The #2 Middlebury women's lacrosse team heads to Salem, Virginia to square off with #4 Colby in an NCAA Semifinal on Friday at 4:00 p.m. The Panthers are attempting to secure a spot in the national championship for the 14th time and look to hoist their fourth-consecutive NCAA crown.

ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury is making its 29th appearance in the national tournament and has advanced to the semifinal round for the 24th time, including every year that it has competed since 2015.
• The Panthers are looking to win their 11th title in program history.
• The program has tallied 23-straight victories in NCAA Tournament action. 
• Middlebury earned a first-round bye as the top-overall seed, before defeating #22 Ithaca 20-5 in the second round. The Panthers downed #21 University of Chicago 23-6 in the third round and topped #8 York (Pa.) 19-4 in the national quarterfinal.
• The Panthers rank in the top-10 places nationally in winning percentage (tied for second - .950), clearing percentage (fourth - .893), scoring defense (fourth - 6.25), draw control percentage (sixth - .646) and scoring margin (eighth - +9.60).

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• During the NCAA Quarterfinal, Hope Shue tallied five goals and added three assists to become the program's single-season point leader with 107. The senior's point total and 76 markers pace the squad, while her 31 assists are second on the team and her 67 draw controls are tied for second. This season, Shue has rewritten the Middlebury scoring record books, entering the semifinal round with 279 goals and 379 points. 
• Also contributing to the attack this season have been Caroline Adams and Maggie Coughlin. Adams leads the team with 122 draw controls and is second in tallies (45) and third in points (64). She owns the school record with 343 draw victories. Coughlin paces the squad with 35 helpers while ranking second in points (74). She became the fourth Panther to surpass 100 career goals and 100 career assists earlier this season.
• Between the sticks, Gina Driscoll and Elizabeth Savage have shared time this season, with Driscoll starting in 17 of 20 contests. The Panther is ranked in the top-10 spots in the country in goals against average (GAA) (fourth - 6.33) and save percentage (10th - .522), while Savage owns a 6.10 GAA across 16 appearances in a trio of starts. 
• Anchoring the defensive unit, Kylie Wilson paces the squad with 28 caused turnovers and owns the program's career mark with 117. The Panther is joined in the backfield by Grace Mumford and Madison Paylor, who have started all 20 games. The trio has helped Middlebury to the fourth-highest clearing percentage in the country at .893 and the fourth-best scoring defense (6.25).
• Haley Hamilton and Caroline Messer have also contributed to the midfield, as Messer leads the team with 37 groundballs, while Hamilton has 18 rollers and 16 caused turnovers.

ABOUT COLBY

• Colby is making its 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and reached the national semifinals for the first time. 
• The Mules are searching for their first NCAA Title.
• The program owns a 20-13 overall mark in national tournament play.
• Colby secured its place in the final four with second and third round wins over Endicott (17-1) and #17 Stevens (17-6) before grinding out a 7-6 victory over #7 Wesleyan in the quarterfinals. 
• This season, the Mules possess a 17-3 record and are ranked fourth nationally in the latest IWLCA poll. The squad went 8-2 in NESCAC play with its losses coming to Middlebury and Tufts, before falling 18-9 to the Jumbos in the conference semifinals. 
• Colby ranks in the top-25 in Division III in win percentage (tied for 10th - .850), clearing percentage (16th - .877) and scoring offense (22nd - 7.40).

MULES TO WATCH

• Julia Jardina leads the Mules with 66 goals and 76 points. She has recorded 22 free-position markers. Gennie Littlejohn paces the squad with 31 helpers and has scored 14 times. 
• Sitting second on the squad is Ainsley Dion with 69 draw control wins and 33 goals. Her 39 points (33G, 6A) are third among her teammates.
• Defensively, Kat Munter is a stalwart, pacing the squad in draw controls (70), groundballs (45) and caused turnovers (32).
• Jillian Kane has started all but one game this spring in goal for Colby, posting an 8.14 GAA and 122 saves.

