The defending NESCAC champion Amherst women’s hockey team is off to a hot start, boasting a 3-0-1 record and ranking seventh in Division III. All four games have been against NESCAC foes, most recently a 2-0 victory on Sunday against Trinity College in the Jeffs’ home-opener.

Meanwhile, second-ranked Middlebury College, which Amherst defeated in the NESCAC finals last year, holds a 3-1 (2-0 NESCAC) record. Middlebury’s only loss came to defending national champions SUNY Plattsburgh, 3-2, and the Panthers’ NESCAC wins have come by convincing margins of 4-0 against Wesleyan College and 9-0 against Hamilton College.

The Jeffs aim to return to the NCAA Frozen Four, and Friday’s game will serve as a benchmark to where they stand in the league. The last time the Jeffs and Panthers met, the game went into triple overtime to become the longest women’s college ice hockey game ever. The game occurs one day before the Jeffs take on Williams, in what is sure to be an exciting weekend of women’s hockey.