Fall is here, which means back to school, pumpkin spice, and the return of ECAC women’s hockey! It’s a new year and a new start for the 12 teams in this conference. Some look to repeat their successes, others to bounce back after challenges, and more to keep improving through another season of hard work.
In this 2026-27 season preview, I’ll walk you through who and what you need to know as the season kicks off. We have storylines for the conference, plus a player you should watch and some notes on what’s new for each team. This is a long one, so grab a beverage of your choice (pumpkin spice latte, maybe?) and settle in for some hockey talk.
State of the conference
The ECAC has historically been one of the top NCAA women’s hockey conferences. It was the first conference to sponsor the sport, and one of only two conferences home to an NCAA champion (the other being the WCHA). While ECAC teams always find their way onto the USCHO top 15 polls and into the NCAA Tournament, they’ve had a hard time competing with top talent from other schools, particularly the best teams out of the WCHA. Someone especially inclined to hot takes could even argue the ECAC is falling behind Hockey East, where Northeastern made it to the Frozen Four, and UConn routed one of the ECAC regular-season champions.
Still, the top tier of ECAC Hockey is incredibly competitive. Last season we saw the first-ever tie for regular-season champion with Yale and Princeton, but a different team, Quinnipiac, won the ECAC championship. Cornell and Clarkson rounded out the top five, but both programs faced rough losses in the conference playoffs. Looking ahead to this year, Harvard and Colgate are teams on the rise looking to crack this leading group.
2026-27 marks the second season with a neutral site conference championship. The 2027 ECAC conference playoff semifinals and finals will again take place at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, NY. Previously, championship weekend was hosted by the top-seeded team and home ice advantage was highly coveted. Now, winning the regular-season title is less meaningful. Schools just need to be in the top four to earn a first-round bye and host the second round. From conversations with coaches, this new normal has changed how teams are thinking about conference play. In year two of this structure, I’ll be looking for noticeable changes in decision-making, especially late in the season.
Outside of standings, the conference-wide storyline I’m most interested in this season is all about goaltending. Some goalies had a breakout year (e.g., Felicia Frank, Samson Frey), while other favorites seemed to falter (e.g., Annelies Bergmann). Who will be this season’s surprise success? Who can bounce back, and who will stay the course?
If all goes right, I will have answers to these questions by the time someone hoists the ECAC championship trophy in March. If you want to follow along with the season, all ECAC home games are streaming on ESPN+ in the United States. International fans can also watch on the new ECACHockey.tv streaming service.
Now, onto the teams. We’re going to go in reverse order of how I think the final conference standings will shake out. Please note that I have no expectations that my predictions are accurate, but that’s the fun of this!
RPI
Last season, RPI finished 11th, with a conference record of 4-18-0 and an overall record of 7-28-0. They were eliminated in the first round of the ECAC playoffs after losing to Colgate. They were ranked 12th in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
There’s not much to say about the Engineers. They weren’t very good last year, and they won’t be very good this year, either. If they can win as many or even more conference games than last season, that will be progress.
On the bright side, even the bottom of the conference can have something fun to look forward to. RPI and Union have a long-standing rivalry and compete for the Capital District Mayor’s Cup. This year’s contest will be on Jan. 27, 2027, at Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glen Falls, NY, home of the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder. I also have to give a shoutout to their fantastic mascot, a puck with a hard hat.
Additions
RPI has a huge incoming class, with ten new first-year players joining the Engineers. Among them are two players with considerable experience in Europe. Forward Barbora Černá Prošková was a member of the Czechia U18 team and has spent the last several years with Brynäs in Sweden’s NDHL and a few games in the SDHL. Forward Linn Mattsson was a junior player for Team Sweden and spent the last three seasons with Djurgårdens in the SDHL, appearing in 33 games in 2025-26.
Player to watch: Kendal Davidson (D, senior)
Defender Kendal Davidson was one of the best players on the ice for the Engineers last season. She led the team in goals, shots, and blocked shots. After spending her first two collegiate seasons with regional rival Union, Davidson arrived at RPI and had an immediate impact. She played big minutes in all situations and helped drive offense from the blueline. Now in her senior year, the Engineers will need Davidson to continue leading the way.
