Late Start Does Not Equal Slow Start As Ivy League Teams Sweep Women's Hockey Opening Series'

The ECAC always opens in waves as the majority of their programs start alongside the rest of the NCAA, followed by a later start for the conference's Ivy League programs later each season. The late start can sometimes equate to a slow start for the programs facing teams that are already rounding into form.

This season however, five Ivy League programs not only won their openers, but swept their opening series' with Cornell beating Vermont, #7 Princeton taking both from #8 UConn, Brown sweeping RIT, Dartmouth pummelling Saint Michael's, and Harvard handing Holy Cross a pair of losses. The only Ivy League program yet to drop the puck is Yale.

It took a pair of one-goal games, including Saturday's thrilling 6-5 overtime win for #7 Princeton to beat #8 UConn. In their opening game, Catie Collins and Megan Healy each scored their first of the season for the Tigers before UConn cut the lead in half with an extra attacker on a goal by Maya Serdachny, but Uma Corniea was spectacular in net shutting the door in her 36-save win.

UConn looked like they'd exact revenge in the second game of the weekend series jumping out to a two goal lead to open the game on goals by Caileigh Tiller and Serdachny. After Angelina DiGirolamo and Caroline Averill knotted the game with shorthanded and power play goals respectively in the second, UConn regained a three goal lead, including Serdachny's second of the game and third of the series. After Hannah Fetterolf scored an even strength marker to cut the lead to two, Princeton pulled netminder Lia Nevo for the extra attacker. With an extra skater on the ice Riley Sorokan and Caroline Averill scored to tie the game at 5-5 sending it to overtime where Chloe Brinson scored to give Princeton the win.

In the other match up of the weekend between nationally ranked ECAC and Hockey East programs, #14 Cornell swept #13 Vermont.

In the opening game of their series, Piper Grober scored twice for Cornell in their 3-2 win over Vermont, followed by Rose Dwyer scoring the only goal, and Annelies Bergmann stopping all 27 shots she faced in Cornell's 1-0 win in game two.

Margot Norehad is the focal point of Brown's offense this season after the program watched seniors Jade Iginla and India McDadi age out. She stepped up in a big way for Brown in their opening weekend sweep over RIT scoring three goals and two assists.

In game one of their series, Norehad scored a pair of third period goals as Brown walked over RIT 6-1. While game two was closer, Norehad added a goal and an assist in a 3-1 Brown win. Several Brown players came away with multi-point weekends including Monique Lyons, Martina Accardi, Sam Broz, Isabella Gratzl, and Anika Singh.

It wasn't a fair fight as Dartmouth scored 21 goals on the weekend against St. Michael's. It was a memorable weekend for Ella Inglis who scored three goals and two assists in back-to-back games for Dartmouth leading them to 9-0 and 12-1 wins. Hailey Maguire left the weekend with three goals and two assists, while Ellie Zakrajsheck had three goals and an assist.

Harvard beat Holy Cross 5-1 and 8-2 to open their 2026-27 NCAA women's hockey season.

Rookie Lindsay Stepnowski got off to a strong start to her NCAA career scoring a goal in her debut, followed by recording a goal and two assists in game two of the series. Senior captain Zoe Boorsma also scored in both games as did sophomore Elle Sproule. 

Defender Emi Biotti scored a pair in Harvard's second game, 8-2 win.