The #16 Middlebury men's lacrosse team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and takes on SUNY Geneseo on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Eighth-ranked Dickinson serves as the host for the second and third round games with all competition taking place on Biddle Field. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers are making their 19th appearance in the national tournament and are seeking the program's fourth NCAA Title.
• Middlebury has advanced to the quarterfinals on 13 occasions, mostly recently in 2023. 
• The Panthers played in the NESCAC Championship on Sunday for the 12th time, coming up just short (9-7) against #10 Wesleyan.
• Middlebury has squared off with 10 nationally-ranked opponents this spring and emerged victorious in half of those contests.

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Anchoring the defense is goalie Hayden Kern who has started all 18 contests this year. The Panther has recorded double-digit save totals in 12 contests this year and owns a .542 save percentage. Kern ranks third in the NESCAC with a 9.95 goals against average (GAA). 
• Helping to protect the crease this season has been the duo of Teddy Curran and Henry Tarr. Curran paces the squad with 27 caused turnovers to go along with 22 groundballs. All-NESCAC Second-Team selection Tarr has caused the second-most turnovers (21) and has scooped up 28 rollers. The Panther has also contributed on offense, recording six points (4G, 2A) this season.
• Faceoff specialist William Munroe leads the NESCAC with 103 groundballs and owns a .476 winning percentage at the X.
• Offensively, Middlebury is powered by several key contributors. Russell Thorndike tops the charts in points (57) and goals (43), while Billy Curtis is one point back (56) and leads the squad with 30 assists. Patrick Jamin is second on the team in helpers (24) and third overall with 39 points, while William Ryan is tied for second with Curtis, both tallying 26 times. 

ABOUT SUNY GENESEO

• SUNY Geneseo earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, claiming its second-straight SUNYAC Title on Sunday. 
• The Golden Knights are making their fifth appearance in national postseason play, having punched their ticket a year ago for the first time since 2007.
• SUNY Geneseo enters the weekend riding a five-game unbeaten streak.
• The Golden Knights have played six nationally-ranked opponents this spring, winning two of those contests.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS TO WATCH

• Between the pipes, Andrew Tittmann has started 15 contests, while featuring in all but two games. The goalie owns a .560 save percentage and a 9.07 GAA.
• Anchoring the defensive unit for SUNY Geneseo has been Trevor Bollinger and Ethan Cone. Bollinger paces the squad with 30 caused turnovers to go along with 50 groundballs, while Cone is second in both categories with 52 rollers and 24 caused turnovers. 
• Faceoff specialist BB Syrop tops the charts on the team with 91 groundballs, while owning an impressive .613 win percentage which ranks first in the SUNYAC.
• Spearheading the offensive output for the Golden Knights has been the triple threat of Jimmy Atkinson, Brady Sullivan and Riley Hendselder. Atkinson paces the team in goals (50) and points (66), while Sullivan has 53 points (32G, 21A) and Hendselder is right behind with 52 (29G, 23A). 

SERIES HISTORY

• Middlebury and SUNY Geneseo have squared off just one time in the programs' histories.
• The programs played in the 2004 NCAA First Round, with the Panthers claiming a 14-5 victory to advance in the tournament. 

ABOUT DICKINSON

• For the third year in a row, Dickinson earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament by capturing the Centennial Conference Championship. 
• The Red Devils topped Gettysburg 13-8 to claim the program's seventh league title.
• Dickinson has been ranked in the top-10 spots nationally all season.
• The program owns a 16-2 overall record and is 4-2 against nationally-ranked opponents.
• Patrick Scarborough has started 17 contests between the pipes for the Red Devils, owning a .537 save percentage and a 9.43 GAA.
• John McKee owns the X with a .625 faceoff winning percentage, while ranking first for Dickinson with 151 groundballs. 
• Skylar Schluter leads the squad with 50 points (15G, 35A), while Owen Porter is right behind with 49 points (36G, 13A).
• Middlebury and Dickinson have played once in program history, with the Panthers claiming a 16-11 victory at the 2019 Mustang Classic. 

ABOUT THE FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP

• The Red Devils take on the winner of the first-round matchup between Scranton and John Carroll. 
• Both of those teams qualified for the tournament by winning their respective conference championships. 
• Middlebury has not played either of these programs in its history.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• NCAA Interactive Bracket

The third-round winners advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals which take place on Saturday, May 18 at a site to be determined.