HADLEY, Mass. - Spurred by an unbeaten 7-0-1 mark in conference play, Amherst College earned the top seed and a first round bye in the 2006 NESCAC Women’s Soccer Championship. First round action for the seven-team tournament begins on Sunday, Oct. 29, with the semifinals occurring on Nov. 4 in Amherst, Mass., and the final taking place on Sunday, Nov. 5.

While Amherst (11-1-1, 7-0-1 NESCAC) saw its regular season finale against NESCAC rival Williams called due to poor field conditions on Saturday, the Jeffs locked up the number-one seed a week ago after defeating Wesleyan 2-1 in Middletown, Conn., on Oct. 21. The number-one seed guarantees the Jeffs an appearance in the semifinal round of the NESCAC tournament for the first time since 2003, after suffering a heartbreaking loss during the first round in each of the past two years. It is the first time in NESCAC championship history that Amherst will host the semifinals and championship, as the Jeffs will be in search of their third NESCAC title after winning the championship first in 2001 and again in 2003. The Jeffs sport a near-perfect record so far this season, with their only loss coming at Wheaton in non-conference action on Sept. 27, 1-0, and a 2-2 tie that was earned by Tufts on a late goal on Sept. 23.

Second-seeded Tufts (9-3-2, 6-1-2 NESCAC) turned its season around after a lackluster 0-2-2 start in September by going 9-1-0 in its last 10 games, the only loss coming at non-conference foe Keene St. on Oct. 18. The Jumbos closed out the regular season on Saturday at home against Connecticut College with a 3-2 victory. Sunday’s first round match against seventh-seeded Bates (9-4-0, 4-4-0 NESCAC) will be an exciting rematch between the two squads, as it was the Bobcats that upended the Jumbos in Medford, Mass., last autumn 2-1 in double-overtime to claim the 2005 NESCAC Women’s Soccer crown. The Bobcats were unable to get their game in against NESCAC rival Colby on Saturday due to poor field conditions, and although Bates ended up tied with Bowdoin with the same winning percentage in conference play, the Polar Bears won the lone meeting between the two squads this season, 3-1 on Sept. 20. Tufts won this fall’s contest against Bates at home, 1-0 on Sept. 30, and this will be the third time that these two teams have faced each other in the NESCAC tournament. The only meeting in the first round between the two occurred in 2000, a 3-0 win for the Jumbos.

Third-seeded Middlebury (10-2-1, 6-2-1 NESCAC) heads into the first round unbeaten in its last six games with a record of 5-0-1. The Panthers capped a strong 2006 regular season on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over visiting Trinity. After missing out on the semifinals last year with a 5-1 loss at Bowdoin in the first round, Middlebury will have an opportunity to return the favor on Sunday when the Panthers host the sixth-seeded Polar Bears (7-5-2, 4-4-1 NESCAC) in what will be the second meeting between the two teams in tournament history. Bowdoin appears to be peaking at the right time having won its last five games, including a 4-2 win at Wesleyan on Saturday, out-scoring opponents 25-6 over that stretch. If Sunday’s match is anything like the regular season meeting between the two teams then fans will be in for an exciting defensive struggle, as it was the Panthers that left Brunswick, Maine, with a 1-0 overtime victory over the Polar Bears. Due to uncertain field conditions at Middlebury, the game will be played at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt., tomorrow.

Fourth-seeded Williams (8-2-3, 4-2-2 NESCAC) will host fifth-seeded Colby (8-2-3, 3-2-3 NESCAC) in Sunday’s other first round action. While both teams headed into the weekend knowing that they would be playing on Sunday in the tournament, neither team was able to compete on Sunday due to poor field conditions. The Ephs enter Sunday’s match with a 1-2-2 record over their last five games, most recently dropping a 1-0 decision at Tufts on Oct. 21. The Mules are 2-2-1 over their past five games, picking up a 4-2 victory over Connecticut College on Oct. 21 in their last outing. The lone game between the two clubs came on Oct. 8 in Waterville, Maine, with the teams playing to a 2-2 draw. It is only the third appearance ever for Colby in the NESCAC championship and the highest seed that the Mules have ever received, having been seeded seventh on two prior occasions. Colby advanced to the semifinals last year after upending Amherst on penalty kicks, while Williams fell to Bates, the eventual NESCAC champions, in last year’s first round. This is the first meeting between the two teams in the history of the NESCAC tournament.

2006 NESCAC WOMEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Sunday, October 29 at Higher Seeds
No. 5 Colby at No. 4 Williams - 12:00 p.m.
No. 6 Bowdoin vs. No. 3 Middlebury - 1:30 p.m. at St. Michael’s College, Colchester, Vt.
No. 7 Bates at No. 2 Tufts - 2:00 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, November 4 at Amherst
No. 1 Amherst vs. lowest remaining seed - 11:00 a.m.
Remaining first round winners - 1:30 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, November 5 at Amherst
Semifinal winners - 12:00 p.m.