What a season this was, huh? Weโre just under two months since the 2025-26 NCAA Division I season concluded in State College, Pennsylvania. So what better time to get together and review everything that went down? Below are some thoughts and opinions from some of the minds behind NCAA hockey coverage at The Ice Garden. From our favorite moments, to far too early predictions, the three of us have some thoughts. Want to know more? It your lucky day. All you have to do is read below.ย
Favorite Moment Of The Season:
Eli Fastiff, ECAC Beat Writer: Quinnipiac wins the first ECAC championship to be held in Lake Placid.
I was initially doubtful about moving championship weekend away from campus sites. But after seeing the inaugural championship in Lake Placid I think itโs obvious the move was the right decision. Not only was the championship game the conferenceโs most attended since 2013. And the most attended conference championship game in womenโs college hockey overall in the past three years. But every player was excited to talk about how much they enjoyed playing in Herb Brooks Arena.
Giselle Velazquez, WCHA Beat Writer: Minnesota Stateโs defeat of Minnesota in November. And of Minnesota Duluth in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
There was something special about the run the Mavericks were able to put together this season. When they swept the then second-ranked Gophers in November, it was a huge upset. Freshman Mercury Bischoff, who was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team at the end of the season, had a hat trick in the second game against Minnesota. She made her mark in the WCHA with her performance that weeken. Playing a part in six of the seven goals scored.
The Mavs played well the rest of the season and finished in fifth place in the conference standings. That set them up for an opening round series in the WCHA playoffs against the Bulldogs. Though they were shutout in the first game, Mankato was able to storm back. They eliminated Duluth the following two games by a score of 2-1 each day. These two series wins were special moments for a team that you could see find their way and continue to cultivate their identity throughout the season.
Giselle, also AHA Beat Writer: Delaware womenโs hockey makes its debut
The AHA welcomed its seventh member when the Delaware Blue Hens joined the conference at the start of the season. The womenโs hockey team is the only Division I hockey team at the University of Delaware. The opening game was an incredible experience. Watching a team made up of transfers and first years put into perspective how important and groundbreaking it is when new womenโs hockey programs are created. The roster also included Billi Roman, the only Delaware native playing Division I hockey. And to top it all off, Francesca โFrankiโ Baressi scored the first goal in program history. Baressi was the programโs first-ever commit, so it was pretty magical she scored the first ever goal.
Emma Sullivan, HEA Beat Writer: Holy Cross hosts first ever quarterfinalโฆ and then makes first ever HEA semifinal
The Crusaders were a team I had high expectations of all season. But the run they put together was nothing short of fantastic. Watching them host the quarterfinal matchup against UNH with over 1,000 people in their arena was nothing short of fun. Then they went out and won a barn burner, with a 5-4 final score. While their season ended in the semis against UConn, what a year they put together โ and what a game to be proud of at the Hart Center.
Emma Pt. 2: Northeastern beats Minnesota to advance to the Frozen Four
This one is a little more personal, but Iโm gonna shout it out anyway. The game between the Huskies and Gophers was one of the best games Iโve attended. Not just this year, but also probably in my life. It was fun, it was fast, and it had some of the best athletes in the NCAA competing against each other. The rush of watching Northeastern jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first was something Iโll never forget. And it really reminded me how great the tournament is each and every year.
Best Game You Watched This Season:
Eli: Colgate at Cornell, ECAC quarterfinals game one, Feb. 27th.
This rivalry always seems to deliver. Two seasons ago Colgate eliminated Cornell from both the ECAC and NCAA tournaments. Last season Cornell got revenge over Colgate in the ECAC championship game. And after the teams combined for 16 penalties in their final regular season meeting, it was obvious the playoff matchup would deliver.
Sure enough, after the Raiders fell behind early. Alexis Petford scored twice in the third period to send the game to overtime. But in front of a rowdy crowd of 1,030, Avi Adam came through for the Red.
Giselle: St. Cloud Stateโs shutout of Minnesota in game one of the WCHA playoffs
If you would have said the first game of the series would end in a shutout, I would have been certain that the Huskies would be on the receiving end of the shutout. Yet, they werenโt. St. Cloud played their best game all season this night. They did everything right. Well ok. Early offense would have been perfect. But they werenโt letting the Gophers do much of anything throughout the entire game. There was no way for them to set up anything! But Minnesota came across Emilia Kyrkkรถ when she was blazing hot and was stopping absolutely everything in sight. The defense also came to play and did a tremendous job. So it was fitting senior captain and defender Grace Wolfe would score the game winning goal in overtime for the Huskiesโ first playoff win since 2010 and only their second win inside Ridder Arena.
Giselle: R.I.Tโs defeat of Penn State
The day before the end of the AHA regular season, the Tigers shocked the Nittany Lions. They took Penn State into overtime tied at two. With a minute and a half left, freshman Cassie Barnes collected the puck, found a lane, and beat out Katie DeSa for the game winning goal. Barnes took advantage of the space she was able to create around the PSU defenders. It was pretty cool to see. This was R.I.Tโs first win at Penn State since 2014. And it was pretty cool!
