The #1 Middlebury women's lacrosse team has earned the top seed in the NESCAC Tournament for the seventh-straight season. The Panthers will host #25/eighth-seeded Williams on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. on Peter Kohn Field. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury is one of just three teams to qualify for all 23 championships and has earned the top seed for the 15th time in program history.
• The Panthers are competing for their 13th conference crown and third-straight title.
• The program posted its fourth-consecutive unbeaten NESCAC regular season slate, owning a 60-0 mark over that stretch. 
• Middlebury has won 66-straight games and 35 in a row on Peter Kohn Field. The last loss came in the 2022 conference championship at home.
• The Panthers own 38 victories (38-10) during NESCAC Tournament action, the most among league foes.
• Middlebury leads the conference in goals against average (6.33) and ranks second in goals per game (15.27), assists per game (7.00), points per game (22.27), player-up markers per contest (1.93) and save percentage (.523).  

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Hope Shue has her name sprinkled in the top-three spots among her NESCAC peers. Heading into the weekend, Shue tops the charts in goals (58), points per game (5.40) and goals per game (3.87). She has solidified her place in Middlebury's career records books this season, becoming the program's leader in goals (278) and points (353). 
• An all-around player, Caroline Adams secured the top spot on the Panthers' career list on Wednesday with 313 draw controls. She is second in the NESCAC in that category with 6.13 per game. The Panther ranks fourth in the Middlebury's single season record books with 92 draws this year. Adams is second on the squad in goals (32) and third in points (47), while also scooping up 12 groundballs this season.
• Maggie Coughlin and Skylar Lach are both contributors to the offensive output. Coughlin paces the team with 25 assists and is second with 53 points, while Lach has posted career-high totals with 30 goals and 38 points.
• On the defensive side, Kylie Wilson and Haley Hamilton are tied for the lead with 16 caused turnovers, while Caroline Messer has scooped up 27 groundballs. The duo of Madison Paylor (17 GB, 11 CT) and Grace Mumford (12 GB, 11 CT) are fixtures along the Panther backline.
• In goal, Gina Driscoll has started all 15 contests and paces the conference with a 5.80 goals against average (GAA) and a .550 save percentage. Elizabeth Savage has logged action in 11 games, earning a pair of wins. She ranks fourth in the league with a 7.36 GAA and seventh among conference peers in save percentage (.463). 

ABOUT WILLIAMS

• Williams earned the eighth seed after tiebreakers were completed. 
• The Ephs earned the eighth seed for the first time since 2016.
• Williams qualified for the NESCAC Tournament for the second time in three seasons and the 15th time overall.
• The Ephs are searching for the program's second conference crown with their lone championship coming in 2010.

EPHS TO WATCH

• Franny Donohue paces the team in goals (34), points (45) and free-position markers (12), while ranking second in assists (11). She has caused a dozen turnovers and collected 11 rollers this spring.
• Claudia Russell has a squad-best 13 helpers alongside 26 goals with 10 from the arc. She ranks second with 23 caused turnovers while securing 18 groundballs. 
• Also contributing to the attack with 16 points apiece are Reece Willison (14G, 2A) and Juliet Kilborn (9G, 7A), as Kilborn is third in the NESCAC with 84 draw controls and 5.60 draw controls per contest. Katy McCullough (22G, 1A) has tallied 23 points.
• Grace Collier and Meaghan Day are cogs on the Williams defense. Collier is tied for the team lead with 29 rollers, while Day has secured 27. Day paces the Ephs with 26 caused turnovers, while Collier has tallied 15 and ranks second with 32 draw controls won.
• In front of the Williams net, Caroline Pratt has seen most of the playing time. She leads the NESCAC with 137 saves, while her .548 save percentage is second and the 7.99 GAA is sixth.

SERIES HISTORY 

• Middlebury and Williams play for the second time in four days and for the 58th matchup, with the Panthers owning a 40-17 advantage in the all-time series. 
• The sides met on Wednesday in Middlebury, as the hosts tallied the game's initial six goals and never looked back in a 14-4 triumph.
• The Ephs take on Middlebury in the NESCAC Championship for the first time since the 2007 semifinals and the Panthers are 3-0 against Williams in the NESCAC postseason.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• The top-eight teams in the conference will qualify for the NESCAC Women's Lacrosse Championship. Quarterfinal games will be conducted on Saturday, April 26 with the semifinals and championship games conducted on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4, respectively. The tournament champion will receive 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.