The fourth-seeded Middlebury men's soccer team will head to Williamstown, Massachusetts this weekend to take on the third-seeded Amherst in the NESCAC Semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, eighth-seeded Connecticut College faces the host Williams.  
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers advanced to the conference semifinal by defeating Hamilton 2-0 at South Street Field, with goals coming from Tyler Payne and Alem Hadzic.
• This is Middlebury's 19th appearance in the semifinal round of the NESCAC Tournament, more than any other conference peer.
• The Panthers have won the most NESCAC Tournament contests (25) in the history of the event, and have advanced to the finals 10 times, tied for the most championship appearances in the league. 
• The team will be looking to obtain the program's fourth conference crown, with the last victory coming in 2010. 

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Jordan Saint-Louis leads Middlebury in points (11) and goals (five), and dished out an assist in quarterfinal action.
• Payne's 11th minute goal against Hamilton was his fourth tally of the season. The Panther's three game-winning goals are tied for the conference lead. 
• Hadzic continued his fine form over the weekend, scoring the second goal in the quarterfinal victory. He has scored four tallies on the season, while also contributing two assists.  
• Shane Farrell has played a key role in the Panther midfield this year. Farrell has logged 1,125 minutes, while also bagging two goals.
• Center backs Michael McFarlane and Luke Madden lead a defensive unit that has allowed just nine goals all year. The pair have both played close to 1,400 minutes and started every contest.
• Goalkeeper Ryan Grady recorded his eighth clean sheet of the season against Hamilton. Grady holds the record for most shutouts in Middlebury history, with 29, and boasts a .56 GAA and .833 save percentage this year.

ABOUT AMHERST

• Amherst secured its place in the semifinals by claiming a 1-0 win against sixth-seeded Wesleyan, tallying the lone goal during the 60th minute.
• The Mammoths look to claim their sixth conference crown, and first since 2016.
• Amherst has a strong attack this year, with 18 players scoring a goal this season and 11 finding the back of the net multiple times.
• The Mammoths lead the NESCAC in a plethora of offensive categories, including goals (42), assists (36), and points (120).

MAMMOTHS TO WATCH

• Fynn Hayton-Ruffner will be instrumental in Amherst's success. The forward leads the conference in points (20), and sits second in both goals (seven) and assists (six).
• Aidan Curtis is second on the team with four goals this season, tallying the game-winner during the quarterfinal round. 
• Micah Valadez Bush and Ada Okregheye are important pieces in attack for the Mammoths. Both forwards have scored three goals this season. Valadez Bush has contributed four helpers, and Okoregheye has started every game.
• Amherst has a strong backline which includes Simon Kalinauskas and Ben Clark-Eden. The defenders have started every game they have played in and tallied over 1,000 minutes this season. 

SERIES HISTORY

• The NESCAC Semifinal matchup will mark the 59th meeting between the two sides.
• The Panthers hold a slim lead in the all-time series (26-20-12).
• In the regular season meeting, Middlebury and Amherst played to a 1-1 draw, with Saint-Louis canceling out an early goal by Niall Murphy.
• Saturday's meeting will be the 10th time the two squads have faced off in the NESCAC Tournament, with Middlebury leading 5-4. 

CONNECTICUT COLLEGE NOTES

• Connecticut College advanced to the semifinal round after upsetting top-seeded Bowdoin in a penalty kick shootout.
• The Camels are the defending national champions.
• If the Panthers were to advance to the final and face Connecticut College, it would be the 40th meeting between the two sides. Middlebury leads the all-time series 28-8-3, and defeated the Camels 1-0 in their matchup earlier this year. It would also be the fourth meeting between the two sides in the NESCAC Tournament. The Panthers lead the series 3-0. 

WILLIAMS NOTES

• Williams defeated seventh-seeded Tufts 4-3 on penalty kicks to claim its spot in the NESCAC semifinals.
• If the Panthers were to advance to the final and face the Ephs, it would be the 75th all-time meeting. Williams leads the series 35-29-10, and won the regular season matchup 1-0 on the final day of the season.
• The two sides have faced off 11 times in the conference tournament, with Williams winning seven of those.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Championship weekend action will be hosted by Williams on Saturday, November 5 (Semifinals) and Sunday, November 6 (Championship).
• Championship Central
• NESCAC Seeding Announcement