The 18th-ranked Middlebury men's lacrosse team has earned the fourth seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament and will host #13/fifth-seeded Amherst on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers have qualified for 21 editions of the NESCAC Tournament which is tied for second most in league history. 
• Middlebury is looking to claim its eighth conference crown and first since 2007. Tufts is the lone program with double-digit NESCAC Titles (12). 
• During conference tournament play, the Panthers have won the second-most games in league history with a 29-13 overall mark.
• Last season, Middlebury earned the second seed and reached the NESCAC Championship game before falling to the top-seeded Jumbos.
• The squad is second in the league in player-up goals (20) and caused turnovers (165) this season, while it sits third in penalty-killing percentage (.717) and goals against average (GAA - 10.88).

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• The duo of Billy Curtis and Russell Thorndike are spearheading the Panther attack so far this year. Curtis leads the squad in points (51) and assists (28), while his helper total ranks third in the NESCAC. Thorndike paces the team, finding the back of the net 36 times this spring and is second with 49 points. The Panther has tallied a marker in every game this year and has scored 13 goals over his last four games.
• William Ryan is third on the team in goals (26) and fourth in points (32). He has scored two or more tallies in seven contests this season, including a five-goal output in the 17-10 victory over Bates.
• Patrolling the midfield are Patrick Jamin and Tom Conley who have each started in all 15 contests. Jamin ranks second on the squad in assists, setting up 21 goals while registering 33 points. Conley has recorded 29 points this season (15G, 14A) and recently surpassed the 100-career point mark (104) during a 15-7 triumph over Trinity. 
• Defensively, Teddy Curran leads the team and sits fourth in the NESCAC in caused turnovers with 24. Henry Tarr is just behind his teammate, forcing 21 takeaways while scooping up 28 groundballs. 
• Hayden Kern has started all 15 games in goal this season. The sophomore has made double-digit saves in 10 games this year and owns the third-best GAA in the league (10.35).

ABOUT AMHERST

• Amherst is searching for its initial NESCAC Title and has appeared in 21 conference tournaments.
• The Mammoths hold a 12-20 overall mark during league tournament action and have reached the final twice (2014 and 2015).
• Amherst concluded the year with a 10-5 overall record and a 6-4 mark in the NESCAC and earned the fifth seed with a tightly-contested 6-5 win over Trinity on the final day of the regular season.
• The Mammoths have been strong defensively this spring, leading the conference in GAA (10.13) and tying for second in save percentage (.550). Amherst has also been effective at the faceoff dot, sitting second in the league in winning percentage (.563).

MAMMOTHS TO WATCH

• Bob Gross and Brendan Reilly pace the Mammoth attack. Gross leads the team in points with 58 (39G, 19A) and player-up tallies (five), while Reilly is the squad's top goal scorer (40) and ranks second in points (51).
• Aiding the output for Amherst are Alex Giancobbe and Jake Bennett. Giancobbe sits third in goals (31), assists (15) and points (46), while Bennett has dished out a team-high 22 helpers to go along with 19 goals for 41 points.
• Thompson Lau leads the defensive unit and is tied for third among league peers with 25 caused turnovers, while his 52 groundballs are second on the team. Lau has scored nine goals and added three assists, including a pair of tallies against Tufts. Ryan Rahbany (34GB, 16CT) and Lawson Laverty (28GB, 16CT) are also key defensive contributors.
• A pair of goalies have split time this season with Brooks Catlin logging most of the playing time over the last month. He paces the NESCAC with a 9.80 GAA and is second with a .592 save percentage. Mitch Likins has also seen significant minutes with eight starts this spring, sporting a 10.46 GAA and a .503 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY

• Middlebury and Amherst battle for the 72nd time, with the Panthers holding a decisive 44-26-1 advantage in the all-time series.
• The programs met in the opening game this season with Middlebury jumping out to a 6-1 lead on its way to a 17-11 victory on Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium.
• The Panthers own an unblemished 7-0 record against the Mammoths in NESCAC Tournament play, including four wins in the quarterfinal round.   

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• The top-eight teams in the conference will qualify for the NESCAC Men's Lacrosse Championship. Quarterfinal games will be conducted on Saturday, April 27 with the semifinals and championship games conducted on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, respectively. The tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.  
• Championship Central
• NESCAC Championship Records

The winner of this quarterfinal contest will play in semifinal action on Saturday, May 4 at the highest remaining seed.