2004 Women's Ice Hockey Championship Field Set

Bowdoin to Host Tournament

HARTFORD, Conn. - With identical 15-1 conference records, Bowdoin and Middlebury finished the regular season tied atop the women’s ice hockey standings in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. After proceeding through extensive tie-breaking procedures, a coin flip was used to seed Bowdoin as the top team in the 2004 NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey tournament.

The Polar Bears, currently ranked fifth in the latest USCHO.com national poll with an overall record of 18-4-1, will have a first round bye and will host the semifinal and final rounds for the second consecutive season in Brunswick, Maine beginning Saturday, March 6.

Middlebury (15-1 NESCAC, 19-3 overall) is the tournament’s second seed and will host seventh-seeded Connecticut College (5-11 NESCAC, 7-17 overall) on Saturday, February 28 in one of three NESCAC first round contests. The Panthers, ranked second nationally, are the defending NESCAC Champions.

Third seed Williams (12-4 NESCAC, 14-8 overall) will host sixth seed Wesleyan (6-9-1 NESCAC, 9-14-1 overall). Williams, ranked 7th nationally in the latest USCHO.com poll, has defeated the Cardinals in the first round of each of the past two post-season tournaments.

The fifth-seeded Amherst (7-9 NESCAC, 13-11 overall) will travel to fourth-seeded Hamilton (7-9 NESCAC, 10-12-1 overall). Hamilton was awarded the fourth seed using predetermined conference tiebreakers.

The top seven teams qualify for the NESCAC Championship. First round games will be played on Saturday, February 28 and winners will advance to the semifinals at Bowdoin on Saturday, March 6. Teams are re-bracketed entering the semifinal round with number one seed Bowdoin playing the lowest remaining seed. The NESCAC tournament champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship.

2004 NESCAC WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Saturday, Feb. 28 at higher seeds
No. 7 Connecticut College at No. 2 Middlebury - 3:30 p.m.
No. 6 Wesleyan at No. 3 Williams - 2:00 p.m.
No. 5 Amherst at No. 4 Hamilton - 2:00 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, March 6 at Bowdoin
No. 1 Bowdoin vs. lowest remaining seed - 1:00 p.m.
Remaining quarterfinal winners - 4:00 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, March 7 at Bowdoin
Semifinal winners - 1:00 p.m.