NCAA Division III Tournament: Second & Third Round

Tufts Athletics

On November 11, 2023, Tufts and Rowan met for just the second time in history. It was an NCAA Tournament Second Round game, which Tufts would go on to win, 2-1, ending Rowan’s season. Now, one year later, Rowan looks to reverse the roles.

When Rowan faced Ursinus earlier this season, they lost 6-2. This past Wednesday, in the first round of the National Tournament, Rowan ensured they would be the team left standing this time, defeating Ursinus, 2-1. Goals from Allie Palumbo and Jenna Gray propelled the offense, while goalkeeper Mariah Juliano made 11 huge saves for the Owls to shut down the late offensive efforts of the Bears.

Tufts comes into this game 16-2 after winning four straight shootout matches. The Jumbos begin their fight towards the National Championship title on Saturday after earning a bye in the First Round and hosting rights as the No. 3 seed.

Tufts won the NESCAC title last weekend after defeating No. 4 Williams in semifinals and No. 11 Bates in the championship. Goalkeeper Lydia Eastbun has played lights out for the Jumbos the past two weeks, and earned herself the title of DIII National Defensive Player of the Week.

FINAL: TUFTS 3 - 1 ROWAN

It’s a rematch from last season in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament between NEWMAC champion Babson and NESCAC runner-up Bates. The two teams met this time last year, where Babson came away with the edge on Bates, beating them 1-0 in overtime to advance to the next round.

No. 7 Babson enters this game with just a 0.59 goals allowed average, ranking second in the nation for their defense. In goal for the Beavers is Bayla Furmanek, who leads the nation with 13 shutouts so far on the year. In addition to a stellar defensive line, the Beavers also boast a powerful offense, averaging 4.08 goals a game. Against ranked opponents, Babson fell just short in most cases - falling 1-0 in OT to No. 4 Williams and 2-1 to No. 2 Middlebury. Aside from NEWMAC rival MIT, Babson's only ranked win of the sesaon has been against Bates - a 3-0 shutout back in September.

The Beavers are through to this Second Round match after taking down Keene State, 5-0, in the First Round.

No. 11 Bates is through after taking down Stevens, 4-1, in their First Round match-up. With the win, the Bobcats matched the program record for wins in one season. In the NESCAC tournament, Bates took down No. 2 ranked Middlebury - who has been atop the nation for several years now - in the semifinal game, but fell in the finals to Tufts. Their resilience and grit in large part helped the Bobcats earn their at-large bid into their second straight, and second overall, appearance in the National Tournament. Leading the offense for the Bates is senior Anna Cote, who has 12 goals and 29 points on the season. 

FINAL: BABSON 1 - 2 BATES

Salisbury Athletics

Salisbury enters the NCAA postseason sitting atop the national rankings, earning both a bye in the First Round and the right to host. The Sea Gulls claimed the final C2C conference championship title in an overtime shootout against Christopher Newport last weekend. Kaitlyn DeModna was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, scoring both goals in the 3-2 victory. Salisbury has outscored opponents 56-12 and taken down ranked opponents like No. 3 Williams, No. 10 York, No. 5 Johns Hopkins, and No. 12 Messiah. Arden Hunteman leads the attack with 15 goals and 2 assists. Last season, the Sea Gulls were knocked out the postseason in the Third Round by Johns Hopkins.

Lynchburg comes into this Second Round contest after a huge overtime win against Susquehanna to keep their season alive. Down 1-0 for most of regulation, Madison Mark tied the game in the 52nd minute, and the overtime game-winner came from Khanyisile Mzizi. With the win, the Hornets will advance past the First Round for the second consecutive year and fourth time in the past ten years.

Against mutual opponent York, Lynchburg fell 5-0, while Salisbury took a 1-0 victory. Alternatively, the Hornets picked up a 4-3 win against Rowan, while the Sea Gulls fell 2-1 in overtime.

The Sea Gulls and Hornets have met a total of seven times, most recently facing off in the 2021 NCAA First Round, where Salisbury took a 3-2 victory in overtime.

FINAL: SALISBURY 3 - 0 LYNCHBURG

Christopher Newport crusied by St. Mary's in their First Round match, scoring three goals in the first quarter in the eventual 4-0 win. The goals came from Caroline Hughlett, Lindsey Loar, and two from Avery Mast. Courtesy of two saves from Ella Fallen and a strong defensive effort, the Captains recorded their fourth NCAA shutout in school history. Christopher Newport departed the NCAA Tournament in this same round last season, falling in overtime to Kean.