I would especially keep an eye on her in the Mayor’s Cup game. Davidson scored two of three goals against her former team in last year’s contest, even though Union ultimately won. If RPI wins this time, she will become the first player, male or female, in Mayor’s Cup history to win with both schools.
Union
Last season, Union finished 12th, with a conference record of 3-18-1 and an overall record of 11-22-3. They defeated Clarkson in the first round of the ECAC playoffs, then lost to Yale in the quarterfinals. They were ranked tied for tenth in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Much like their Mayor’s Cup competitors RPI, Union is in a pretty sad state, and they’ve basically always been this way. The Garnet Chargers have never had a winning season and only got above .500 in conference play once.
But that doesn’t mean Union is just a cupcake team to overlook and defeat easily. If your team runs into them in the conference playoffs, be prepared. For the last two seasons, both under head coach Tony Maci, Union made it out of the first round and into the quarterfinals. Last year, they landed a huge upset, taking down fifth-seeded and national number 12 Clarkson 2-1 in the opening round. When the playoffs roll around in March, ignore the Garnet Chargers at your own risk.
Additions
Union got one transfer player over the offseason. Madison Macaulay is a sophomore defender who spent last year at Saint Anselm. There, she played 36 games and logged eight points (one goal, seven assists).
They also brought in six freshmen, four of whom are two pairs of teammates from juniors. Forwards Madi Gaines and Ella Skotty both played for the Chicago Mission, where they won five state championships. Forward Evie Hanson and defender Lily Leckelt come from the Edmonton Jr. Oilers, where they won a league championship. Hanson was the league’s regular-season top scorer.
Player to watch: Quinn Dunkle (D, senior)
Union’s best player of the last few seasons was defender Stephanie Bourque. She set school records for assists and points by a defender, and never missed a game. But Bourque graduated at the end of 2026, leaving a gaping hole in the Garnet Chargers’ D-corps. Dunkle is in a good position to help fill that hole as a blueliner developing her two-way game. Last season, Dunkle was the team’s leader in blocked shots, but also had the most goals for a defender with six, and the second-most points for a defender after Bourque (13). If Dunkle can make herself known at both ends of the ice, it will help Union push through the season.
Dartmouth
Last season, Dartmouth finished tenth, with a conference record of 3-16-3 and an overall record of 5-23-3. They were eliminated from the conference playoffs after losing 7-2 to Brown in the opening round. They were ranked tied for tenth in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Dartmouth is a historic team in the middle of a lengthy rebuild. Success has been hard to come by, but the Big Green seem to be stabilizing under head coach Maura Crowell, now entering her third season at the helm. They had a strong start to last season, taking on top opponents like Colgate and Clarkson at the beginning of conference play, but that push was ultimately unsustainable. Still, Dartmouth can keep the top-tier teams on their toes, especially with strong goaltending from Michaela Hesová.
Additions
Dartmouth is one of several ECAC teams with new arrivals on the coaching staff. In their case, that’s assistant coach Katie Kotlowski. A Wisconsin graduate, Kotlowski won three national championships with the Badgers. She started her coaching career last season as an assistant with DIII Marian University.
The Big Green are welcoming nine newcomers this season, with eight freshmen and one sophomore transfer. Forward Ellie Zakrajsheck comes to Dartmouth after 15 games last season with Minnesota-Duluth. Among the first-years, Swiss national Rebecca Langenegger is one of the most experienced. The defender competed at the U18 World Championships and spent the last three seasons in Switzerland’s senior women’s hockey league with HC Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies.
Player to watch: Michaela Hesová (G, junior)
If you don’t regularly watch ECAC hockey, you likely heard Michaela Hesová’s name for the first time during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. She played two games for Team Czechia against Switzerland and Canada, backing up Klára Peslarová. But when Hesová isn’t representing her country on the world stage, she’s starting in net for Dartmouth. In 19 games during the 2025-26 season, she made 30 or more saves in 10 of them. She posted a 0.916 save percentage overall, and had two shutouts. In a conference where goaltending is always something to talk about, there’s an appealing consistency to Hesová’s play, even when the team in front of her isn’t doing much to help. When she’s in net, you can’t count Dartmouth out.
