BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England field hockey team has earned the second seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming The Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship. TCCC Commissioner Gregg Kaye released the pairings this morning.

The Nor'easters (7-1 TCCC) finished conference play in a three-way tie atop the standings, alongside Endicott College and Nichols College. The Gulls narrowly edged out the other two teams on the third tie-breaker to gain the top seed, sending UNE and Nichols into another tie-breaker. By virtue of their Oct. 17 win over the Bison, the Nor'easters received the No. 2 spot.

New England College (5-3 TCCC) secured the four-seed, while a second three-way tie-breaker was needed to determine the final two teams moving on. After going through the same steps, Salve Regina University and Gordon College came out as the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively. Western New England College (3-5 TCCC) was the odd team out.

Nichols and Gordon will play Saturday in the quarterfinals, with the winner traveling to Biddeford for the semifinal round next Wednesday. This marks the first time in program history that UNE has advanced to the TCCC semifinal.

For the complete release of the championship pairings, click here.
To view the championship bracket, click here.