The Week 2 College Hockey Games to Watch Aren't the One You Expected

There are two games/series between ranked teams this wekeend in college hockey, as the men have reached Week 2 of the 2026-27 regular season, one of which you should pay attention to on Friday night. However the matchup you really need to watch is a little off the radar, but became even more interesting with the absence of a key player:

3) Bowling Green at Sacred Heart

The Ice Breaker Tournament gets underway this weekend with the promise of the first trophy of the 2026-27 hockey season. And these are two teams that could use a kickstart to their seasons, especially after struggling against ranked opponents over the weekend. Bowling Green was swept by Michigan and Sacred Heart fell to Merrimack, but they each still received votes in the national polls. These programs both stand in competitive fields at the top of their conferences, with the Pioneers picked to finish first in the AHA this season by just one point over Bentley and the Falcons slated second behind Michigan Tech in the CCHA Preseason Poll, and a jump start in the Ice Breaker could be beneficial for the long haul.

Friday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FloHockey

2) Penn State at UConn

On the other side of the Ice Breaker bracket lie two of the country’s top teams vying for an early-season accolade. No. 15 and 17 respectively, UConn and Penn State stand neck and neck after remarkable campaigns last year and the tournament will be the first testament to what the new season should look like for each of these teams. In the post-Gavin McKenna era, Penn State will be looking for the next big impact player to drive their scoring, and this will be a great chance for one of the 11 newcomers to step into a leading role. Meanwhile, UConn may have a bit of a chip on their shoulder against the team that knocked them out of their first-ever NCAA Tournament two seasons ago in overtime, just inches from making the Frozen Four. Against Sacred Heart and Bowling Green, one of these teams is the favorite to win the Ice Breaker Tournament and will likely come away with the first trophy of the season.

Friday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN+

1) Minnesota-Duluth at Augustana

This will be the first game of the season for Augustana, but not the first on-ice action they’ve seen after an impressive 4-1 exhibition win over No. 4 North Dakota last weekend. Meanwhile, Minnesota-Duluth heads to Augustana fresh off a sweep of LIU, looking to protect a No. 5 ranking against a team that sits a stone’s throw away from a top-20 ranking. However, it could be challenging for the Bulldogs, as they’ll be missing a crucial contributor with reigning Hobey Baker Award winner Max Plante out for the weekend due to injury. Additionally, these two teams played each other for the first time last season and split the weekend, both by solid margins, with a 4-1 win for Minnesota-Duluth and a 4-0 victory for Augustana. The majority of goal scorers from those games stuck with their programs, so there will be a lot of familiar faces come Friday night. With a number of factors benefiting both sides and no clear front-runner, it should make for an exciting and competitive weekend series.

Friday, October 9 at 7:07 p.m. CT, Saturday, October 10 at 6:07 p.m. CT

TV: Midco Sports Plus

Radio: 610 AM, 650 AM, 103.9 FM KDAL

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