ABOUT TUFTS

• Tufts is making its 10th appearance on the national stage and is looking for its first NCAA Championship. 
• The Jumbos have reached the semifinal round for the fourth time and the third in the last five years. The squad has advanced to the title tilt twice, most recently in 2022. 
• This season, Tufts owns a 20-1 record and is ranked first in the latest IWLCA poll. The program holds a 23-9 mark in NCAA Tournament competition. 
• The Jumbos reached the semifinals by defeating Scranton 17-5, #10 Pomona-Pitzer 16-8 and #7 Salisbury 8-7.
• Allie Zorn spearheads the offense, ranking first on the team in points (82) and second in goals (59). Maggie Carden is right behind with 80 points and a squad-best 64 goals. Zorn has accumulated 22 free-position tallies this spring, while Carden has 20.
• Ella Lesperance (31G, 39A) sits at 70 points coming into the weekend.
• In the draw circle, Genna Gibbons has a team-leading 138 victories, while Madeline Delaney has 97 triumphs.
• Starting in goal in all 21 games this year is Pascale de Buren, who is in the top-15 places nationally in GAA (sixth - 6.92) and save percentage (11th - .519). 

ABOUT GETTYSBURG

• Gettysburg is making its 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and looks to claim its fourth national championship. The program won its initial crown in 2011 before winning back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.
• The Bullets have made the national semifinals 10 times, including three of the last four editions.
• Gettysburg sits at 19-3 and is victorious in 10 of its last 11 contests. The squad, which ranks #6 in the latest IWLCA poll, is 48-19 in NCAA Tournament play.
• The Bullets defeated then-#18 Trinity 13-11 in the second round before knocking off #9 Washington & Lee (18-10) and #20 Denison (16-13) to punch their ticket to Salem.
• Julia Day has been a catalyst for Gettysburg, pacing the team in goals (63), assists (48) and points (111). The junior comes into Friday with 17 points so far in the NCAA Tournament, including two goals and four helpers in the team's quarterfinal triumph over the Big Red.
• Emily Crane is second on the team with 75 points (57G, 18A) and has held down the draw circle with a squad-best 124 victories. Michaela Kelly has been a spark plug off the bench, tallying 25 goals and 38 assists.
• On defense, Camryn Epstein and Lily Macatee have a combined 41 caused turnovers. Macatee is also second on the team with 86 draws. 
• Juliette deVarenne has started all 22 contests in between the posts for the Bullets, allowing a 9.26 GAA and stopping 162 shots.

SERIES HISTORY VS. MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury and Colby meet for the second time this season and the 45th matchup. The Panthers edged the Mules 12-11 on April 5 in Maine. Middlebury holds a 31-13 advantage against Colby. The programs have squared off four times in the NCAA Tournament, with the Panthers winning each contest, including a 12-7 victory in the 2023 quarterfinal round.
• If Tufts advances, the programs will play for the second showdown this spring and the 32nd all-time, with Middlebury holding a 26-5 advantage. The Panthers slipped past the Jumbos 16-15 on April 12 in Vermont. Middlebury claimed the lone NCAA Tournament matchup with a 13-5 victory in the 2022 title tilt.
• Should Gettysburg triumph, it will be the 15th all-time meeting with the Panthers holding an 11-3 advantage. The programs met earlier this season, as Middlebury claimed a 15-6 win on March 17. The Panthers and the Bullets have met twice in the championship game. Gettysburg claimed an 11-9 victory in 2018 before Middlebury returned the favor via a 17-3 victory in 2023.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Schedule 
  • Friday, May 23 (Semifinals)
    • Colby vs. Middebury - 4:00 p.m. 
    • Gettysburg vs. Tufts - 7:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 25 (Championship)
    • Winners of Semifinals - 12:00 p.m. 
• Championship Central
• Bracket

The winners of the Friday semifinals advance to the championship on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.