Brown
Last season, Brown finished seventh, with a conference record of 12-8-2 and an overall record of 18-14-2. They beat Dartmouth in the opening round of the conference playoffs, then lost to Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals. They were ranked ninth in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Brown is a scrappy team with flashes of promise, but not enough to crack the top tier of the conference. Unfortunately for the Bears, 2026-27 is likely to be a year of backsliding. Two of their best players, Jade Iginla and India McDadi, graduated at the end of 2026. This is a loss this team will feel hard. It’s possible they could surprise us, but I wouldn’t expect too much from Brown this year.
Additions
Brown is also adding a new assistant coach. Zach Perkins arrives in Providence after serving as head coach and assistant athletic director at DIII Anna Maria College. He has extensive work as a goalie coach.
The Bears are also welcoming six incoming freshmen. Among them is defender Bogi Báhiczki-Tóth, a member of Hungary’s national team and a standout offensive defender in high school in the US with NAHA.
Player to watch: Monique Lyons (F, junior)
As a sophomore in 2025-26, Monique Lyons was Brown’s top offensive producer. She led the team in goals (17), assists (22), and points (39). In fact, she was Brown’s most productive player in twenty years. This seems to be a growing pattern for Lyons, who was also the Bears’ scoring leader as a freshman. Brown will need her to keep up the production, but also help make the plays and connections that keep the team moving forward.
St. Lawrence
Last season, St. Lawrence finished ninth, with a conference record of 8-13-1 and overall record of 11-21-3. They were eliminated in the first round of the ECAC playoffs after a 3-2 overtime loss to Harvard. They were ranked seventh in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
St. Lawrence is often in the middle tier of ECAC teams, but had a particularly rough go of it in 2025-26. They played better than their record would suggest, but weren’t in the fight with the rest of the league. This year, I expect the Saints to return to form, or at least be significantly better than last time.
Something both exciting and potentially troublesome is the youth of this St. Lawrence team. They have a large class of 10 incoming first years, with some intriguing names among them. Meanwhile, there are only eight rostered players with more than two years of college hockey experience: four juniors and four seniors. Leadership from these players will be critical. The newcomers will have to step up and contribute immediately if the Saints don’t want to repeat their past mistakes.
Additions
St. Lawrence got one newcomer from the transfer portal: sophomore defender Alex Therien. In her freshman year at New Hampshire, Therien played in every game. She notched one goal, six assists, and 24 blocked shots. Before college, she was a U18 gold medalist with Team Canada.
For the freshmen, some of the most interesting additions are Maja Helge, Kendall Doiron, and Barbora Juříčková. Helge is an exciting young goaltender out of Sweden, having featured on the U18 national team and in Frölunda’s system. She appeared in 26 SDHL games for them over the last two seasons, with 11 wins and a 0.932 save percentage in 2025-26.
Doiron has been on the radar in Canada since she led her team as a 16-year-old at U18 nationals. She earned a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2026 U18 World Championship. Doiron played in high school for Shattuck St. Mary’s. There, she finished fourth in points on a stacked team with 57.
Juříčková is a Czech Olympian who put up lots of points over the last four seasons in Finland’s Auroraliiga. She had 63 points (28 goals, 35 assists) in 36 regular-season and playoff games for HPK. She finished fourth in league scoring.
Player to watch: Brooke Mulvihill (F, sophomore)
As a freshman in 2025-26, Brooke Mulvihill led the Saints in points (20) and assists (11) and was second in goals (9). Her efforts earned her a place on the ECAC All-Rookie team at the end of the season. She improved quickly, growing into a larger role as the season went on. As she returns for her second season in Canton, look for Mulvihill to continue pushing the offense for this young St. Lawrence team.
