The eighth-ranked and defending national champion Middlebury women's ice hockey team has earned one of four at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers will host Suffolk on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Chip Kenyon '85 Arena in first-round action. This year, the field expanded to include 11 teams, with first-round winners and programs that earned byes advancing to the quarterfinals on Saturday. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury will be making its 18th appearance in the tournament and is seeking the program's fifth national title (2004, 2005, 2006, 2022).
• Last year, the Panthers made history, becoming the first program at any level to complete a perfect season (27-0-0) including the NCAA Championship.
• Middlebury earned the fourth seed of the NESCAC Tournament and blanked fifth-seeded Connecticut College 4-0 in quarterfinal action. The Panthers fell to top-seeded/#4 Amherst 2-0 in the semifinals.
• The NESCAC Quarterfinal victory over the Camels was the 700th for the program.
• Middlebury plays in one of the most competitive conferences in the country, with four teams (#1 Amherst, #5 Hamilton, #7 Middlebury and #8 Colby) in the top 10 of the USCHO PairWise rankings. Amherst secured the conference's automatic bid to the tournament, with the Continentals, Panthers and Mules all earning at-large selections.
• The Panthers are 12th in the country and first in the NESCAC in power-play percentage (.246), while ranking 16th in faceoff win percentage (.554). 

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Jenna Letterie earned All-NESCAC honors for the third-straight year, and recently surpassed the 100 career points plateau (102). Letterie leads the conference in assists (17), is second in faceoff win percentage (.642) and third in points (26).
• The first-year duo of Britt Nawrocki and Avery McInerny has been instrumental in Middlebury's success this season. Nawrocki has 23 points, including a team-best 14 goals and six game-winners, which is tied for fifth nationally. McInerny tallied the Panthers' fourth goal in their quarterfinal victory and is third on the team in points (15).  
• Blueliner Claudia Vira earned All-NESCAC First-Team honors this season. Joined by Sabrina Kim on the defensive end, the duo has each registered 15 poins this year. Vira leads the NESCAC in blocked shots with 48, while Kim ranks second on the team (24).
• In goal, Sophia Merageas ranks 10th in the country in goalie win percentage (.769) and is 13th with a 1.448 goals against average. She has recorded over 20 saves in eight games this year, including three straight heading into Wednesday's contest. 

ABOUT SUFFOLK

• Suffolk is making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, having earned an automatic bid after claiming the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship. 
• The Rams outlasted Endicott in the CCC title tilt, hanging on for the 2-1 victory.
• Suffolk has won three-straight contests heading into Wednesday's meeting.
• The Rams are in just their sixth season as a varsity squad and are one win shy of the program record of 19. 
• Suffolk is ranked in the top-15 spots in five categories including power-play percentage (ninth with .262), assists (14th with 143), scoring defense (13th with 1.44), total points (14th with 224) and scoring margin (15th with 1.56).

RAMS TO WATCH

• Netminder Lily O'Neil was critical to Suffolk's conference crown, stopping 40 of 41 shots during the title game. She ranks 15th in the country with a 1.497 goals against average and is 19th with a .643 winning percentage.
• Shana Cote is a double threat for the Rams, ranking first in the country in faceoff wins (361), while leading the CCC with 28 points (13G, 15A). 
• Forward Miranda Gaudet paces the league with 17 assists, while ranking second on the team with 24 points.
• Blueliner Madison Duff has played in all 27 games and is third on the team with 21 points (6G, 15A). 

SERIES HISTORY

• Middlebury and Suffolk meet for the first time on Wednesday.

TOURNAMENT INFO

• Ticket Information: Tickets will go on sale at the box office inside the Peterson Family Athletic Complex at 6:00 p.m. Per the NCAA, ticket prices are set at $6 for adults, $4 for students, and children 2 and under are free. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Middlebury will purchase tickets for all Middlebury students who wish to attend the game. Please show your school ID at the box office to obtain your free ticket.
• Online Program
• NCAA Bracket