Emma: UConnโs 2-1 win over Northeastern for the HEA title
This game took years of my life.
A double overtime โ very nearly triple โ game in a conference championship will do that to a person. Not to mention this game had it all. UConn and Northeastern were consistently the best teams in HEA all year. Which we saw that on display in early March. The two teams were neck-and-neck for five periods. Before finally it was Connecticut that came out on top in a battle for the ages. What really stands out is how great the two goaltenders were; UConn’s Tia Chan, whoโs been a top name her entire time in the NCAA, and Northeastern’s Lisa Jรถnsson, whoโs poised to continue dominating the conference moving forward. Both Husky squads delivered, and gave us another fantastic title game in Hockey East.
Top Player from Your Conference โ Who Didnโt Win A Conference Award:
Eli: Samson Frey (Goaltender, Yale)
Frey should have won either (or both) Goaltender of the Year or Rookie of the Year. Thatโs not a diss on HCA National Co-Rookie of the Year Sara Manness or Felicia Frank. However, if you exclude Freyโs nine goals allowed in Yaleโs ECAC championship and NCAA regional final losses, they have a 1.24 goals allowed average with seven shutouts in 17 games. To put that in perspective, Wisconsinโs Ava McNaughton led the nation with a GAA of 1.35 and Penn Stateโs Katie DeSa needed 31 games for her 12 shutouts.
Giselle: Lacey Eden (Forward, Wisconsin)
Eden was not named to the USA womenโs hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics and then went on a tear to show everyone she should have been included. Aside from being named co-captain in January. Eden finished the regular season with 68 points, 17 of which came in the final six games. She scored her 100th career goal in February. Then led the Badgers to the regular season title while her Wisconsin teammates were at the Olympics. Before adding a fourth national title to her resume. Yes, there are so many incredible players who have played, play, and will play for the Badgers, but Eden always felt like a quiet threat on the ice. You were too busy watching other players before realizing Eden had just scored on your team.
Emma: Nina Rossi (Forward, New Hampshire)
This might seem a bit off the board. And while there are definitely some other names at the top of the scoring list (Lily Shannon I know), I think Rossi was very underrated this year. The forward had 34 points in 35 games for the Wildcats. Well clear of the next highest scorer on her team. Rossi was involved in 34% of all scoring for UNH this season. Plus, she was tied for third-most in the NCAA in short handed goals with three. The best part? She did all of this as a freshman, and should only get better as time goes on. UNH needed some kind of spark this season. Rossi was part of that, and I look forward to seeing that continue.
Favorite Player From Another Conference:
Eli: Ava Thomas (Boston College, HEA)
Her speed and goal scoring abilities are already elite and sheโs just a freshman!
Giselle: The Tia Chan (UConn, HEA) truther has entered the chat!
Chan rightfully won the HCA Goalie of the Year award and was the Hockey East Goaltender of the Year as well. She put together such a great season and backstopped UConn to their second-ever NCAA tournament berth as well. She was really the backbone of the Huskies all year and her 27 wins were just such a huge number to reach in college hockey.
Emma: Sara Manness (Clarkson, ECAC)
I know, I know. Itโs somewhat of a cop-out to pick a player of the year from another conference, but come on! As a rookie what Manness did was outstanding. From her 52 points including seven power play goals, to an over 61% win rate in the faceoff circle. Manness was contributing all over the ice consistently, and thatโs integral. While thereโs a lot of talk about the senior class this season, Iโm taking a long look at the freshman class too. Manness is one of the reasons for that.
Team From Your Conference That Surprised You This Season:
Eli: Yale
I had Yale in the ECACโs third tier of teams titled โThe Rest of the Packโ in my season preview, largely thanks to the loss of Pia Dukaric. I was very wrong. Frey stepped up between the pipes and players like Jordan Ray took huge steps forward, while Molly Boyle made an instant splash on the blueline.
Giselle: Minnesota Duluth
I was surprised at how rocky of a season the Bulldogs had. They were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2025. Then began the 2025-26 season immediately suffering a scare against Mercyhurst in the opening game. There were some high points in the season. But there were also interesting losses like going winless in the nonconference Friendship Series earlier this year in Northern Ireland.
They suffered ties against Minnesota State and were swept by Wisconsin, Minnesota, and even St. Cloud State. After they lost in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, their NCAA fate was determined by the AHA championship game between Penn State and Mercyhurst. They had such a great season from so many great players including รve Gascon. When they fell flat however, Duluth was easily run over. Hopefully, next season they return to their old ways.
Giselle: Mercyhurst
I made a little game in my AHA monthly recap where one thing I was looking forward to towards the end of the season was if the Lakers would finish the season with more points than the previous season โ they did. Though Mercyhurst finished in second place in the conference again, and lost to Penn State in the conference championship game, they were fantastic.