Yale
Last season, Yale finished tied for first, with a conference record of 16-6-0 and an overall record of 26-10-0. They lost 3-0 to Quinnipiac in the ECAC championship final after defeating Union in the quarterfinals and Cornell in the semifinals. They made the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid, beat Minnesota-Duluth 1-0 in the regional semifinals, then fell to Ohio State 6-1 in the regional finals. Yale was ranked fifth in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and tenth in the USCHO preseason poll.
Yet I have them sitting here in seventh place. It’s definitely a turn, especially because I was pretty optimistic about the Bulldogs when I wrote about last season’s conference winners and their potential futures. At that time, I thought Samson Frey would still be in net in New Haven. Losing their breakout goaltender changes everything for Yale.
The question now is who takes over starting goalie duties for the Bulldogs. The likely answer is Anna Phillips. She’s a senior who started 13 games in 2025-26, including the conference quarterfinals series against Union. Phillips was capable, with a 0.918 save percentage and three shutouts, but not game-stealing. Yale also has two newcomers to potentially steal starts: freshman Emeline Grennan and sophomore transfer Catherine Hodgins. When it comes to goaltending, pay attention to the Bulldogs’ starting lineups and prepare for some potential experimentation.
Additions
As I mentioned above, Yale received one transfer, Catherine Hodgins from Lindenwood. In 14 games over two seasons, Hodgins had a 0.898 overall save percentage, though that figure is hard to evaluate with such a small sample size. Still, the team likely hopes that Hodgins can work behind or in tandem with Philips to re-stabilize the situation in goal.
Of Yale’s seven incoming freshmen, forward Evelyn Doyle is the only one with international experience. She won a U18 World Championship with Team USA in 2025 after leading her high school team in scoring. Hopefully having a Doyle and a Boyle on the same team won’t confuse announcers too much.
Player to watch: Molly Boyle (D, sophomore)
I am very excited to watch a lot of Molly Boyle hockey this season, and you should be too. As a freshman in 2025-26, Boyle played a starring role in the Bulldogs’ offense, logging 36 points on 13 goals and 23 assists to set single-season program records for goals and points by a defender. She played in all situations and showed up at critical moments, like scoring the lone goal in Yale’s NCAA regional semifinal victory over Minnesota-Duluth.
Boyle was the ECAC Defender of the Year, Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and a Second Team All-American in 2025-26, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she continues to earn awards this year and throughout her college career. I might even go out on a limb and say that Boyle is East Coast college hockey’s answer to KK Harvey: a dynamic offensive defender who can lead and support her teams in moments big and small.
Colgate
Last season, Colgate finished fifth, with a conference record of 13-8-1 and an overall record of 19-16-1. They beat RPI in the opening round of the conference playoffs, then lost to Cornell in the quarterfinals. They were ranked sixth in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and 13th in the USCHO preseason poll.
Colgate is a good team on paper. Their roster is full of strong players, and they’ve often been one of the ECAC’s top programs. Yet they struggled more than one might expect last season, and more than their record suggests. This year, the Raiders will be looking to overcome their past challenges. They should have the resources to do so. A little more balance in goal and a little more finishing ability can take them far this season, but things are still more tenuous for Colgate than their higher-ranked competitors.
Additions
Colgate is bringing in a strong first-year class. Among the new additions are Addison Tremel, a forward out of Bishop Kearney and member of the US U18 national team; Madison Terry, a defender with experience on Canada’s U18 team; and Linda Vocetková, a forward looking to follow in the footsteps of her Czech national teammate and Colgate alumna Kristýna Kaltounková after three years of experience in the SDHL. The Raiders also added an intra-conference transfer in Sidney Ullmann, who spent last season with Clarkson.
On the coaching staff, Heather Farrell is a new addition. Last season, Farrell was the interim head coach for Syracuse following a notable career as a prep school head coach. As an assistant coach, she’ll add a new voice to the locker room and help tighten up some of Colgate’s mistakes from last season.
