Middlebury head coach Kate Livesay is used to playing on the season’s final weekend. With a 16-4 win over Franklin and Marshall in this year’s national quarterfinals, the Panthers secured a Final Four spot for the third time in the last four seasons.
What Livesay may not be accustomed to is seeing so many familiar foes also reach championship weekend.
Joining Middlebury in this year’s Final Four are fellow NESCAC programs Tufts and Wesleyan, meaning odds are favorable for a New England team to take home the Div. 3 title this weekend in Ashland, Va. Wesleyan (17-3) squares off with Middlebury (20-1), while Tufts (19-2) faces powerhouse Salisbury in the other semifinal game. Both contests are set for Saturday afternoon, with the winners playing Sunday for all the marbles.