NESCAC Semifinals: Unbeaten Tufts Host Williams, Middlebury Meet Bowdoin

The NESCAC does not do surprises at the top. For the second season running, the top four seeds all advanced through the quarterfinals, and the semifinals are set for Saturday 7 November at Tufts’ Ounjian Field in Medford, Massachusetts.

Top-seeded Tufts, 16-0 and the only unbeaten side left in the conference, host No. 4 Williams at 11 a.m. The Ephs earned their trip with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Hamilton at Williamson Field, and they are back in the tournament field for the first time since 2019, finishing the regular season 8-8. That is the story of this semifinal. A perfect season against a side playing with house money.

The second semifinal, at 1:30 p.m., pairs No. 3 Bowdoin against No. 2 Middlebury. Both sides are battle-hardened, both have been here before, and this one has the feel of a game that could go either way. Middlebury carry the higher seeding, but Bowdoin have made a habit of ruining favourites’ weekends in this tournament.

The championship game is on Sunday 8 November at noon, also at Tufts, with the winner taking the conference title and the automatic NCAA tournament berth. The full NCAA field is announced on Sunday night, so the NESCAC champion will find out its next opponent within hours of lifting the trophy.

For our money, Tufts should reach the final. Sixteen wins without a loss is not an accident, and home advantage in a semifinal is worth plenty. The second game is the one to watch. Middlebury against Bowdoin has all the makings of the weekend’s best game.