Player to watch: Emma Pais (F, senior)
Emma Pais is a great player to pay attention to now if you want to get in on the ground floor with a future pro and national team mainstay. She’s already gotten national team looks for Canada on the development team, but I expect her senior team call-up will be sooner rather than later. Last season, Pais had 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points with Colgate, good enough for third on the team in goals and points. Beyond just counting stats, Pais is a noticeable presence on the ice, using her vision and skill to drive play for the Raiders. Her abilities will be a boon to wherever she goes after college, from the PWHL to Team Canada.
Harvard
Last season, Harvard finished eighth, with a conference record of 8-11-3 and overall record of 16-15-3. They beat St. Lawrence in the opening round of the conference playoffs, then lost to Princeton in the quarterfinals. They were ranked eighth in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
But I have them here at five because I like Harvard’s chances this season. I think they make a great sleeper pick for the top tier of the conference. They have some rough years behind them, but the Crimson seemed to lock in towards the end of the 2025-26 season. They won the Beanpot for the first time since 2022, then surged into the ECAC playoffs. The goals and points leaders were two freshmen, Carla McSweeney and Morgan McGathey, with leadership and support on and off the ice from then-junior and captain Zoe Boosamra. On the blueline, Kaley MacDonald and Emi Biotti helped lead the way. And of course, goaltender Ainsley Tuffy was solid in net, but more on her in a second.
Luckily, all of these players are returning in 2026-27 with another year of experience under their belts. I expect this year’s Crimson to look and feel like a veteran team. I think that’s going to do a lot to lift them out of the ECAC’s messy middle tier and into the top five.
Additions
Harvard has four incoming freshmen, adding some new blood to this experienced team. Forward Lindsay Stepnowski arrives in Cambridge as a top high school player and with a gold medal from the U18 World Championships. Forward Hilda Arhammar Pakarinen played for Finland’s U18 team and split her time last season between SDE in the NDHL and SDHL and IFK in Auroraliiga.
Player to watch: Ainsley Tuffy (G, junior)
Ainsley Tuffy was critical for Harvard last year and will be again this year. When she was on, she was on. In 21 starts, she had a 0.950 save percentage, the ECAC’s best and third overall nationally. At the Friendship Four in Ireland, Tuffy backstopped the Crimson to a win over Minnesota Duluth with a career-high 55 saves on 57 shots. She also came in clutch during the 2026 Beanpot, staying strong in net and earning the tournament MVP award. Tuffy is a consistent, exciting young netminder who can help change her team’s fortunes. We’ve seen from other ECAC schools how much a hot goalie can turn the tide for a team. Tuffy’s success will be Harvard’s success.
Cornell
Last season, Cornell finished fourth, with a conference record of 14-7-1 and overall record of 20-11-2. They swept Colgate in the conference quarterfinals, then lost to Yale in the semifinals in Lake Placid. They were ranked third in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and 11th in the USCHO preseason poll.
Under head coach Doug Derraugh, Cornell’s strategy is that the best offense is a good defense. Defensively responsible players are up and down the lineup. Defender Piper Grober often looks ready for the pros now, while two-way forward Karel Préfontaine is capable on defense and clutch in overtime. The Big Red want to stop their opponents’ momentum in its tracks, and that usually happens. But last season was a year in flux for Cornell after a large senior class graduated in 2025, capped off by a brutal loss to Yale in the ECAC semifinals. They seem more stable heading into this year, so the Big Red just need to play their game their way and hope it breeds success.
Additions
Cornell welcomes a class of nine freshmen. Among them are the Bishop sisters, defender Rachel and forward Renee, twins with a history of high school success; forward Jill McLaughlin, who won a gold medal at the U18 World Championships with Team USA; and forward Kayla O’Donnell, a USA Hockey national champion with Bishop Kearney.
