the victory.
  • The Ephs are the No. 8 seed for the second time in program history and second consecutive season.
  • Bowdoin defeated Williams, 17-7, on March 14. The tournament series stands at 1-1. The Ephs won the first meeting in the 2008 championship game, and the Polar Bears beat Williams in the most recent meeting in the 2024 quarterfinals.
Tiebreaker: Hamilton and Middlebury both finished with identical conference records of 5-5. In head-to-head competition, Hamilton defeated Middlebury, 8-7, on April 1, to earn the No. 6 seed.

No. 2 Tufts Jumbos (14-1, 9-1 NESCAC) vs. No. 7 Middlebury Panthers (8-6, 5-5 NESCAC)
  • Tufts, the defending NESCAC Champion, is the No. 2 seed for the first time since 2015 and extends its streak of qualifying for every NESCAC Tournament.
  • The Jumbos will host a quarterfinal game for the seventh straight season when they face No. 7 Middlebury.
  • Tufts has reached the semifinals and championship game three of the last four years.
  • Middlebury finished as the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2019.
  • The Panthers have qualified for the NESCAC Tournament for the fifth year in a row and are looking to make four consecutive trips to the semifinals.
  • Middlebury enters the tournament having won three of its last four games.
  • Tufts earned a 17-7 win over the Panthers on March 28 in Middlebury, Vt. The Jumbos hold an 8-3 edge in the tournament series, which includes a Tufts victory in last year’s semifinal round.
No. 3 Wesleyan Cardinals (11-3, 7-3 NESCAC) vs. No. 6 Hamilton Continentals (8-6, 5-5 NESCAC)
  • Wesleyan, the NESCAC Runners-Up last season, is the No. 3 seed for the second straight year following a 9-8 overtime win versus Conn. College in the final game of the regular season.
  • The Cardinals will host a quarterfinal for the sixth consecutive tournament appearance when they play No. 6 Hamilton.
  • Wesleyan enters the tournament having won six of its last seven games.
  • Hamilton's fifth straight appearance in the NESCAC Championship marks a program best.
  • The Continentals are the No. 6 seed, marking the highest seed in team history.
  • Hamilton is looking to post its second quarterfinal win in team history and second in three appearances when it faces Wesleyan.
  • The Continentals enter the tournament having won two of their last three regular-season games.
  • Wesleyan squeezed out a 10-9 win on March 28 in Clinton, N.Y. The Cardinals won the only meeting between the teams in the 2024 semifinals.
No. 4 Amherst Mammoths (8-6, 6-4 NESCAC) vs. No. 5 Bates Bobcats (10-4, 6-4 NESCAC)
  • Amherst is playing in the NESCAC Championship for the 16th consecutive year and 23rd time overall.
  • The Mammoths are the No. 4 seed for the third time in four tournaments.
  • Amherst will host No. 5 Bates in the opening round of the tournament and is seeking its third trip to the semifinals in five years.
  • Bates has qualified for the NESCAC Tournament for the second straight year and is the No. 5 seed for the first time since 2019.
  • The Bobcats’ 10 wins this season are the most since the 2019 campaign.
  • Bates is looking to reach the semifnals for the first time since 2017.
  • Amherst defeated Bates, 20-8, on March 14. The Mammoths own a 2-0 record against the Bobcats in the NESCAC Tournament series. The most recent Amherst win came in the 2019 quarterfinals.