York blanked Johnson & Wales in the First Round, winning 2-0 off goals from Kelbie Linebaugh and Libby Wild. This win marked the seventh straight for the Spartans, a streak they hope to continue after ending their 2023 season in the NCAA Second Round. York and Christopher Newport faced off in September of this year, with the Captains taking a narrow 2-1 victory. Riley Buschert had the lone goal for the Spartans, while Hughlett and Katie Abendschoen tallied for the Captains. Goalkeeper Belle Fields, who has been at the top of game this season for York, had 12 saves in the loss.

CNU and York are two teams that matchup nicely against one another. In the 10 times that they have met, the Captains has won seven and York has won three.

FINAL: CNU 1 - 0 (OT) YORK

Williams Athletics

A NESCAC match-up will ensue in the NCAA Tournament Second Round when No. 4 Williams hosts No. 13 Wesleyan in Williamstown, Mass.

Williams continues their 14-3 season as a regional host after falling to Tufts in shootouts in the NESCAC semifinals. Previously, the only two losses for the Ephs were to the top two teams in the country - No. 1 Salisbury and No. 2 Middlebury. Last fall, Williams was escorted out of the NCAA Tournament in the Second Round by the Sea Gulls.

Wednesday night was a historic moment for Wesleyan, who picked up the program's first NCAA Tournament win in their NCAA postseason debut. The Cardinals outpaced Ithaca in the 2-0 shutout, with goals from Teddy Tolbert and Georgia Adams.

In their regular season match-up, Williams had a 2-1 victory over Wesleyan. Madeline Rowland and NESCAC First-Team selection Kiki Higgins tallied for the Ephs, while Brooke Miner cut the deficiet to one for the Cardinals.

FINAL: WILLIAMS 3 - 2 WESLEYAN

It will be an interesting matchup as Shenandoah and Messiah face-off for the first time since 2010 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Both teams took comfortable victories in their First Round games. For Shenandoah, their first NCAA postseason win in program history was an emphatic one, as the Hornets shut out Westfield State, 11-0. Seven different players tallied on the day, as Mairead McKibbin notched three goals and Elizabeth Ranberger added three assists. Shenandoah is now 19-2 and on a 17-game win streak.
Messiah dominated their own match-up with a 6-1 win over Roger Williams. Leah Bryner and Hailey Womer each added a pair of goals, while goalkeeper Joy Lippert stopped all three shots that came her way. The Hawks are set to return to the Second Round for the tenth consecutive time, and won the whole thing as recently as 2016.

Shenandoah has never gotten close to defeating Messiah in their three meetings, last falling 8-0 back in 2010.

FINAL: SHENANDOAH 2 - 1 MESSIAH

Middlebury Athletics

In the next step of Bryn Mawr’s historic season, the Owls will go up against reigning NCAA Champion Middlebury. This NCAA Tournament Second Round match-up will be the first meeting between the two teams.

It’ll be a battle of experience this Saturday, as Middlebury will play in their 24th NCAA Tournament and look to compete for a seventh straight title. On the other side of the pitch is Bryn Mawr, who picked up their first NCAA Tournament berth and subsequent win on Wednesday. The Owls blanked No. 17 SUNY Geneseo, 1-0, in a back-and forth battle with the single goal from the stick of Eva Yacura.

After their undefeated 22-0 season in 2023, Middlebury has seen two losses this fall, to No. 3 Tufts in the regular season and to No. 11 Bates in the NESCAC semifinals. The Panthers still boast their formidable attack, scoring on average over five goals per game. Caroline Segal leads the charge with 18 goals and 67 total points. 

FINAL: MIDDLEBURY 9 - 0 BRYN MAWR

After safely getting through their First Round opponents, Johns Hopkins and SUNY Cortland will meet in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Johns Hopkins breezed by Marywood, 6-0, setting a program record for fastest NCAA Tournament goal by Megan Chang at the 1:44 minute mark. Lila Slattery got in on the action as well, adding two goals to her total of 19 this season. Back in the Second Round for the sixth straight time, the Blue Jays have advanced all the way to the Championship for the past three seasons, but are yet to win a trophy. 

Cortland dominated possession in their First Round match against Ohio Wesleyan, but were well defended by the Battling Bishops. The Red Dragons were spared from overtime with a goal from Keirra Ettere with three minutes remaining. It’s still just a one-loss season for Cortland, who last fell to York, 1-0, back on October 9. 

The Blue Jays and the Red Dragons have clashed just four times before, most recently in 2007 at the Black-Eyed Susan Tournament. It was Johns Hopkins first win of the series – a 4-2 victory.

