MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s hockey team will begin its quest for a fifth national championship on Saturday, when the fourth-ranked Panthers (20-6-1) entertain No. 12 Nazareth (21-6-1) in an NCAA Division III quarterfinal.

Game time in Kenyon Arena is 3 p.m., and on Tuesday college officials announced free admission to the event.

The program will be making its 20th appearance in the NCAA tournament and will be seeking its first title since 2022, when the Panthers capped a 27-0 season with an overtime home victory in the championship game.

The Panthers were awarded an at-large bid to the tournament after losing to Amherst in the NESCAC final, 1-0. The winner of Saturday’s game will play either Amherst (21-5-1) or Colby (18-6-2) in an NCAA semifinal on March 28, at a time to be announced. The final will be played at 4 p.m. on March 30.

Wisconsin River-Falls is hosting the tournament’s final four. River Falls (23-3-2) and Elmira (21-7-1) will meet in one quarterfinal in the other side of the bracket, and Augsburg (23-3-1) and St. Norbert (25-4-1) in the other.

Middlebury and Nazareth have never skated against one another.

The Panthers have tallied 76 goals this season and have the fifth-best scoring defense in the country at 1.04 per game.

Cat Appleyard leads the Panther attack with 11 goals, followed by Kate Flynn with 10 goals and eight assists Other contributors include Olivia McManus (three goals, 14 assists), Avery McInerny (four goals, 12 assists) and Jordan Hower (9 goals, five assists).

The duo of Sabrina Kim and Cece Ziegler anchor the defense. Sophia Merageas and Sophia Will have split time in net for the Panthers.

Nazareth University in Rochester, N.Y., is making its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Flyers advanced to the quarterfinal round with a 4-2 upset of No. 9 Endicott in the opening round. The victory was the first NCAA triumph for the program.

The Golden Flyers women’s hockey team was founded in 2018 and has won four-consecutive United Collegiate Hockey Conference Titles, defeating Utica in this spring’s final.

Nazareth sits top-five nationally in numerous categories, including shutouts (first with 12), scoring defense (second at 0.93), and scoring offense (fourth at 4.00).