NESCAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship Quarterfinal Preview: #1 Middlebury

HARTFORD, Conn. – The eighth-seeded Trinity College Women's Ice Hockey will travel to top-seeded Middlebury College for the Quarterfinals of the 2026 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Women's Ice Hockey Championship at Chip Kenyon Arena on Saturday, February 28 at 4:30 p.m.

Bantam Bytes:

• The Bantams earned the eighth-seed in the tournament after posting a 7-14-3 regular season record with a 3-10-3 mark in conference play.

• Trinity is making their seventh straight appearance in the NESCAC Tournament.

• The Bantams are the No. 8 seed for the first time since 2020 and is looking for its first NESCAC Quarterfinal win since 2015.

• Trinity is 1-1-2 over their last four games, including a pair of overtime losses to fifth-ranked Amherst College.

• Offensively, the Bantams are generating 1.75 goals per game, while allowing 3.04 goals per game to opponents.

• Trinity logged 94 points on the season with 42 goals and 52 assists.

• On special teams, the Bantams powerplay converted at a 13.4 clip, fifth-best in the league, and had a penalty-kill rate of 81.5%.

• Trinity ranked third in the conference in faceoff win percentage, finding success on the draw 53.3% of the time.

• In goal, the Bantams goaltenders combined for a 3.04 goals-against average with 621 saves and a .895 save percentage.

Meena Al-Kadiri paces the Trinity offense with a team-high 12 points on a team-high seven goals, including three powerplay tallies, with five assists.

Lillian Cassidy has registered a career-high 11 points with four goals and a team-high seven helpers, while Nani Keyes has 10 points with five goals and five assists.

Gabriela Gross owns six goals, and Caroline Holm and Kate French have added four goals apiece.

• In between the pipes,

Madeline Carter holds a 2.38 GAA with 340 saves, a .912 save percentage and two shutouts, while Kathrine Lemke has 275 saves with a 3.95 GAA and an .879 save percentage.

Scouting Middlebury:

• Middlebury, the 2025 NESCAC Runner-Up, is the No. 1 seed for the 15th time in team history and the first time since 2022.

• The Panthers have qualified for every NESCAC Championship and has played in 22 semifinals while winning a NESCAC-best 12 titles.

• Middlebury checked in at #6 in the latest edition of the USCHO.com Division III Women's Hockey Poll.

• The Panthers boast the top offensive unit in the league, pacing the conference in points (223), goals (80) and assists (143).

• Middlebury owns the top powerplay unit, converting 25% of their chances, while their penalty-kill unit has allowed just one goal this season (60-61).

• Caroline Thomas leads the NESCAC in goals (17) and ranks fourth in points (26).

• Trinity Walsh leads the conference in points (31) with a league-high 20 assists and 11 goals.

• Avery McInerny is tied for the league-lead in assists (20) and ranks second overall in points (29).

• Olivia McManus (16) and Susannah Ward (12) both rank in the Top 10 in the league in assists.

• Goaltender Sophia Will ranks fourth in goals against average (1.45) and fifth in save percentage (.941).

History:

• All-time, the Bantams own a 4-49-4 record against the Panthers, dating back to their inaugural meeting during the 1998-99 season.

• Middlebury swept the regular season series versus Trinity, winning 6-2 and 4-1 in Hartford, Conn. The tournament series stands at 4-2 in favor of the Panthers.

• The teams last played in the 2020 quarterfinals, with Middlebury registering a 4-1 win.