Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Women’s Notes: Tournament Time Takes Center Stage

Auto Qualifiers are on the Line

The final regular season games have been played as the NEWHA and WCHA finalized their standings. Conference tournaments are now fully underway in all five NCAA Division I women’s hockey conferences. Here is a league-by-league look at each:

AHA:

Regular Season Champion: Penn State (fourth in a row)

Quarterfinal winners Lindenwood and Syracuse move on to the semifinals, hosted by No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Mercyhurst, in a best-of-three series. Semifinal winners will advance to a single-game championship hosted by the highest remaining seed.

See HERE to view the AHA Postseason bracket.

ECAC Hockey:

Regular Season Champion: Yale & Princeton (co-champions)

Brown, Colgate, Harvard and Union secured opening round wins to advance to the quarterfinals to take on the league’s top four seeds Yale, Princeton, Quinnipiac, and Cornell. Quarterfinal matchups will determine who takes the trek to Lake Placid for the single-elimination semifinal and championship games.

See HERE to view the ECAC Hockey Championship bracket.

Hockey East:

Regular Season Champion: Northeastern

Opening round games for Hockey East begin tonight with Merrimack vs Maine and Providence vs Boston University. Winners will advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 28 to play Northeastern or UConn. The already determined matchups include Vermont vs Boston College and New Hampshire vs Holy Cross.

See HERE to view the Hockey East Championship bracket.

NEWHA:

Regular Season Champion: Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce nabbed the NEWHA top seed after being ranked fourth in preseason polls and will face Saint Michael’s. All eight teams will face off in a best-of three quarterfinal format with advancing teams competing in a single-elimination format for the subsequent rounds.

See HERE to view the NEWHA Championship bracket.

WCHA:

Regular Season Champion: Wisconsin (second in a row)

Wisconsin secured its second straight No. 1 seed heading into quarterfinal where it will host Bemidji State. All eight teams will compete in best-of-three quarterfinal matchups hosted by the high seed with hopes of moving onto the single-elimination Final Faceoff. The Final Faceoff will take place at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena.

See HERE to view the WCHA Championship bracket.

Daily Scoreboard | National Schedule | Scoring Leaders | Goaltending Leaders

Must Read:

NHL: Messier, Brady, King attend women’s 2026 Olympics gold medal game

NHL: United States rallies late, tops Canada in OT for women’s Olympic gold medal

Sports Illustrated: Next up, Postseason Hockey with Women’s Conference Tournaments: Puck Drop

The Hockey News: Manness Sisters Headline ECAC All-Rookie Team

The Hockey News: Lily Shannon Leading In The Present At Northeastern With A Bright Future Ahead

The IX Sports: AHA Semifinals Playoff Preview

The IX Sports: ECAC First Round and Quarterfinals Playoff Preview

The IX Sports: Hockey East First Round and Quarterfinals Playoff Preview

The IX Sports: WCHA First Round Playoff Preview

The IX Sports: Team USA is Golden Again Following 2-1 Overtime Thriller

The IX Sports: Switzerland Wins Olympic Bronze Over Sweden

Yahoo Sports: Three NCAA Women’s Hockey Players Named Finalists For Hockey Humanitarian Award

USCHO: Five finalists announced for 2026 Hockey Humanitarian Award

USCHO: Women’s Hockey Weekend Wrap – February 23, 2026

USCHO: How the top 15 NCAA women’s hockey teams fared, Feb. 16-22.

