The #18/fifth-seeded Middlebury men's lacrosse team looks to snap #1/top-seeded Tufts' 21-game unbeaten streak when the squads meet in the NESCAC Semifinals on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. 

ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers are making their 22nd appearance in the tournament and have advanced to the semifinal round for the 19th time.
• Middlebury is seeking its eighth title and first since 2007.
• The Panthers have advanced to the title tilt 12 times, most recently last spring.
• Middlebury ranks third in the league in clears (326-373) and shot percentage (.296) while being fifth in faceoff percentage (.533), groundballs (496) and goals scored (182).

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Anchoring the defensive unit, Hayden Kern has started all 16 games in between the pipes. The Panther has played the most minutes of any goalie in the conference (944:20 minutes) and ranks fourth with 176 saves. Kern tallied a career-high 19 stops in the regular-season finale and had 18 in the quarterfinal win. 
• Defenders Teddy Curran and Nate Ruoss have started every contest this year for Middlebury. Curran is tied for second on the team with 12 caused turnovers to go along with 11 groundballs, while Ruoss has caused seven turnovers and scooped up 17 rollers. Henry Tarr is also a force on the defensive end, collecting 24 groundballs.
• Faceoff specialist William Munroe is second in the league with 98 rollers and paces the squad with a .539 winning percentage at the X.
• Offensively, Billy Curtis has a team-high 60 points (31G, 29A). The Panther set program records in single-game assists (seven) and points (12) this season, while also becoming the career leader in helpers with 133. 
• Patrick Jamin adds to the offensive output, ranking second on the squad with 50 points (22G, 28A). He has started in all 16 games and has tallied a pair of golden goals.

ABOUT TUFTS

• Tufts enters the weekend riding a 21-game unbeaten streak dating back to its loss in the  2024 NESCAC Quarterfinals.
• The Jumbos are seeking their league-leading 12th conference crown.
• Tufts has advanced to the title tilt in 12 of the last 14 editions of the tournament.
• The squad paces the league in goals per game (17.25), points per game (26.06), groundballs per game (44.31), and caused turnovers per game (10.44).

JUMBOS TO WATCH

• Conner Garzone has started all 16 games in goal for Tufts and sports an impressive 8.97 GAA and is second in the conference with a .573 save percentage.
• The trio of Michael Ayers, Ben Frisoli and Joey Waldbaum have started every game in the backfield for the Jumbos. They are tied for second with 15 caused turnovers, while Ayers is third with 60 rollers. 
• Parker Merril (.658) and Victor Salcedo (.620) rank second and seventh in the NESCAC in faceoff win percentage. 
• The offensive output has been spearheaded by Jack Regnery. The Jumbo ranks second in the league with 53 goals and third with 72 points, while also tallying five game-winning markers.
• Max Ettinghausen is second on the squad in points (55) and tallies (43), while starting in all 16 games.

SERIES HISTORY

• The programs play for the 63rd time with Middlebury owning a 33-28-1 advantage.
• The Jumbos claimed the regular season meeting by a 16-11 score.
• This marks the 10th meeting between the programs in the NESCAC Tournament and the fifth in the semifinal round. The contest will be a rubber match as each team has claimed two semifinal bouts in the series. 

ABOUT BOWDOIN

• Second-seeded Bowdoin is making its 21st appearance in the tournament and looking for the program's first championship.
• The Polar Bears have advanced to the title tilt four times, most recently in 2022.
• Patrick Fitzgerald paces the league in points (75) and goals (62), while Casey Ryan is second with 49 assists.
• Robert Hobbs ranks third in the conference with an 8.62 GAA.
• If Middlebury and Bowdoin play in the championship, it will be the 58th meeting. The programs have played once in the title tilt, with Middlebury winning 11-5 in 2001.

ABOUT WESLEYAN

• Third-seeded Wesleyan seeks its second-straight title and fourth overall.
• The Cardinals edged Middlebury 9-7 in last year's championship bout.
• Jack Raba leads the NESCAC with 56 helpers, while ranking second with 74 points. CK Giancola is third in the conference with 47 goals.
• If the Panthers and Wesleyan meet in the championship on Sunday, it will be the 58th all-time contest. The teams have played six times in the title bout, with Middlebury claiming four.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Championship Central

The championship takes place on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.