The top-ranked and defending NCAA Champion Middlebury women's lacrosse team has advanced to the final four weekend for the fourth-straight year. The Panthers square off against #8 Franklin & Marshall at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, May 26 in Salem, Virginia in the first semifinal contest. The other game in Donald J. Kerr Stadium features #3 William Smith and #9 Gettysburg. The winners of Friday's games will battle on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. for the national championship. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY 

• The Panthers are playing in their 22nd NCAA Semifinal contest since 1994 and are making their fifth appearance in the last seven seasons.
• Middlebury has played in the national championship game on 14 occasions. The program has won eight NCAA titles including each of the last two seasons that the program has competed (2019, 2022). Due to the pandemic, the squad did not compete in 2020 or 2021.
• The Panthers continue their 27th appearance in the tournament, posting an impressive 74-18 record in NCAA play since they first qualified in 1994. 
• The program's NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.804) is the highest mark in the history of Division III women's lacrosse.
• The Panthers advanced to the third round with a 19-4 victory over SUNY Geneseo. Earning the right to host a regional on Peter Kohn Field, Middlebury claimed a 22-9 win against #13 Trinity and punched its ticket to Virginia with a 12-7 triumph over #12 Colby.
• The Panthers earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament with the automatic bid from the NESCAC, pulling away from #7 Tufts in the title game for a 19-13 triumph.
• Middlebury is a perfect 21-0 on the year and is currently riding a 26-game winning streak. The program has also won 28-straight contests on the road dating back to 2019.
• The Panthers rank in the top-10 places nationally in scoring margin (2nd, +11.45), scoring offense (3rd, 17.90 GPG), free-position percentage (4th, .598), clearing percentage (5th, .906), draw control percentage (7th, .638) and scoring defense (8th, 6.45 GPG).
• Middlebury is one of two undefeated teams left, joining fellow semifinalist William Smith who also has a 21-0 record.

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Hope Shue paces the team in goals (72), while ranking second in points (90). Shue tied a NESCAC Tournament single-game record twice with seven goals in both the quarterfinal and semifinal wins. The Panther has tallied the most points (nine) and goals (seven) among league peers in a single game this year, tallying seven on four different occasions. 
• Two-time NESCAC Player of the Year Jane Earley leads the conference in points with 97 (67G, 30A), including 14 points (6G, 8A) during the squad's two regional wins. She is second in Middlebury's record books in career goals (210), points (281) and draws (249). Earley set a program mark for most draw controls in a game earlier this season, winning 13 against then-#3 TCNJ and became just the second player in program history to surpass 100 draw controls in a season (130). 
• Also fueling the offense for Middlebury are Maggie Coughlin (29G, 19A), Kelcey Dion (30G, 14A), Susan Rowley (39G, 5A) and Caroline Messer (30G, 7A). 
• Erica Barr along with Kylie Wilson and Chloe Newman anchor a defensive unit that has limited opponents to 6.48 goals per contest. Barr paces the squad in ground balls (37) and caused turnovers (39), while ranking second with 66 draws. She is third on Middlebury's career draws list (210). Wilson, who garnered first-team all-region accolades, sits second on the team with 24 caused turnovers, while Newman has 20 caused turnovers and scooped up 26 groundballs.
• In front of the Panther goal, Annie Enrietto ranks eighth in Division III with a 6.88 goals-against-average and owns an unblemished 37-0 career record.

ABOUT #8 FRANKLIN & MARSHALL

• The Diplomats are headed back to championship weekend for the 12th time in program history (ninth in the NCAA era). 
• Franklin & Marshall is making its first appearance in the national semifinals since back-to-back trips during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
• The Diplomats garnered an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after edging Gettysburg 15-14 in the Centennial Conference Championship game. 
• After a first-round bye, Franklin & Marshall slipped past #16 Roanoke in the NCAA Tournament Second Round (16-14), before defeating Denison (15-6) and 18th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer (18-13) in the regional rounds.
• The Diplomats enter the semifinals with an 18-4 overall record.

DIPLOMATS TO WATCH

• Lydia Cassilly paces the squad in goals (53) and points (76), while Lauren Pittman has is second with 67 points (48G, 19A). Maddy Birch has contributed 43 goals and 17 assists this season.
• Madison Bray is a presence at both ends of the field and leads the team with 80 draw controls to go along with 12 goals and 27 assists.
• Belle Dintino anchors the Diplomat defense, pacing the squad with 40 groundballs and 27 caused turnovers.
• Alyssa Moran has started every contest in the Franklin & Marshall crease this season, posting an 18-4 record with 128 saves in nearly 1,115 minutes of action.

#3 WILLIAM SMITH NOTES

• William Smith earned the Liberty League's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with a 14-4 victory over #25 Ithaca.
• The Herons are playing in the NCAA Semifinals for the first time since 2003. 
• William Smith is making its 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and holds a 29-22 overall mark. 
• Following a first-round bye, the Herons cruised past Rhodes in the second round by a 17-1 score. William Smith edged #19 St. John Fisher in a low-scoring 6-5 triumph during the third round and used a big first half to ease to a 14-4 win over #5 Tufts.

#9 GETTYSBURG

• Gettysburg received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after falling in the Centennial Conference title game to Franklin & Marshall.
• The Bullets advance to the NCAA Semifinals for the ninth time in program history and the second-straight season, falling to Middlebury last spring 18-5. 
• Receiving a bye in the opening round, Gettysburg cruised over #24 Christopher Newport 15-6. The Bullets upset second-ranked Washington & Lee 11-8 in the regional semifinal, before posting a 17-8 victory over #10 York (Pa.) to earn a spot in the final four.
• Gettysburg ranks first in Division III in clearing percentage (.906).
• The Bullets enter the weekend with an 18-4 record and went a perfect 9-0 during the regular-season conference schedule.

SERIES HISTORY

• Middlebury and Franklin & Marshall have met just three times in women's lacrosse with the Panthers holding a 2-1 edge. The programs played once in the NCAA Tournament, a 16-4 Panther victory in the 2019 quarterfinal round.
• William Smith and Middlebury have faced off nine times with the Panthers possessing a 6-3 advantage. The programs have played each other three times in the NCAA Tournament with Middlebury winning each of those meetings, including a dominating 20-4 win in the 2003 semifinals.
• Gettysburg and Middlebury will play for the 12th time if both teams advance to Sunday's championship tilt. The Panthers hold an 8-3 advantage in the all-time series. Middlebury has won four of the six meetings with Gettysburg in the NCAA Tournament, including last spring's 18-5 victory in the semifinals.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Full Bracket
• Tournament Central
• Digital Media Guide