Middlebury Earns Top Seed for Women's Ice Hockey Championship

HARTFORD, Conn. – Middlebury went undefeated in conference play to earn the top seed for the inaugural NESCAC Women’s Hockey Championship tournament. The Panthers (16-0-0 conference, 19-1-1 overall), who have captured the past two national titles, will host the semifinals on Friday, March 1 and will host the championship game on Saturday, March 2.

Second-seeded Bowdoin (13-2-0 conference), third-seeded Colby (11-4-0), and fourth-seeded Williams (10-6-0) earned home games in the opening round of the tournament, which begins on Saturday, Feb. 23. Bowdoin, who finishes regular season play on Wednesday against Colby, will host seventh-seeded Amherst (4-11-1) in the tournament’s first round. In two regular season meetings, Bowdoin posted 4-0 and 5-0 wins. Colby plays at home against sixth-seeded Hamilton (5-11-0). The two teams met twice in the regular season with Colby prevailing 3-1 and 5-1. Williams hosts fifth-seeded Wesleyan (5-10-1)). Williams swept two regular season meetings between the teams, recording 7-0 and 6-0 victories.

The top seven teams in regular season conference play qualify for the NESCAC championship tournament. The top-seeded team hosts the semifinal and final rounds, while the next three seeds play home games in the first round. The top seed faces the lowest remaining seed in one semifinal and the other two first round winners face off in the other semifinal. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the first NCAA Division III Women’s Hockey Championship tournament.

2002 NESCAC WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Saturday, Feb. 23 at Higher Seeds
No. 7 Amherst (4-11-1, 6-14-1) at No. 2 Bowdoin (13-2-0, 19-3-0) - 3:30 p.m.
No. 6 Hamilton (5-11-0, 8-15-0) at No. 3 Colby (11-4-0, 12-5-1) - 3:00 p.m.
No. 5 Wesleyan (5-10-1, 6-14-3) at No. 4 Williams (10-6-0, 13-9-1) - 2:00 p.m.

Semifinals - Friday, Mar. 1 at Middlebury
Lowest remaining seed at No. 1 Middlebury (16-0-0, 19-1-1) - 4:00 p.m.
Remaining first round winners - 7:00 p.m.

Championship - Saturday, Mar. 2 at Middlebury
Semifinal winners - 7:30 p.m.