BC Bulletin

Final Projected Brackets For Women's NCAA Hockey Tournament: Puck Drop

Your daily briefing on what's going on in college hockey, everything from the assists on the ice to the Zamboni.
Christopher Walsh|
Ohio State defeated top-seeded Wisconsin 2-1 to win the 2026 WCHA Final Faceoff and likely the top ranking for the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State defeated top-seeded Wisconsin 2-1 to win the 2026 WCHA Final Faceoff and likely the top ranking for the NCAA Tournament. | Ohio State Athletics
  1. Women's Confernce Championships
  2. Puck Drop: Sunday, March 8, 2026
  3. College Hockey Saturday Scores
  4. AHA Tournament
  5. Big Ten Tournament
  6. CCHA Tournament
  7. ECAC Tournament
  8. Hockey East Tournament
  9. NCHC Tournament
  10. Women's Conference Tournaments
  11. Hockey Quote of the Day
  12. Check Us Out On:
  13. We'll Leave You With This ...

For the fourth straight day a different team can claim to be No. 1 in college hockey, although this time the change occurred on the women's side. Hilda Svensson and Jordan Baxter both scored goals and Emma Peschel had two assists as Ohio State knocked off top-seeded Wisconsin in the WCHA Championship Game in St, Paul, Minn., 2-1.

With the win, the Buckeyes moved up to No. 1 in the National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index used to select and seed teams for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, and are expected to be named the top seed during Sunday's selection show at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPNU.

Consequently, here's our final women's bracketology of the 2025-26 season, for the 11-team field playing for the national championship.

Step one: The winner of each Division I conference tournament earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. They are, in alphabetical order by conference, Penn State (AHA), Quinnipiac (ECAC), Connecticut (Hockey East), Franklin Pierce (NEWHA), Ohio State (WCHA).

They are ranked in NPI, respectively, at 3, 7, 6, 25 and 1. How many of them won their conference regular-season titles? Just two, Penn State and Franklin Pierce.

The next five teams in NPI are our at-large teams: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Yale, Princeton and Minnesota Duluth.

The top four teams are placed in different regions to set up a potential 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3 semifinals. Ohio State is the top seed, Wisconsin second, Penn State third and Minnesota fourth. The fifth seed, Northeastern, plays at the No. 4 seed in a quarterfinal.

The next three teams will play the bottom three teams in the opening round. Strangely enough, those three next teams are all from the state of Connecticut (UConn, Quinnipiac and Yale), which isn't a problem of course, but having three ECAC teams in the mix is because the selection committee will try and avoid a first-round matchup of teams from the same conference.

The conflicting matchup with a straight bracket would be Yale against Princeton in Ohio State's regional, and the simplest switch of swapping with the neatest teams won't work because of Quinnipiac is also from the ECAC. Could the committee simply claim bracket integrity and call it a day? Yes, but that's probably not going to happen.

In 2022, the ECAC had three teams in a similar situation and the committee reshuffled the bottom teams to make sure to avoid a first-round matchup between conference teams. The same will likely happen here. Consequently, we project the the bracket to be the following:

1 Ohio State vs. winner of Yale-Minnesota Duluth

4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Northeastern

3 Penn State vs. winner of Connecticut-Princeton

2 Wisconsin vs. winner of Quinnipiac-Franklin Pierce

The 2026 women's hockey championships begin with regionals on March 12-15. The women's Frozen Four will be played March 20-22 at Penn State's Pegula Ice Arena.

Women's Confernce Championships

• Saturday's most dramatic championship game was in Hockey East, where senior forward Kyla Josifovic scored at 15:23 of the second overtime to give Connecticut a 2-1 victory against Northeastern. It was UConn's second Hockey East Tournament title. Goaltender Tia Chan was named tournament MVP after making a career-high 57 saves in the title game and stopping 104 of 107 shots across the tournament. Chan, Claire Murdoch, Juloa Stephen and Josifovic were selected to the all-tournament team along with Northeastern's Jules Constantinople and Morgan Jackson.

• Going back to the WCHA title game, senior Hailey MacLeod made 28 saves to get the win. Jordan Baxter, who scored the game-winning goal, was named the Final Faceoff's Most Outstanding Player. MacLeod, Peschel, Svensson and Sloane Matthews were voted to the all-tournament team along with Kirsten Simms and Caroline Harvey for the Badgers. Ohio State had a 40-29 edge in shots on goal. Ava McNaughton had a career-high 38 saves, including 18 in the second period, for UW.

