The #1/top-seeded Middlebury women's lacrosse team is set to host the remainder of the NESCAC Tournament on Peter Kohn Field this coming weekend. The Panthers take on #12/fourth-seeded Colby in semifinal action on Saturday at 12:00 p.m., while #3/second-seeded Wesleyan and #2/third-seeded Tufts battle it out at 3:00 p.m. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury is one of just three teams to qualify for all 22 league championships and earned the top seed for the 14th time in program history.
• The Panthers are looking for their 12th conference crown and second in a row.
• The program posted its third-straight unbeaten NESCAC regular season, owning a 30-0 mark over the last three campaigns. 
• Middlebury has won 44-consecutive games and 23 straight on Peter Kohn Field. The last loss came in the 2022 conference championship at home.
• The Panthers own 36 victories (36-10) during NESCAC Tournament action, the most among league foes.
• Middlebury ranks second in the NESCAC in goals per game (16.91), assists per game (6.56), points per game (22.75) and player-up markers per contest (2.06).  
• The Panthers topped eighth-seeded Amherst 21-4 in quarterfinal action, eclipsing the 20-goal mark for the first time this season. 
• Middlebury has advanced to the NESCAC Championship contest 14 times.  

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Anchoring the defensive unit for the last three games has been goalie Elizabeth Savage. The Panther sits atop of the NESCAC rankings in goals against average (GAA - 5.60) and save percentage (.525). Gina Driscoll has started 14 contests this season (14-0) and is second in the conference with a 6.62 GAA.
• Kylie Wilson paces the squad and ranks in the top-10 spots in the conference with 33 groundballs and 20 caused turnovers, while Haley Hamilton has forced 18 this year.
• All-around threat Caroline Adams stormed onto the scene this spring, pacing the NESCAC with 8.00 draw control wins per game. The Panther is third in program history with 112 draws this year, while ranking fourth in career draw controls with 196. Adams is third on the team with 45 points (27G, 18A), while also scooping up 13 rollers this season.
• Throughout the season, Susan Rowley and Hope Shue have traded the lead for the most goals on the team and in the NESCAC. Heading into the weekend, Shue tops the charts at 56, with Rowley ranking third at 54 tallies. Shue and Rowley sit third and fifth, respectively, in the conference with 77 and 65 points apiece. 
• Shue has solidified her name in the career records books this season, moving into third place with 195 career markers, while settling into fifth with 243 career points. 

ABOUT COLBY

• Colby is the fourth seed in the NESCAC Tournament for the second year in a row.
• The Mules are seeking the program's fourth conference crown, having most recently won in 2017.
• Colby has advanced to the championship contest on six occasions. 
• Last weekend, the Mules edged fifth-seeded Hamilton 13-11 to earn a spot in the semifinal round. 
• Colby ranks fourth in the league in points per game (16.88) and goals per game (11.88).

MULES TO WATCH

• Julia Jardina leads the Mules with 51 points (39G, 12A) and 67 draw controls, while Ally Franz ranks fifth in the conference with 45 markers to go along with five helpers. 
• Leading the team with 21 assists is Tate Ban, while ranking third on the squad with 27 points.
• Defensively, Kat Munter is a stalwart, pacing the squad in both groundballs (35) and caused turnovers (25).
• Sarah Hearns has started all 16 games in goal for Colby, and ranks in the top 10 in the conference in GAA (9.35). 

SERIES HISTORY

• The Panthers and the Mules played for the 42nd time earlier this spring, with Middlebury earning a 17-6 victory.
• The programs have met 11 times in the NESCAC Tournament, with the Panthers owning a slight edge (6-5). The teams have only played twice in the quarterfinal round, with Colby claiming both.
• Middlebury owns a 29-13 overall mark in the all-time series.

ABOUT WESLEYAN

• Wesleyan earned the second seed of the tournament for the second-straight season.
• The Cardinals are seeking the program's first conference crown and are looking to head back to the championship contest for the second time in program history (2021).
• Wesleyan opened the tournament with a resounding 14-5 victory over seventh-seeded Bowdoin.
• The Cardinals rank third in the conference in nearly every statistical category.
• Laura Baine spearheads the offensive unit, ranking third in the NESCAC in assists (26) and fourth in points (68). 
• Olivia Lai paces Wesleyan in goals with 45, which is tied for fifth in the league.
• In the draw circle, Bridget Horst is third in the conference with 82 victories.
• Starting in goal in all 16 games this year is Izzy Weintraub who ranks fourth in the NESCAC in both save percentage (.453) and GAA (8.26).

ABOUT TUFTS

• For the third-straight year, Tufts is the third seed in the tournament.
• The Jumbos were the 2023 runner-up and claimed the title in 2022 against Middlebury.
• The program is seeking its third conference championship and has advanced to the title tilt on four occasions. 
• Tufts defeated sixth-seeded Trinity 15-10 in quarterfinal action.
• The Jumbos sit atop the NESCAC rankings in points per game (27.06), goals per game (18.06), assists per game (9.00) and player-up tallies per game (2.63).
• Similar to Middlebury, Tufts has a pair of players who have traded the lead in points all season. Heading into the weekend, Ella Lesperance tops the charts with 80 total points, while Margie Carden is right behind in second with 78. Lesperance is first in the league with 40 helpers, while Carden is second in goals with 55. 
• Defender Kathryn Fernandopulle paces the squad in rollers (44) and caused turnovers (32), while Genna Gibbons leads with 69 draw controls.
• Anchoring the defense is goalie Pascale de Buren who has started all 16 games and is fifth in the NESCAC in save percentage (.441) and GAA (8.49). 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Championship Central
• NESCAC Championship Records

The NESCAC Championship team will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the at-large selections being unveiled on Monday, May 6.