The 18th-ranked Middlebury men's lacrosse team has earned one of just 10 at-large berths along with a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers travel to #1 Tufts on Saturday for a second-round contest against #17 St. Lawrence at 3:00 p.m. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The program is making its 20th appearance in the playoffs.
• Middlebury owns a 37-16 record in the NCAA Tournament, with its wins ranking sixth all-time. 
• The Panthers are seeking their fourth national title, having claimed three-consecutive crowns to kick off the 2000s (2000, 2001, 2002). 
• Middlebury competed in its 22nd NESCAC Tournament, claiming a 10-8 victory over #10/fourth-seeded Amherst in quarterfinal action before falling to unbeaten #1/top-seeded Tufts in the following round.
• The Panthers have faced seven nationally-ranked opponents this season.

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• The All-NESCAC First-Team duo of Billy Curtis and Patrick Jamin spearhead the Middlebury offense, each starting in all 17 contests. Curtis paces the squad in points (66), goals (34) and assists (32), while also scooping up the fourth-most groundballs (28). Curtis has set several school records this year including single-game assists (seven), points (12), and career helpers (136). Jamin is right behind Curtis in points with 51, tallying 22 markers and 29 helpers, while scoring the golden goal on a pair of occasions.
• Also contributing to the scoring output have been Logan White (21G, 14A, 35P), Cooper DeMallie (22G, 10A, 32P) and Russell Thorndike (22G, 6A, 28P). All three Panthers have played in every contest this spring.
• At the X, William Munroe owns a .543 faceoff winning percentage. He recently became the program record holder in victories, accumulating 808. The Panther also broke the Middlebury mark for most groundballs in a career, currently having scooped up 419. Munroe paces the squad in that category with 106 this spring.
• Long-stick midfielder Drew Dummer leads the team with 19 caused turnovers, while picking up 17 rollers. 
• Defensively, Teddy Curran and Nate Ruoss have started every contest for the Panthers. Curran earned All-NESCAC Second Team praise and has caused 14 turnovers and collected 11 groundballs. Ruoss has gathered 15 loose balls and has caused seven turnovers.
• Hayden Kern has started every contest between the sticks and owns a .508 save percentage. The goalie has made 15 or more saves on seven occasions, including a career-high 19 on April 23. Kern is fifth on Middlebury's all-time list with 645 career stops. 

ABOUT ST. LAWRENCE

• St. Lawrence also secured an at-large bid to the tournament and a first-round bye.
• The Saints are making their 15th appearance on the national stage and are seeking the program's first NCAA crown. 
• St. Lawrence has collected eight wins in the playoffs and has finished third once. 
• The Saints were edged by #3 Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) 11-10 in the Liberty League Championship on Sunday. 
• This spring, St. Lawrence owns a 7-4 mark against nationally-ranked opponents, including back-to-back upset victories over #6 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).  

SAINTS TO WATCH

• Daniel Mahoney and Jamie Rosenzweig pace the Saints' offense. Mahoney leads the squad in points (52) and goals (36), while Rosenzweig is first with 27 assists. Both players have participated in all 17 contests and have two game-winners apiece while combining for 70 groundballs.
• Midfielder Bobby Wells has a team-best three golden goals, highlighted by the Liberty League Semifinal tally against RPI. The Saint is second on the squad with 25 markers, while ranking third with 38 points.
• In the faceoff circle, Padriac Condon owns a .588 winning percentage, collecting 210 victories. He also paces the team with 134 groundballs.
• Captain Charlie Miele anchors the defensive unit, ranking first with 24 caused turnovers and is tied for second with 42 rollers. 
• Long-stick middie Sam Smith has contributed at both ends of the field, starting in all 17 contests. The Saint has 18 groundballs, 11 caused turnovers and a pair of points.
• Goalie Michael Marinello ranks 13th in the country with a .598 save percentage. The captain owns an 8.53 goals against average (GAA) and ties for second with 42 groundballs. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Middlebury and St. Lawrence played for the 21st time earlier this spring.
• The Saints broke the series deadlock by claiming their 11th win in a tight, snowy 7-6 victory.
• The programs have played just once in the NCAA Tournament, with the Panthers earning a 15-11 triumph in the first round in 2009.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

• Tufts earned an automatic spot in the bracket by claiming its league-leading 13th NESCAC Title on Sunday. The program is making its 17th appearance on the national stage and is seeking its fifth crown.
• The Jumbos are one of just two unbeaten teams this season, boasting an 18-0 mark.
• Tufts was awarded a first-round bye and hosting rights and will take on the winner of Wednesday's first-round contest between Rhodes and Transylvania.
• Rhodes is making its third appearance in the tournament, earning an automatic bid by claiming the Southern Athletic Association Championship with an unblemished 8-0 mark in conference play.
• Transylvania secured a spot in the NCAA bracket by capturing its second-straight Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference crown. The Pioneers are making their sixth appearance on the national stage and seeking the program's first title. 
• If Middlebury and Tufts square off in the third round on Sunday, it will be the second meeting in the last week and the third in the past month. The programs have played 63 times with the Panthers claiming 33 of those meetings. The sides met in the ECAC Tournament four times with Middlebury claiming each, but have never faced off in the NCAA playoffs.
• If the Panthers face Rhodes or Transylvania, it would be the first meeting in men's lacrosse. 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• Championship Central

The winners of Saturday's second-round game will faceoff on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.