The #1 Middlebury field hockey team is set to defend its five-straight NESCAC Championships when the tournament gets underway on Saturday. The Panthers earned the top seed for the sixth-consecutive year and host eighth-seeded Trinity at 11:00 a.m. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury is one of just two schools (Bowdoin) to qualify for every NESCAC Tournament since its inception in 2000.
• The Panthers are the perennial powerhouse, having captured the last five consecutive (2017-2022) NESCAC titles.
• The program leads the conference with nine total crowns, while the Polar Bears are right behind with eight.
• Middlebury completed its second undefeated regular season in the last three years (2021) on Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over Williams.
• The Panthers are one of just three schools left with an unbeaten mark, joining Christopher Newport (15-0) and Ohio Wesleyan (15-0).
• Middlebury has an impressive 66-1 record on Peter Kohn Field over the last 67 games, with its lone loss during that span coming at the hands of Trinity in 2022. 
• The Panthers enter the tournament riding a 24-game winning streak that dates back to the 2022 season.
• Middlebury ranks first in the NESCAC rankings in a plethora of categories including scoring average (5.2 goals/game), save percentage (.784) and fewest goals allowed (eight).
• The Panthers have recorded nine shutouts this season.

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• The duo of Katie George and Amy Griffin are a force to be reckoned with on offense this year. The pair is tied for the conference lead in goals (16), while Griffin is first with 40 points and is closely followed by George in second (34 points). 
• Griffin is fourth on Middlebury's career assists list with 33, while George is fifth on the all-time scoring rankings with 63 career tallies. 
• Also packing a powerful punch at the forward position are Caroline Segal and Audrey Lazar. The duo is third and fourth on the squad with 28 and 23 points, respectively. Lazar is searching for her 100th career point, sitting just shy at 98 (44G, 10A) heading into postseason play.
• The midfield is anchored by Lilly Branka, Ellie Hughes and Katherine Lantzy who have each started in all 15 games this season. 
• Charlotte Marks and goalie KK Newton have held down a strong defensive unit this season, both playing in over 820 minutes of action. 
• Marks has recorded a trio of defensive saves this season, while Newton sits atop the NESCAC rankings in shutouts (six) and goal against average (.506). 

ABOUT TRINITY

• Trinity is making its 16th-straight appearance in the NESCAC Tournament and is searching for its first conference crown.
• The Bantams have advanced to the championship twice, most recently in 2017 where they ultimately fell to Middlebury 5-0.
• Trinity ranks third in the NESCAC in save percentage (.764) and has tallied five shutouts this season.
• Despite the 6-2 loss to the Panthers during the regular season, the Bantams are one of just two teams to score two goals against Middlebury this season. 

BANTAMS TO WATCH

• Pacing the squad up front is Katrina Winfield who leads the team in points (31) and goals (14), which both rank in the top-five spots in the conference. Winfield earned bragging rights in the contest against the Panthers this season. The Bantam scored both markers, becoming the only player to achieve the feat against Middlebury this year. 
• Jackie Frank is second on the team in points (21) and tallies (nine).
• Izzy Deveney, Molly King, Kylie Tierney and Lucy Werner anchor the defensive unit, playing well over 850 minutes each this season, while also collecting a pair of defensive saves to total eight for the group.
• Goalie Olivia McMichael sits atop the NESCAC rankings in save percentage (.777) and is tied for second with four shutouts. 

SERIES HISTORY

• The Panthers and the Bantams meet for the 42nd time in a series where Middlebury owns a 32-9-0 mark.
• The squads played earlier this season, with the Panthers coming away with a 6-2 triumph. The four-goal scoring margin was the most between the teams since the 2021 NESCAC Semifinals where Middlebury topped the Bantams 4-0.
• Trinity is the only team to beat the Panthers over a 67-game span that dates back to 2019.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• The top-eight teams in the conference qualify for the NESCAC Field Hockey Championship. Quarterfinal games will be conducted on Saturday, October 28 with the semifinals and championship games conducted on Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5, respectively. The tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
• Championship Central
• NESCAC Championship Records