The road to Championship Weekend is officially heating up, and after Friday night’s quarterfinal action two more teams punched their tickets to the DeeThreeLax Final Four.

Bowdoin College and Rochester Institute of Technology each delivered statement performances to advance to the national semifinals, setting up a massive showdown Saturday night in Brunswick, Maine with a trip to Charlottesville and the national title game on the line.

Bowdoin Ends Hope’s Historic Run Bowdoin continued its dream season in dominant fashion, rolling past Hope College 20-7 to secure the program’s 19th win of the season the most in school history.

From the opening whistle, the Polar Bears controlled the pace, possession, and momentum. Bowdoin never trailed in the contest and overwhelmed Hope with relentless offense and dominance at the faceoff stripe. Huck Trafton led the way with four goals and one assist while Hudson Greene and Troy Ulisney each added hat tricks in a balanced offense that kept Hope’s defense under pressure all afternoon.

The biggest difference in the game came at the X. Bowdoin won an eye-popping 26 of 31 faceoffs behind a combined effort from Phoenix Kelly-Zuckerman, Cam Wietfeldt, and Alex Choi. That dominance allowed the Polar Bears to dictate possession and keep Hope from ever finding consistent rhythm offensively.

Even in defeat, Hope’s remarkable season deserves recognition. The Flying Dutchmen entered the game undefeated and in the midst of one of the best tournament runs in Division III this season. Gibson Heethuis capped off his incredible year with a goal and four assists, finishing the season with 138 points in 21 games, while Jack Balmforth turned aside 19 saves despite facing constant pressure.

Hope’s Cinderella run may be over, but the Flying Dutchmen proved throughout the NCAA Tournament they belonged on the national stage.

RIT’s Offense Explodes Against Babson. If Bowdoin controlled its quarterfinal with possession, Rochester Institute of Technology simply overwhelmed Babson College with firepower. The Tigers exploded for 21 goals in a 21-14 win over Babson behind monster performances from Erich Acton and Ryan Sanders.

Acton delivered the best game of his career, finishing with seven goals and three assists, while Sanders was nearly impossible to contain with four goals and seven assists for an absurd 11-point performance. Sanders has now totaled 24 points through RIT’s first three NCAA Tournament games and continues to establish himself as one of the most dangerous offensive players left in the tournament.

While the offense grabbed headlines, RIT’s defense also played a major role in the victory. The Tigers forced Babson into 22 turnovers and disrupted the Beavers all game long, including nine failed clears that helped RIT continually regain momentum and create transition opportunities.

The win sends RIT to the national semifinal round for the sixth straight season as the Tigers continue to prove why they remain one of the premier programs in DeeThreeLax. National champions in both 2021 and 2022, RIT once again looks like a team capable of making another championship run.

Now the stage is set. Bowdoin and RIT will square off Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Brunswick, Maine with a spot in the NCAA National Championship game on the line.

On the other side of the bracket, defending national champion Tufts University hosts York College of Pennsylvania before Christopher Newport University battles Wesleyan University in what should be another loaded day of quarterfinal action.