A consistent and talented team, the Lakers put together a great season that had them almost getting a place in the NCAA tournament. Redshirt freshman Julia Perjus made a splash in her first season and was the MVP of this squad for how well she played all year. Mercyhurst also had a fun run where they allowed only one goal in five games in January. Their defenders also kept scoring game winning goals during theirseven game win streak early in the calendar year. At one point, the Lakers were only one of three teams in all the NCAA to defeat Penn State who had started the season on a 16 game win streak. Thatโs not an easy feat!
Emma: Boston College
The Eagles were goodโฆ until they werenโt. This team is perennially in the top five in the conference, even with question marks going into the season. Grace Campbell was always going to keep them in it. Although, I was heavily worried about where their offense would come from. In comes Ava Thomas, who dominated everywhere she could. And then the team was promptly eliminated from the playoffs by Vermont, ending their season in disappointing fashion yet again. I want to believe in them! They had so many pieces to succeed! And again they found a way to finish short of expectations for them.
Team From Your Conference Youโre Excited to See Next Season:
Eli: Harvard
Itโs been a painful rebuild for the Crimson. However, by the end of the season it was clear that Laura Bellamyโs squad had become one of the most difficult to play against in the conference. Harvard is a very young team. Next year though the Crimson will be playing with confidence after finishing the regular season 3-1-1. This includes wins over No. 12 Cornell and No. 7 Princeton, and a tie against No. 8 Quinnipiac. Plus taking a game from Princeton in the ECAC quarterfinals.
Giselle: St. Thomas
I do think St. Thomas can continue to grow on the momentum theyโve been building since the 2024-25 season. Though they finished in seventh place in the WCHA this season, they were able to accomplish entering the USCHO rankings in October. It was a big moment for a program that had never been ranked before. Though the Tommies lost a star player in Rylee Bartz, who transferred to Ohio State, I still think with a coach like Bethany Brausen at the helm, St. Thomas will continue to reach new heights. Maybe next season they can finish fifth.
Giselle: Robert Morris
Jessica MacKinnon had a huge season for the Colonials. She led the team in points with 41 and was named the AHAโs Best Defensive Forward. None of that would have happened if MacKinnon wouldnโt have entered the transfer portal after one so-so season with Clarkson. RMU forward Taylor Storey also transferred this season after two with Clarkson. All of that to say, the Colonials will be getting three new Clarkson transfers next season. I have high expectations for them given how much the RMU environment helped MacKinnon and the season she put together. I expect one of the former Golden Knights to finish in the top three of scoring next season.
Emma: Vermont
With the way the season ended for the Catamounts, itโs gotta be them. After struggling heavily for the last two and half seasons, UVM put things together. They were just one win away from a HEA tournament title game! Theyโre retaining all five of their top scorers plus their goaltending. Not to mention they have intriguing pieces theyโve picked up from the transfer portal. Altogether, they seem poised to make a push forward. Especially with an experienced group of players amongst a conference thatโs heavily leaning younger.
Way Too Early Prediction For Next Season:
Eli: Cornellโs three year reign atop the Ivy League ends.
The Red somehow managed to three-peat this year despite finishing below Yale and Princeton in the ECAC standings. But with the Bulldogs and Tigers primed to repeat their success and Harvard on the rise, itโs difficult for me to see Cornell continuing its dominant run. Especially after the graduating of key offensive and defensive contributors. Still, with Annelies Bergmann in net anything is possible.
Giselle: Something different will take place in the WCHA
The same four teams will finish in the same order in the WCHA. The fifth and sixth place finish between Minnesota State and St. Thomas will come down to one of them sweeping the other some time in the season. Bemidji will win at least five games in the WCHA.
Giselle Pt. 2: A little shakeup in the AHA
In the AHA, I see Penn State still taking charge of the conference but I see Robert Morris finishing higher than sixth in the standings next season. Delaware will make steady progress and win more games and score more goals too.
Emma: We see some new teams in the national bracket next yearโฆ and a new top two
Easy answer, but I think weโre about to see the changing of the guard in some respects. Obviously the power houses will still exist. However, thereโs definitely spots in the bracket in my mind that will be different next year. The ECAC is the conference I can see the most reshuffling in. But as Giselle said above I think the AHA is also primed for some fresh blood. A lot of teams are losing integral pieces this summer โ is that going to change our No. 1 and No. 2 national seeds? I think so, or at least I hope so. Letโs have something new happen! Maybe a first time national champion? Please?
Thank you to everyone for following along during the 2025-26 NCAA season. The year isn’t quite over yet, with the PWHL Draft scheduled for June. Stay tuned for more from all of the section writers here at TIG with all you’ll need to know ahead of the entry draft.
Until then you can find Eli, Giselle, and Emma’s previous work live on our website now.
