The top-ranked Middlebury women's lacrosse team has earned the #1 seed in the NESCAC Tournament. The Panthers host eighth-seeded Bates on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. from Peter Kohn Field. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury makes its 24th appearance in the conference tournament and secures the top seed for the 16th time in program history.
• The Panthers seek their 13th conference crown and third in the last four seasons.
• The program posted its fifth consecutive unbeaten NESCAC regular-season slate, owning a 75-0 mark over that stretch. 
• Middlebury has won 45 of its last 46 games on Peter Kohn Field. The lone loss came to Wesleyan in last season's semifinals.
• The Panthers' 39 victories in the conference tournament are the most across the league. Colby and Trinity are tied for second with 23 triumphs.
• Middlebury leads the conference in goals against average (4.87) and is tied atop the ranks in player-up goals per contest (2.07). The squad sits second in save percentage (.510), goals per game (13.87) and points per game (20.07). The team is also tied for second in assists per game (6.20). 

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Caroline Adams is near the top of the conference leaderboard in multiple statistical categories. The senior paces her peers in total goals (50) and goals per game (3.33). Her 75 total points also sit second in the NESCAC. Earlier this season, Adams became the first player in program history to surpass 400 draw controls and currently sits with 430 heading into the weekend.
• Haley Hamilton has taken a step forward on the attack for the Panthers, sitting second in goals (43) and points (49). She has scored at least a hat trick in nine contests, headlined by six-goal outputs against St. Lawrence and Franklin & Marshall.
• Other top contributors on the offensive end have been Skylar Lach (31G, 16A), Maeve Lee (22G, 2A), Parker Hanson (6G, 18A) and Siobhan Colin (12G, 11A). 
• Caroline Messer leads the Panther defense with 31 caused turnovers and 40 ground balls. Jaime Patton-Martin has excelled in her rookie campaign, taking away 19 and scooping up 19 rollers. Emma McCann (18 GB, 16CT) and Lauren Giuriceo (15CT, 15GB) close out the grouping. Lucy Bishop has secured 72 draw control wins, 18 ground balls and caused 11 turnovers. 
• In goal, Elizabeth Savage has a league-best 4.71 goals against average (GAA) and made 54 saves over 15 starts. The junior recently tallied her 30th career victory with three saves and three goals allowed in a 17-3 triumph over Hamilton.

ABOUT BATES

• Bates claimed a spot in the NESCAC Tournament for the 12th time and second campaign in a row. 
• The Bobcats secured the eighth seed for the first time since 2019.
• Bates seeks its initial conference championship.
• The squad sits fourth in saves per contest (7.20) and in a fourth-place tie for total goals scored (177).

BOBCATS TO WATCH

• Laci Raveis leads Bates with 32 goals and 50 points this season. Her nine free-position tallies are tied at the top of the stat sheet. The junior has logged four or more points in seven contests, headlined by seven goals and an assist earlier this season against Redlands.
• Lauren Wong (28G, 12A) and Caroline Keating (30G, 8A) close out the offensive trio of Bobcats. Over the last 10 games, Wong has scored 17 goals. Keating leads the team with 60 draw controls and scooped up 38 rollers.
• Sarah Stavrovich (15G, 4A), Grace Yonchak (11G, 5A) and Samantha Collins (11G, 3A) have also contributed to the Bates attack. 
• Tallying a team-high 20 assists this season is Lucy Taylor. The attacker has two or more assists in seven contests and has found the back of the net eight times. 
• The defensive pairing of Julia Roelofs and Clare McGeever has been a headache for opposing offenses. Roelofs leads the program with 23 caused turnovers and 40 ground balls. McGeever has forced 21 turnovers, grabbed 28 rollers and secured 22 draws.
• In the crease, Virginia Avery has stopped 73 shots and sports a 10.60 GAA over 14 appearances with 11 starts.

SERIES HISTORY 

• Middlebury and Bates play for the second time this season and 44th overall. The Panthers hold a 38-5 advantage in the all-time series.
• The sides met on March 21 in Lewiston, with Middlebury claiming an 11-8 victory.
• Saturday's matchup is the fourth between the programs in the NESCAC Tournament. The Panthers have won each battle, including a 15-2 victory in the 2019 quarterfinals.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• The top eight teams in the conference qualify for the NESCAC Women's Lacrosse Championship. Quarterfinal games will be held on Saturday, April 25, with the semifinals and championship games on Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, respectively. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.  
• Championship Central
• NESCAC Championship Records

If top-seeded Middlebury wins its quarterfinal contest, the Panthers will host the NESCAC Championship weekend.