A look at who will be advancing in the 2026 Hockey East Women’s Semifinals.
The Hockey East quarterfinals kicked off at the end of February with Vermont vs. Boston College, UNH vs. Holy Cross, Maine vs. UConn and Boston University vs. Northeastern.
On the road at Kelley Rink, the Boston College Eagles fell 3-1 to the Vermont Catamounts in a physical quarterfinal matchup. The Catamounts struck first in the second period when Julia Mesplède opened the scoring with her ninth goal of the season and later forced a turnover that led to an insurance goal by Oona Havana just before intermission. Vermont’s junior goaltender Ellie Simmons was outstanding, turning aside 37 shots to keep the Eagles at bay. Boston College’s Kate Ham provided a spark with her 10th goal late in the third, but an empty-net goal from Kaylee Lewis sealed the road win for Vermont, which will advance to the Hockey East semifinals.
In a classic rivalry clash at Walter Brown Arena, the top-seeded Northeastern Huskies needed double overtime to escape with a 2-1 victory against the Boston University Terriers. Northeastern grabbed the early lead when Eloise Caron scored in the first period, but BU’s Sydney Healey answered with a huge shorthanded goal in the second, her fourth of the season, to tie the game. After a tight third period and a scoreless first overtime, freshman forward Emy McDermid ended matters at 1:14 of the second OT, propelling the Huskies into the semifinals. Goalie Lisa Jönsson was key, making 39 saves in the win.
In Storrs, the UConn Huskies delivered a dominant performance against the Maine Black Bears, cruising to a 6-1 victory. Sophomore Claire Murdoch led all scorers with a goal and three assists, showcasing her offensive impact, while Livvy Dewar, Julia Pellerin and Megan Woodworth also contributed in the balanced attack. The Huskies jumped out early and never looked back, controlling play throughout as they punched their ticket to the next round.
In another high-scoring matchup, the Holy Cross Crusaders upset the New Hampshire Wildcats 5-4 in Worcester. Senior forward Charlotte Sonntag had a huge night with two goals to help Holy Cross build a three-goal lead, and additional contributions from Reghan Chadwick and Lulu Rourke provided the Crusaders with enough offense to withstand a late Wildcats rally. UNH’s Callista Printz was outstanding offensively with a career-high four points, but Holy Cross held on in a back-and-forth thriller to advance.
With these results, Vermont will face Northeastern in one semifinal game on Tuesday, March 3, while UConn will host Holy Cross in the other.
Game Recap
Vermont at Boston College, 3-1
New Hampshire at Holy Cross, 4-5
Maine at UConn, 1-6
Boston University at Northeastern, 1-2 2ot