Must Hear & See:

Breaking the Glass: Episode #29: Weekly Recap & Olympic Roundup

CBS: Kelly Pannek on stunning U.S. women’s hockey win at Winter Olympics

NCAA: Marie-Philip Poulin women’s college hockey Frozen Four highlights

Not Gonna Lie: “Experience of a lifetime”- Laila Edwards admits how important the Gold Medal Game is

Rinkside Rundown: “Pressure Is Privilege”: Ena Nystrom’s Journey

Ride to the Rink: Hockey Isn’t Your Identity: A Powerful Message from Olympian Haley Winn

Ride to the Rink: Street Hockey Skills That Build NHL Dreams with Ryan Carter

Our Kids Play Hockey: Ryan Carter’s NHL Journey & What Hockey Parents Must Know

USCHO: A stunning first-round exit in ECAC Hockey as the postseason begins

Title Clinched:

With an eight-point performance in the Badgers’ sweep, graduate forward Lacey Eden (Annapolis, Maryland) locked in the regular-season scoring title with 68 points in 34 games played.

Eden’s 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) in 2025-26 surpassed both her previous season total and her prior career high of 48 regular-season points. The graduate forward is averaging 2.00 points per game and has five game-winning goals this season.

Perhaps most impressive, Eden has taken just two penalties for four total minutes this entire season.

Hardware Haul:

The impact college hockey has on the global game was without a doubt showcased at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games and a record 7.7 million viewers saw it first-hand. The gold medal game between the United States and Canada featured 100 percent college players, active or alumnae.

Overall, 56 players with college ties earned a medal – 23 gold, 23 silver and 10 bronze – while 11 of those medals went to active NCAA players. In total, 81 percent of the medals awarded in women’s hockey went to an NCAA player, past or present. A stick tap to all those involved in the game who shape the athletes that represent our incredible sport both on and off the ice.

In the men’s tournament, 25 athletes with college ties won medals, including 20 gold, four silver and one bronze.

Stats to Watch:

While a few conferences and teams have begun play-in rounds, the full swing of playoffs is upon us. Here are some team leading stats heading into the 2025-26 conference tournament quarterfinals:

Power Play Percentage: Wisconsin – 34.5%

Penalty Kill Percentage: Quinnipiac – 90.0%

Short Handed Goals: Penn State & St. Anselm – 8

Shooting Percentage: Minnesota – 12.3%

Goals per Game: Wisconsin – 5.4

Faceoff Percentage: Ohio State – 59.9%

Total Blocks: Delaware – 758

Save Percentage: – Franklin Pierce – .946

Goals Against per Game: Penn State & Wisconsin – 1.4

Most Shutouts: Penn State – 14

Least Penalized (PIM): Brown – 144

Most Penalized (PIM): Ohio State – 435

Garnet Charge(r)s Forward:

The Union Garnet Chargers upset No. 12 Clarkson on Friday in the ECAC Hockey opening-round playoffs. The win snapped the Golden Knights’ 27-game winning streak. The last time the Garnet Chargers defeated Clarkson was 15 years ago in a 2-1 victory at Messa Rink on Nov. 5, 2011. Friday’s one-goal margin marked just the sixth meeting between the programs decided by a single goal.

Sophomore forward Karianne Engelbert (Whitby, Ontario) opened the scoring with her eighth power-play goal of the season, breaking Union’s single-season record. Freshman goaltender Emma Rhéaume (Neuville, Quebec) recorded 39 saves, including 19 in the final frame, to backstop the upset.

Union advances to face No. 1 Yale in a best-of-three quarterfinal series.

Hockey Humanitarian:

The Hockey Humanitarian Award has announced its top five finalists for the 31st annual honor, recognizing college hockey’s finest citizen. Presented each year to a student-athlete who makes a meaningful impact both on the ice and in the community, the award celebrates leadership in volunteerism and service beyond the game. The 2026 Hockey Humanitarian Award winner will be announced during the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

2026 Top Five Finalists:
Kara Goulding, Boston College (Sr., F, Belmont, Mass.)
Grace Sadura, Minnesota Duluth (Jr. F, Chanhassen, Minn.)
Meg Simon, Middlebury College (Sr., F, East Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Jayden Sison, Princeton (Sr., D, Paoli, Pa.)
Ryan Tattle, UConn (Sr., F, Port Moody, British Columbia)

Notebook Quotebook:

“We are heartbroken by the passing of Hoagie, a beloved and irreplaceable member of the UMD Hockey family.

