Middlebury kept its bid for a fourth-straight national championship alive, as the top-ranked Panthers (20-0) posted a 2-0 shutout over #7 Tufts (15-5) on Sunday in an NCAA Regional Final. With the victory, Middlebury earns its 12th trip to the final four where the Panthers will defend their 2019 title when they face fourth-ranked Rowan in one semifinal on November 20 at 11:00 a.m. Host #10 Trinity takes on #2 Johns Hopkins in the other game.

The Panthers extended three impressive streaks in the win over the Jumbos. Overall, Middlebury has won 28-straight games and 47 on Kohn Field. In NCAA Tournament play, the program has picked up 14-consecutive victories.

The Panthers held a territorial edge in the opening 15 minutes, with Erin Nicholas getting the best scoring chances for the hosts. She directed back-to-back shots from inside the arc, but Jumbo keeper Sam Gibby used her pad to deny both bids.

Middlebury broke through for a goal with 3:59 left in the second stanza with Nicholas setting up the tally. She carried the ball toward the net from the left side, sending a pass to the right side where Audrey Lazar lunged and knocked it past Gibby for a 1-0 edge. The score was her 14th of the season.

After a quiet third frame, the hosts doubled their advantage with 9:49 remaining in the contest. The Panthers were awarded a penalty stroke when the ball hit a Jumbo player deep in the arc. Nicholas took the stroke and calmly directed a shot into the lower-left corner of the cage for her 24th tally of the fall.

Middlebury's defense, which was stellar all game, took things from there making the score stand at the final horn. The backline of Joan Vera, Riley Marchin and Charlotte Marks, along with Amy Griffin and Katherine Lantzy were pivotal in holding the Jumbos without a shot on goal in the contest and didn't allow a penalty corner. Goalie Grace Harlan was the beneficiary of the defense, recording her sixth shutout of the season without seeing a shot.

Gibby finished with six saves for Tufts, as Middlebury held a 13-0 advantage in shots.