Panthers to Host New England Regional

Author: Scott Palmer

The brackets for the Division III Men's Tennis National Championships were released on Monday, and the Middlebury Panthers will be hosting one of two New England Regionals this weekend. This is the first time in school history that the tennis team has made the prestigious National tournament.

After finishing the regular season with a solid record of 11-3, the Panthers were awarded the number two seed for the tournament. Williams, the number one seed, will host the other Regional. The winners of the two regionals will be two of eight teams competing in the Division III finals, held the following weekend in Santa Cruz, Calif.

The Panthers will match up against number seven Bates College in the first round, and the winner will face the winner of third seed Bowdoin and sixth seed Trinity. The Panthers come into the match with Bates having already beaten the Bobcats once this year by a score of 6-1. The Panthers have also beaten the Bowdoin Polar Bears this year by a score of 4-3. The Panthers have not faced the Trinity Bantams, as that match was cancelled due to rain.

The Middlebury-Bates match-up will take place Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The finals will be Sunday at 1 p.m. All matches will be played outside at the Proctor courts, weather permitting. Should inclement weather occur, the matches will be held inside at Nelson Arena. The tennis team would very much appreciate any and all fan support on their quest to reach the final eight in Santa Cruz.