WATERVILLE, Maine -- Colby College, the fifth-ranked and New England Small College Athletic Conference champions, received an opening round bye and will begin NCAA Division III Tournament play next Sunday in the second round

Should the Mules advance past the second round, Colby will play the winner of the Denison College/Brockport State game in the third round.

Colby received an automatic bid to the national tourney after Sunday's 13-9 win over Trinity College in the NESCAC championship game. 

Besides Colby and Middlebury, the NESCAC has Trinity, Hamilton College, and Wesleyan University heading to the national tourney.

COLBY'S NCAA APPEARANCES

2006

Plymouth State, 21-5 win, first round

Bowdoin, 11-8 loss, second round

Eastern Connecticut, 19-3 win, first round

Hamilton, 13-6 loss, second round

Middlebury, 9-3 loss, second round

Southern Maine, 16-5 win, first round

Cortland, 10-9 win, second round

Hamilton, 14-9 loss, quarterfinal

Norwich, 17-4 win, first round

Hamilton, 6-5 win, second round

Cortland, 15-4 loss, quarterfinal

Endicott, 21-5 win, first round

Messiah, 16-5 win, second round

Trinity, 7-5 loss, quarterfinal

Lasell, 19-3 win, first round

College of New Jersey, 11-9 loss, second round

Plymouth State, 16-5 win, first round

Williams, 8-6 win, second round

Cortland, 16-7 loss, quarterfinal