Three Panther teams seek ECAC titles

A week after semifinal defeats in their respective conference tournaments, the Plymouth State field hockey, volleyball and men’s soccer teams received another playoff opportunity with berths in this week’s ECAC Tournaments. Field Hockey earned the third seed and home field advantage in the ECAC’s opening round, just days after being upset by Westfield State in the Little East semifinals. The Panthers won the ECAC Tournament last season, defeating Wellesley College in overtime as the top-seeded team in the field. Plymouth State began defending its title Wednesday against sixth-ranked Anna Maria, with the winner taking to the road for semifinal action on Saturday. Volleyball also picked up a third seed in the ECAC tournament, settling for a regional playoff berth after falling to Keene State in the LEC tourney. The Panthers have earned a playoff bid each of the last four seasons, but are just 1-3 between one national and two regional appearances. Plymouth State hopes to improve on their playoff performance starting Friday against sixth-seeded Roger Williams, with the winner moving on to play second-ranked Wellesley on Saturday. Men’s soccer recovered from Wednesday’s shootout-loss to Rhode Island College to earn a third seed in the ECAC Tournament. The Panthers are making their third-consecutive trip to the regional playoffs, where they swept the event in 2001. Plymouth State began their quest for another ECAC title Wednesday at home against sixth-seed Albertus Magnus, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s semifinal round. This weekend’s tournaments will mark the end of the Fall season for Plymouth State athletics. The Panthers’ winter season heats up with Men’s Ice Hockey and Women’s Swimming & Diving this weekend, while basketball and wrestling debut next week.