Player to watch: Annelies Bergmann (G, senior)
Annelies Bergmann is one of the NCAA’s best goaltenders, full stop. Despite exceptional play throughout her time at Cornell, Bergmann often seems like an afterthought in that conversation behind Wisconsin’s Ava McNaughton and Minnesota Duluth’s Ève Gascon. Last season didn’t exactly help this effect, as Bergmann had a relatively down year. A 0.928 save percentage and seven shutouts in 33 games would be exceptional for most goaltenders, but it was a dip for her. Some can be attributed to the failures of the team in front of her, but there’s definitely been doubt in whether Bergmann is as impressive as she seems. I expect she’s going to have a bounce-back season in 2026-27 and put all the naysayers to rest.
Clarkson
Last season, Clarkson finished fifth, with a conference record of 13-7-2 and overall record of 20-12-3. They were eliminated in the opening round of the conference playoffs after being upset by Union. They were ranked fourth in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and 12th in the USCHO preseason poll.
Clarkson is a flashy, often chaotic team that can be really fun but also quite stressful to watch. They can light up opponents with high offense, as they did in the eight games last year with five or more goals. But sometimes they have a slow start and can’t catch up — like a late-season 1-6 loss to a Princeton team riding high or the playoff loss to Union. However, Clarkson’s chaos is still worth betting on, which is why I have them placed so high. Lots of goals from Sara Manness can cover up some mistakes, but I also hope to see a more balanced Golden Knights team this season.
Additions
Clarkson brought in seven newcomers this season, with four freshmen and three transfer students. Two of the transfers come by way of the WCHA. Sophomore defender Sydney Lamb spent her first college season at St. Cloud State, tallying six goals, nine assists, and 15 points and earning a WCHA All-Rookie Team nod. Junior forward Isa Goettl arrives at Clarkson after a career-best season at Bemidji State, with seven goals, 11 assists, and 18 points. The third transfer is forward Jessie Pellerin, a junior who spent the last two seasons as a faceoff specialist at Providence.
Player(s) to watch: The Manness sisters
It’s Manness madness in Potsdam and for good reason. Twin sisters Sara and Kate Manness arrived on the scene last year and quickly established themselves as two of the ECAC’s most exciting young players. Both were named to the preseason all-conference team, as voted on by ECAC coaches, unanimously.
Defender Kate has two-way skill, producing offensively from the blueline while remaining defensively capable. Last season, she had six goals and 26 assists for 32 points, landing first in scoring among defenders and third on the team overall. Her 35 blocked shots were good for second among the Golden Knights.
Forward Sara is a high-octane goalscorer. In 2025-26, she tallied 21 goals, 31 assists, and 52 points, good enough for team lead in all three and sixth in the nation in points and assists. Later in the season, she had a 15-game point streak and a 10-game goal streak, setting a program record for the latter. Sara became the first freshman ever named ECAC Player of the Year and also took home accolades as Forward of the Year and Rookie of the Year from the ECAC and national Julie Chu Rookie of the Year.
One season of outstanding performance from this pair of sisters is a pleasant surprise; two seasons is a pattern. If the Mannesses can replicate last season’s success, it can take Clarkson far.
Princeton
Last season, Princeton finished tied for first, with a conference record of 16-6-0 and overall record of 23-11-0. They lost to Quinnipiac in the ECAC championship semifinals after defeating Harvard in the quarterfinals. They made the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid, then lost to UConn 4-1 in the regional semifinals. Princeton was ranked second in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and eighth in the USCHO preseason poll.
Last year was incredibly successful for Princeton, especially for Courtney Kessel’s first year as head coach. However, that might be a blessing and a curse for the Tigers in 2026-27. They got gutted in the offseason, losing five key players to graduation, including top scorers Issy Wunder, Emerson O’Leary, and Jane Kuehl. On the other hand, Princeton in 2025-26 was a very young team, so those players gained important postseason experience and a hunger for improvement. The Tigers will need new veterans to step up, and I think the team is built in a way to enable that. Continued growth will make the difference between another conference semifinals exit and a championship.
Additions
Princeton is welcoming a new assistant coach to their staff this season. McKenna Wesloh spent last season as an assistant coach with Maine, with other coaching experience in youth and high school hockey.
