Middlebury Earns Top Seed for Third Consecutive Season

HARTFORD, Conn. - After finishing the regular season with a 16-1-2 mark, Middlebury will enter the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Men’s Ice Hockey Championship as the top seed for the third consecutive season. The eight-team tournament will begin on Saturday, March 1.

The Panthers, who finished 19-3-2 overall and ranked second in the country, will host eighth-seeded Tufts (7-10-4, 7-10-2 NESCAC). Middlebury has won the previous two NESCAC Championships defeating Amherst 4-3 in overtime to claim the 2001 Championship and downing Trinity 3-2 in the 2002 final.

In other quarterfinal action, second-seeded Trinity (16-5-2, 15-3-1) will host seventh seed Williams (8-14-2, 8-9-2 NESCAC). The Bantams defeated the Ephs in Williamstown two weeks ago.

Sixth-seeded Amherst (7-12-5, 7-8-4 NESCAC) will play at third-seeded Colby (7-5-1, 14-4-1 NESCAC). Colby, ranked 8th in the latest USCHO.com poll, finished the regular season with a defeat of the Lord Jeffs in Amherst, Mass.

Fifth-seeded Hamilton (13-9-2, 10-7-2 NESCAC) will travel to fourth seed Bowdoin (13-5-5, 11-3-5 NESCAC) for a rematch of the regular-season finale. The two teams tied 1-1 in overtime on Saturday in Clinton, New York.

Quarterfinal winners will be re-bracketed and the semifinal and final rounds will be held at the highest remaining seed beginning on Saturday, March 8. The NESCAC tournament champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship.

2003 NESCAC MEN’S ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Quarterfinals - Saturday, March 1 at Higher Seeds
No. 8 Tufts at No. 1 Middlebury
No. 7 Williams at No. 2 Trinity
No. 6 Amherst at No. 3 Colby
No. 5 Hamilton at No. 4 Bowdoin

Semifinals - Saturday, March 8 at Highest Remaining Seed
Lowest remaining seed at Highest remaining seed - 1:00 p.m.
Remaining quarterfinal winners - 4:00 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, March 9
Semifinal winners - 1:00 p.m.