Hoagie served as an assistant equipment manager for our program, but his impact went far beyond his role. He was a constant source of joy, energy, and pride within our program and across our department. Hoagie had a genuine love for UMD Athletics and an unwavering passion for Bulldog Hockey, supporting both our men’s and women’s programs with his whole heart.

Our student-athletes shared a special bond with Hoagie. He knew them, believed in them, and brought positivity into their lives every single day.

Hoagie embodied what it means to be a Bulldog: loyalty, enthusiasm, and a deep sense of community. He will always be part of our program, and his spirit will live on in the countless memories he helped create.

We extend our deepest condolences to Hoagie’s family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know and love him. He will be deeply missed.

— Statement from Minesota Duluth Women’s Hockey on Dale “Hoagie” Haagenson’s passing. Hoagie was a beloved member of both Bulldog hockey programs, and the Duluth community, for over 40 years. Our thoughts and prayers are with Hoagie’s family, friends, Bulldog Hockey and all those impacted by the loss.

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:

Hilary Knight (Wisconsin ’12) has 15 goals and 33 points in her Team USA career, making her the all-time leading goal scorer and point producer in United States hockey history … The Vermont Catamounts killed four penalties against Holy Cross on Saturday and are a perfect 20 for 20 on the penalty kill over their last five games … Sacred Heart senior Kailey Smith (Framingham, Mass.) notched her first goal of the season Friday to help complete the Pioneers comeback against Assumption … The Boston College Eagles recorded 57 shots against New Hampshire on Saturday in a 5-2 win. Senior forward Emma Conner (Edina, Minn.) recorded two goals and an assist … Stonehill Skyhawks freshman forward Payton Palsa (Annapolis, Md.) tallied a goal and two assists in Friday’s win and went 61.5 percent at the faceoff dot over the weekend … Brown Bears defeated Dartmouth in the ECAC opening round Saturday. Three players recorded three points for the Bears: junior forward Sam Broz (Bloomington, Minn.), sophomore forward Monique Lyons (Bedford, Mass.) and senior forward Jade Iginla (Lake Country, British Columbia).

Longest Active Team Winning Streaks:

6 games, Minnesota Duluth (began Feb. 6, 2026)
5 games, Wisconsin (began Feb 8, 2026)
4 games, Cornell (began Feb. 6, 2026)
4 games, Ohio State (began Feb. 13, 2026)

Longest Active Goalie Winning Streaks:

6 games, Eve Gascon, Minnesota Duluth (began Feb. 6, 2026)
6 games, Taylor Kressin, Ohio State (began Oct. 10, 2025)
Four players tied at five…

Longest Active Point Streaks:

25 games, Josefin Bouveng, Minnesota
- 13G, 26A (began Sep. 26, 2025)
17 games, Abbey Murphy, Minnesota
- 24G, 17A (began Oct. 25, 2025)
17 games, Carina DiAntonio, Yale
- 13G, 12A (began Nov. 29, 2025)
14 games, Jordan Ray, Yale
- 10G, 14A (began Jan. 2, 2026)
12 games, Hilda Svensson, Ohio State
- 6G, 13A (began Nov. 28, 2025)
9 games, Maddy Christian, Penn State
- 6G, 6A (began Jan. 20, 2026)

Longest Active Goal Streaks:

10 games, Abbey Murphy, Minnesota (began Dec. 5, 2025)
6 games, Morgan Giannone, Robert Morris (began Feb. 6, 2026)
5 games, Lacey Eden, Wisconsin (began Feb. 8, 2026)
4 games, Addison Andre, Franklin Pierce (began Feb. 13, 2026)

Conference Websites

Atlantic Hockey America | ECAC Hockey | Hockey East | NEWHA | WCHA

College Hockey Inc. Resources:

Did you know? 97% of NCAA Division I women’s hockey players earn their degree!