• No. 3 Penn State pulled off a four-peat by defeating No. 12 Mercyhurst 3-2 to capture another AHA championship. Mya Vaslet, Nicole Hall and Katelyn Roberts scored for the Nittany Lions, who set a single-season program record with its 32nd win. Tessa Janecke, who led the tournament in scoring, was named MVP. Joining her on the all-tournament team were Matilde Fantin (Penn State), Peyton Armstrong (Syracuse), Kendall Butze (Penn State), Abby Poitras (Mercyhurst) and Penn State goaltender Katie DeSa.

• Jill Hertl made 41 saves and was named the most outstanding player as Franklin Pierce edged Saint Anselm 2-0 in the NEWHA championship game,  With a 41-save game and shutout, she was named tournament MVP. Hailey Anderson and Abigail Broz scored the goals.

• Freshman Ella Johnson scored on an early breakaway en route to her first career multi-goal game as Quinnipiac won its first ECAC women's title since 2016 with a 5-1 victory over Yale. Makayla Watson had three assists while tournament MVP Felicia Frank stopped 31 shots.

Puck Drop: Sunday, March 8, 2026

• Remember when Massachusetts was in last place in Hockey East in January? The Minutemen continued their hot run, going 12-2-1 over their last 15 games, to finish second in Hockey East and move up to No. 14 NPI, making them a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament. Matthew Wilde scored the go-ahead goal with roughly five minutes remaining to help lead a 4-2 victory at New Hampshire. Meanwhile, Boston College closed the regular season with a 4-2 setback to Northeastern for its fourth straight loss to fall to No. 18 in NPI. UConn may have played its way out of the NCAA Tournament as well. After taking a 3-1 loss to regular-season champion Providence, the Huskies went 1-4-2 over their final seven games to drop to No. 16 NPI.

• Statistic of the night: Minnesota Duluth won its NCHC tournament series with St. Cloud State without leading for a minute of regulation. In both games, center Zam Plante scored in the final seconds to send the game into overtime and then notched the game-winner to complete the comeback. The Bulldogs won 4-3 and 2-1. Plante has scored six goals in his last three games, including three to send games into overtime.

• The Chicago Blackhawks announced that former player and broadcaster Troy Murray passed away at the age of 63. As a center, he helped lead North Dakota to the 1982 national championship, and later won the 1996 Stanley Cup. Murray publicly shared his cancer diagnosis in 2021. "Tory Murray was one of the all-time great players at UND," Fighting Hawks head coach Dane Jackson said in a statement. "He will be remembered mostly for what a genuine and selfless teammate he was. Troy's humility and passion to help those around him was special. He was a high character guy that was an ultimate competitor that did anything to win. He was a true leader that left an indelible mark on our program."

• Former Western Michigan forward Alex Bump scored his first NHL goal with the Philadelphia Flyers:

• The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team scored an American single-game record for goals to open its 2026 Paralympic campaign with a 14-1 victory over Italy at the Milano Santaguilia Ice Hockey Arena. The U.S. outshot Italy, 53-2.

• After 27 years, Jamie Verbeugge did his final hockey game inside 3M Arena at Mariucci as Minnesota's public address announcer.

• Jack Hughes, the product of the U.S. National Development Team who had the golden goal against Canada in the Olympics, had four points against the New York Rangers, including a hat trick:

College Hockey Saturday Scores

Hockey East
Providence 3, Connecticut 1
UMass Lowell 4, Boston University 3
Massachusetts 4, New Hampshire 2
Vermont 5, Maine 3
Northeastern 4, Boston College 2

Non-Conference
United Collegiate Hockey Cup
At Maryland Heights, Mo.
Long Island 4, Stonehill 3
Championship
Alaska 4, Lindenwood 3, OT

All times are local to where the game is being played.

