Kate Livesay had been off the field for less than an hour when the questions shifted from the team’s latest NCAA championship win to its place in history.
The Middlebury College head coach has led her team to the last two, and three of the last four, Division 3 national championships — and Middlebury didn’t compete in 2021 due to COVID concerns.
If Tufts has been the face of the men’s side of the NESCAC in the last decade-plus, winning 12 of the last 13 titles, Middlebury is surely the face of the women’s. In addition to their NCAA tournament success, the Panthers have won four of the last seven league championships, sharing the bounty with Tufts (two) and Colby.
“I really don’t know what to say other than we have players who believe in what we’re doing,” said Livesay. “I just think the leadership from the top down sets the tone and makes people want to work. When you feel accepted and welcomed and included and challenged, you want to play and put everything on the line for (your) teammates.”