On the player side, five new freshmen, all forwards, are joining the Tigers. Tina Scalese and Caroline Averill won gold medals at the U18 World Championships with Team USA. Chloe Brinson and Lia Cericola were teammates at Bishop Kearney, while Iris Cheng played with the Chicago Mission and likely crossed over with Tigers’ junior defender Rosie Klein.
Player to watch: Mackenzie Alexander (F, junior)
Mackenzie Alexander was part of one of the NCAA’s most electric and highest-producing lines last season alongside Issy Wunder and Emerson O’Leary. But like many a girl group, now one member goes solo. Wunder and O’Leary have graduated, and it’s Alexander’s time to make her mark. With 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points, Alexander was second on the team in all scoring metrics in 2025-26, but I would expect her to be on top of the leaderboard this season. Even without her all-star linemates, Alexander is a playmaker and a shot-producing machine that can generate a lot of offense for Princeton.
Quinnipiac
Last season, Quinnipiac finished third, with a conference record of 14-6-2 and overall record of 29-9-3. They won the 2026 ECAC championship, defeating Brown in the quarterfinals, Princeton in the semifinals, and Yale for the championship. As conference champions, they made the NCAA tournament. They shut out Franklin Pierce in the regional semifinals, then lost 6-0 to Wisconsin in the regional finals. Quinnipiac was ranked first in the ECAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and sixth in the USCHO preseason poll.
I’m high on Quinnipiac, and so, it seems, is everyone else. The coaches picked them at number one, they’re the highest-ranked ECAC team in the USCHO poll, and Bobcats Kahlen Lamarche and Felicia Frank were named to the preseason All-League team. After the season they had last year, I can understand why. Their regular season was fine, but Quinnipiac surged into the postseason in both the conference championships and the NCAA tournament. Lamarche proved herself as offensive firepower, leading the nation in goals scored. Frank was coming off an unimpressive freshman year with limited usage, but she was a revelation in net that few anticipated. Even beyond Lamarche and Frank, the Bobcats have a crop of strong upperclassmen to lead on and off the ice. When everything comes together for them, as it did last year, great things happen. The trick is to do it again.
Additions
In perhaps the most fun new addition in this preview, Quinnipiac recently completed renovations on their women’s and men’s hockey locker rooms, and they’re beautiful. Hopefully for the Bobcats, the new facilities give their play a boost, too.
For personnel, Quinnipiac welcomed a new assistant coach, Matt Woodard. He was most recently the video coach for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, but has a history of coaching NCAA women’s hockey as an assistant coach with RIT, Yale, and Dartmouth. Based on his bio, Woodard will likely be working on the Bobcats’ special teams strategies.
Quinnipiac also has several new players coming in, with six freshmen and three incoming transfers. Of the freshmen, defenders Rosalie Breton and Clara-Mai Van Houtte-Cachero and forward Annabelle Kruzich all have extensive resumes from playing junior hockey in Canada. The transfers include two forwards out of St. Thomas, Ilsa Lindaman and Keara Parker, as well as defender Ellie Gauvin from Brown, who is returning to competition after not playing last season.
Player to watch: Felicia Frank (G, junior)
I’m saying this now: Felicia Frank is for real. Her workload with Quinnipiac last season was ridiculous, especially after playing only ten games the season before, but she took it all in stride. Frank played in all 41 games for the Bobcats and started all but one. She finished the season with a 0.942 save percentage, 29 wins (the most in the NCAA), and 10 shutouts (tied for second in the NCAA). She also broke Quinnipiac’s single-season saves record with 1,035, the most in the nation and almost 200 more saves than the goalie in second place. Deservedly, Frank was the ECAC Goaltender of the Year and a top-three finalist for the national Women’s Hockey Goalie of the Year.
This season, I hope Frank gets a little bit more of a break instead of playing every game, but I trust that she’ll remain solid in net for the Bobcats, and I’m excited to see what she does. I also think Team Sweden should be taking notice. Frank has never been called up to the senior national team, but I can easily imagine her stopping top international talent the same way she’s made big saves in the NCAA.
For more NCAA content, check out the rest of our conference previews and be sure to follow The Ice Garden for coverage all season long!