AHA Tournament

Quarterfinals
Best of 3
Friday, March 6
Bentley 4, Mercyhurst 3 (3OT)
Sacred Heart 3, Niagara 1
Air Force 3, Robert Morris 2 (2OT)
Holy Cross 2, RIT 1 (OT)

Saturday, March 7
Sacred Heart 2, Niagara 1
Bentley 6, Mercyhurst 0
Robert Morris 4, Air Force 1
Holy Cross 5, RIT 4 OT

Sunday, March 7
Air Force at Robert Morris, 5 p.m. ET

Semifinals
Best of 3
Friday, March 13 (through Sunday)
Lowest remaining seed at Bentley
Second-lowest remaining seed at Sacred Heart

Big Ten Tournament

Quarterfinals
Wednesday, March 11
Ohio State at Wisconsin, 7 p.m. CT
Notre Dame at Michigan, 7 p.m. ET
Minnesota at Penn State, 7 p.m. ET

Semifinals
Saturday, March 14
Lowest seed remaining at Michigan State
Quarterfinal winner at highest seed remaining

CCHA Tournament

Quarterfinals
Best of 3
Friday, March 6
No. 17 St. Thomas 4, Lake Superior State 3 (OT)
No. 14 Augustana 5, Bemidji State 2
No. 16 Minnesota State 5, Ferris State 1
Michigan Tech 5, Bowling Green 3

Saturday, March 7
No. 14 Augustana 2, Bemidji State 1
Ferris State 2, No. 16 Minnesota State 1 (OT)
Michigan Tech 3, Bowling Green 2
No. 17 St. Thomas 5, Lake Superior 2

Sunday, March 8 (if necessary)
Ferris State at No. 16 Minnesota State, 5 p.m.

Semifinals
Saturday, March 14
TBA at St. Thomas
Michigan Tech at TBA

ECAC Tournament

Opening Round
Friday, March 6
Harvard 4, St. Lawrence 3 (OT)
Clarkson 2, RPI 1

Saturday, March 7
Union 9, Brown 0
Colgate 3, Yale 2

Quarterfinals
Best of 3
Friday, March 13
Clarkson at No. 7 Quinnipiac, 7 p.m. ET
Colgate at No. 11 Dartmouth, 7 p.m. ET
Harvard at No. 9 Cornell, 7 p.m. ET
Union at Princeton, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 14
Clarkson at No. 7 Quinnipiac, 4 p.m. ET
Colgate at No. 11 Dartmouth, 7 p.m. ET
Harvard at No. 9 Cornell, 7 p.m. ET
Union at Princeton, 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 (if necessary)
Clarkson at No. 7 Quinnipiac, 4 p.m. ET
Colgate at No. 11 Dartmouth, 4 p.m. ET
Harvard at No. 9 Cornell, 4 p.m. ET
Union at Princeton, 4 p.m.

Hockey East Tournament

Opening Round
Wednesday, March 11
Vermont at Boston University
New Hampshire at Northeastern
UMass Lowell at Merrimack

Quarterfinals
Saturday, March 14
Lowest remaining seed at Providence
Second-lowest remaining seed at Seed No. 2
Third-lowest remaining seed at Seed No. 3
Maine at Boston College, NESN, 7 p.m. ET

NCHC Tournament

Quarterfinals
Best of 3
Friday, March 6
Western Michigan 5, Colorado College 2
Minnesota Duluth 4, St. Cloud State 3 (OT)
North Dakota 5, Omaha 3
Denver 3, Miami 0

Saturday, March 7
Western Michigan 2, Colorado College 1
Denver 6, Miami 2
Minnesota Duluth 2, St. Cloud State 1 (OT)
North Dakota 5, Omaha 1

Semifinals
Saturday, March 14
Minnesota Duluth at North Dakota, 6 p.m. CT
Western Michigan at Denver, 7 p.m. MT

Women's Conference Tournaments

WOMEN’S TOURNAMENTS
AHA Tournament
Opening Round
Thursday, February 19 (at Centene Center, Maryland Heights, Mo.)
Robert Morris 3, Delaware 2, OT

Quarterfinals
Saturday, February 21
Lindenwood 3, Robert Morris 1
Syracuse 4, RIT  3, 2OT

Semifinals (Best of 3)
Friday, February 27
No. 12 Mercyhurst 2, Lindenwood 1
No. 3 Penn State 7, Syracuse 0

Saturday, February 28
No. 12 Mercyhurst 3, Lindenwood 2, 2OT
No. 3 Penn State 2, Syracuse 1

