NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - While the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's field hockey team basks in the glow of its first-ever Little East Conference championship, it faces an immense challenge Wednesday in its first round matchup at Middlebury College.  The Middlebury Panthers boast the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) #11 national ranking and an 11-4 overall record.  Coach Nicole Castonguay's Corsairs will make a 254-mile trek to the Green Mountain State to compete in the program's first NCAA Tournament field hockey match. 

The Corsairs head into the tournament carrying momentum following an impressive run through the Little East Conference Championship.  UMass Dartmouth defeated quarterfinalist Plymouth State, semifinalist Fitchburg State, and finalist Keene State en route to the title.  After back-to-back shutouts in the opening rounds, the Corsairs won a dramatic 3-2 contest in overtime at Keene State on a goal by senior forward Erica Allan (Amherst, Mass.).  The victory avenged a narrow 3-2 defeat at Keene just one week earlier.  UMass Dartmouth outscored opponents in the Little East Tournament by a cumulative 12-2 margin. 

The Panthers have been idle since being upset by Williams College 2-1 in the opening round of the NESCAC Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 1.  Despite the early tournament exit, the Panthers still managed a 6-4 record in an elite field hockey conference.  The NESCAC claims five of the top 20 rankings in the NFHCA poll.   Wednesday marks Middlebury's seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.  The Panthers were NCAA finalists as recently as 2007, and won the national championship in 1998. 

The Panthers and Corsairs have fared similarly against common opponents.  Each team's resume includes a win over Keene State and losses to #5 Tufts University and #6 Trinity College (Conn.).  The teams did not play head to head in 2009, and have no recorded history of any head to head matchups. 

UMass Dartmouth reaches the national stage with the availability of their top scorer still in question.  Junior forward Stephanie Kinchla (Falmouth, Mass.) sustained an injury in the first half of Thursday's 4-0 semifinal win over Fitchburg State and did not play in the championship match at Keene on Saturday.  Kinchla is the team leader in goals with 20 and points with 46.