FINAL: JOHNS HOPKINS 5 - 1 CORTLAND

It’s a NESCAC championship rematch between the Tufts Jumbos and the Bates Bobcats in the Third Round of the NCAA postseason. Just one week ago, this same match-up ended in shootouts after going scoreless in double overtime. Tufts would be the eventual winners of the NESCAC title, winning the shootouts 3-2.

Tufts comes into this game after a 3-1 win over Rowan in the Second Round, having recieved a bye in the First as hosts. The game was won in regulation, making it the first non-shootout win for the Jumbos in four games. The goals were scored by Claire Gavin, Kylie Rosenquest, and Lainie Pearson - her first of the season. Tufts, now on an 11-game win streak, looks to win yet another matchup against Bates this year to secure their spot in the final four. They have won both meetings against the Bobcats so far this year. 

Bates comes into this game looking for revenge. After taking down No. 2 Middlebury in the NESCAC semifinals, the Bobcats played all the way to shootouts with Tufts before falling. Bates has unfinished business with Tufts, having securing this match-up with a 2-1 win over No. 7 Babson in the Second Round.
Anna Lindeis opening up the scornig in the first quarter, while Anna Cote finished the job with a tally in the third. Ava Donohue put in work in cage, making eight stops.

FINAL: TUFTS 2 - 1 BATES

There is a second conference championship rematch happening in Sunday's NCAA Quarterfinals – a C2C championship rematch between Salisbury and Christopher Newport.

Salisbury, who won the C2C championship 3-2 in penalty shootouts, comes into this game after a 3-0 shutout over Lynchburg. The goals were scored by Alex Kupper, Arden Hunteman, and Marli McDorman, as the Sea Gulls outshot their opponent 20-1. Abbey McIlvain recorded her sixth solo shutout of the season with the help of a powerful defensive line.

The third time could be the charm for Christopher Newport, whose season was kept alive last game thanks to an overtime goal from Lainey Pratzner. The Captains outlasted a tough No. 10 York side in order to advance to this game. Christopher Newport looks to avenge themselves from the C2C championship loss last weekend, as well as the 3-1 loss in the regular season.

FINAL: SALISBURY 2 - 1 (OT) CNU

In an NCAA Quarterfinal contest, Messiah and Williams will meet for the first time in program history.

Messiah battled their way to a Third Round spot against No. 8 Shenandoah on Wednesday, garnering the 2-1 upset with two third quarter goals from Leah Bryner – and both assists coming from Carrie Bair. The Hawks have exited the NCAA Tournament in the Third Round for the past two seasons, and will be itching to reach the Semifinals again for the first time since 2017, when they finished as National runner-up. 

After enjoying a successful season, Williams earned a host spot in the NCAA Tournament, and found themselves faced with Wesleyan in the Second Round. The Ephs held strong in the tense battle, and powered by three goals in three minutes in the first quarter, were able to secure a 3-2 victory. Continuing to shine on attack, Kiki Higgins had a hand in all three goals – assisting Meaghan Boehm for the first and tallying the rest herself. The Ephs made it as far as the Semifinals in 2022, but were taken down by Salisbury in the Second Round last fall.

FINAL: WILLIAMS 2 - 1 MESSIAH

Speaking of rematches – it’s a rematch of the 2023 NCAA Championship as Middlebury hosts Johns Hopkins. Falling at the No. 2 and No. 5 seeds this postseason, each team now has the opportunity to knock the other out in the Quarterfinals, making for the first new Championship combination since 2019. 

Johns Hopkins has fallen to Middlebury in the final for the past three years, most recently getting shutout 2-0 in 2023. The Blue Jays reached this point with a dominant 6-0 win over Marywood in the First Round and a big 5-1 victory over Cortland in the Second. Lila Slattery found two goals against the Red Dragons to tie the program's single-season points record (46).  Sophomore goalkeeper Aubrey Kilgore finished the match with a career high eight saves.

Middlebury is having another dominant season, but not as much as their 22-0 finish last fall. The Panthers have been felled twice this season, only to NESCAC opponents – 2-1 to Tufts in conference play and 2-1 to Bates in the NESCAC semifinals. With hosting privileges, Middlebury skipped the First Round and took down Bryn Mawr, 9-0, in their opening NCAA Tournament match. Caroline Segal tallied twice while Amy Griffin’s two assists lifted her to program career assist leader with 49.

The Blue Jays and Panthers have only ever faced each other in the NCAA Championship.

FINAL: MIDDLEBURY 3 - 1 JOHNS HOPKINS