Championship
Saturday, March 7
No. 3 Penn State 3, No. 12 Mercyhurst 2

ECAC Tournament
Opening Round
Friday, February 20
Union 2, No. 14 Clarkson 1
Colgate 4, RPI 2

Saturday, February 21
Brown 7, Dartmouth 2
Harvard 3, St. Lawrence, OT

Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Friday, February 27
No. 11 Cornell 3, No. 13 Colgate 2 (OT)
No. 10 Princeton 1, Harvard 0
No. 8 Yale, Union 2
No. 6 Quinnipiac 6, Brown 3

Saturday, February 28
No. 11 Cornell 3, No. 13 Colgate 1
Harvard 3, No. 10 Princeton 1
No. 8 Yale 6, Union 1
Brown 3, No. 6 Quinnipiac 2, OT

Sunday, March 1
No. 6 Quinnipiac 5, Brown 4
No. 10 Princeton 5, Harvard 1

Semifinals
At Lake Placid, N.Y.
Friday, March 6
No. 8 Yale 7, No. 11 Cornell 2
No. 6 Quinnipiac 2, No. 10 Princeton 1, (OT)

Championship
At Lake Placid, N.Y.
Saturday, March 7
No. 6 Quinnipiac 5, No. 8 Yale 1

Hockey East Tournament
Opening Round
Wednesday, February 25
Maine 4, Merrimack 0
Boston University 3, Providence 0

Quarterfinals
Saturday, February 28
Vermont 1, Boston College 1
Holy Cross 5, New Hampshire 4
No. 7 Connecticut 6, Maine 1
No. 5 Northeastern 2, Boson University 2, 2OT

Semifinals
Tuesday, March 3
No. 7 Connecticut 6, Holy Cross 1
No. 5 Northeastern 3, Vermont 1      

Championship
Saturday, March 7
No. 7 Connecticut 2, No. 5 Northeastern 1

NEWHA Tournament
Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Friday, February 27
Assumption 2, Post 1 (OT)
Stonehill 3, Long Island 0
Franklin Pierce 8, Saint Michael’s 0
Saint Anselm 3, Sacred Heart 2

Saturday, February 28
Saint Anselm 3, Sacred Heart 1
Stonehill 4, Long Island 3, OT
Post 2, Assumption 1
Franklin Pierce 5, Saint Michael’s 1
Sunday, March 1
Assumption 4, Post 2

Semifinals
Wednesday, March 4
Saint Anselm 2, Assumption 1
Franklin Pierce 2, Stonehill 1 (2OT)

Championship
Saturday, March 7
Saint Anselm at Frankin Pierce (n)

WCHA Tournament
Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Friday, February 27
No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth 2, No. 15 Minnesota State 0
St. Cloud State 1, No. 4 Minnesota 0
No. 2 Ohio State 5, St. Thomas 1
No. 1 Wisconsin 7, Bemidji State 0

Saturday, February 28
No. 15 Minnesota State 2, No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth 1, 2OT
No. 4 Minnesota 4, St. Cloud State 1
No. 2 Ohio State 4, St. Thomas 1
No. 1 Wisconsin 3, Bemidji State 2, OT

Sunday, March 1  
No. 15 Minnesota State 2, No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth 1
No. 4 Minnesota 6, St. Cloud State 1

Semifinals
Thursday, March 5
At St. Paul, Minn.
No. 1 Wisconsin 7, No. 4 Minnesota State, 2
No. 2 Ohio State 4, No. 3 Minnesota 0

Championship
Saturday, March 7
At St. Paul, Minn.
No. 2 Ohio State 2, No. 1 Wisconsin 1

Hockey Quote of the Day

“It's the hockey gods who are the cause of the defeats.”
Martin St. Louis (Vermont)

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We'll Leave You With This ...

Since we've posted about the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament all week, the championship games were Saturday. Reigning champion Moorhead came back from a 4-1 deficit midway through the third period, tying the score with 36 seconds remaining in regulation. Evan Wanner scored in double-overtime to defeat Minnetonka 5-4 in 2OT.

The Class A title game also went to ovetime, with Warroad defeating Hibbing 5-4.

... and then there was this:

Check out our Facebook page, which has a new name and we hope will be your college hockey home through the postseason and Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

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Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and is also the publisher of the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt sites . He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004 and is the author of 27 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

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