UND Wins Penrose Cup, While CCHA, ECAC Titles Go Down To Last Day: Puck Drop

On a night in which six teams ranked in the top 10 in at least one ranking lost, and another tied, No. 3 North Dakota won the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions with a 5-3 win at No. 4 Western Michigan. With the win, tbe Fighting secured the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament, which was especially important this season as it'll be the first Frozen Faceoff played entirely on campus sites.

UND (25-7-1, 17-5-1 NCHC) might have also locked down a top-regional seeding in the NCAA Tournament, especially when considering the numerous upsets so far this week. On Thursday, No. 2 Michigan lost to Minnesota. On Friday, No. 1 Michigan State was taken down by Ohio State, No. 5 Penn State tied Notre Dame before finally edging it in a shootout, No. 6 Providence lost at home to UNH, No. 7 Quinnipiac lost at No. 11 Dartmouth, No. 8 UMD took another loss, this time at home to Colorado College, and Boston College, No. 12 in the National Collegiate Percentage (NPI) Index yet No. 10 in the polls, lost at Boston University.

UND captain Bennett Zmolek receives the Penrose Cup. pic.twitter.com/fJBSaVuGEx
— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) February 28, 2026

Consequently, North Dakota and Bentley are the only teams to pin down conference regular season titles outright even through the CCHA and ECAC will wrap up their schedules on Saturday.

CCHA: Augustana has 50 points, but has already concluded its regular season. There's a three-way tie for second at 48 between Minnesota State, St. Thomas and Michigan Tech, all just one point ahead of Bowling Green. Bowling Green is at Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan is at Minnesota State, and St. Thomas is at Bemidji State. All three games start at the same time as well, 6 p.m. CT.

ECAC: Quinnipiac has 47 points, while Dartmouth has 46, and No. 10 Cornell 44. Quinnipiac is at Harvard, Dartmouth hosts Princeton and Cornell hosts Clarkson.

Meanwhile, Michigan wrapped up its regular season with 49 points, however Michigan State at 45 points has three more games to play. The Spartans have another game with the Buckeyes, and visit Minnesota next week.

As for Providence, it clinched a share of the Hockey East regular season title due to losses by both BC and No. 14 Connecticut, and secured the top seeding in the upcoming conference tournament. Up by nine points with two games to play, it'll host UNH again Saturday, and UConn next week. Of note, UMass has moved into third place (and to No. 18 in NPI), but only the Eagles with three games to play can catch the Friars in the standings.

"With a little help from my friends (& the boards)" 🎶#NCAAHockey x 🎥 NESN / @UMassHockey pic.twitter.com/wQryE79hKK
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) February 28, 2026

In terms of NPI, which will be used to select at-large teams and for seeding in the upcoming NAA Tournament, Denver, which will host a regional, jumped up to No. 6 due to all the upsets, while Connecticut's tournament chances took a major blow by dropping down to No. 15.

Meanwhile:

• Sam Laurila, Ollie Josephson, Josh Zakreski, Will Zellers and Mac Swanson all scored for North Dakota while Cole Reschny had two assists. Jan Špunar finished with 22 saves to improve to 17-3-1 overall and is poised to finish the regular season without having a regulation road loss.

• MSU Hockey Stunned by Ohio State in Dominant Fashion

Head Coach Adam Nightingale took the ice following the 5-1 loss to the Buckeyes to show his displeasure with the referees. pic.twitter.com/MsbOUPlyB8
— Matthew Eichstaedt (@ikerss98) February 28, 2026

• No. 10 Boston College Men's Hockey Suffers Road Loss to Boston University

• Graduate defender Grace Wolfe notched her first game-winning goal and sophomore goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö had a 42-save shutout as St, Cloud State took the first game of its WCHA playoff series with No. 4 Minnesota, 1-0 in overtime. It was the program's first WCHA Tournament win since Feb. 26, 2010, snapping a 30-game postseason winless streak.

BIG OT WIN FOR @SCSUHuskies_WHK 🚨#NCAAHockey x 🎥 B1G+ / @WCHA_WHockey pic.twitter.com/f3r3bwrek1
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) February 28, 2026

Puck Drop: Saturday, February 28, 2026

• According to numerous reports, Quinn Hughes (Michigan) is set to appear on this week's edition of Saturday Night Live. Team USA captain Hilary Knight (Wisconsin) of the 2026 U.S. Women's Olympic Ice Hockey Team will join men's players Quinn and Jack Hughes on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday. Incidentally, the Minnesota Wild was at Utah on Friday night is back home Sunday to face the Blues.

• Omaha signed a multi-year deal to have Control Services serve as the first-ever uniform patch sponsor for Maverick Hockey. Omaha is the first known non-FBS institution to formalize a uniform patch sponsorship and the first in college men’s ice hockey.

• Former Boston College forward Chris Kreider scored on Connor Hellebuyck with 13 seconds remaining in overtime to give Anaheim a 5-4 win against Winnipeg. It was the ninth multi-goal comeback win of the season for the Ducks, while no other NHL team has more than five.

• Former Colgate forward Bobby McMann of the Toronto Maple Leafs was No. 7 on the "NHL Trade Deadline Board: 25 Players To Keep An Eye On" list by The Hockey News. McMann, 29, has 19 goals and 32 points in 57 games. Slated to be an unrestricted free agent, he would would be a $1.35-million cap hit. Former Miami forward Blake Coleman of the Calgary Flames was No. 9. Former Bemidji State defenseman Zach Whitecloud, who was acquired by the Flames in the Rasmus Andersson trade with Vegas, was No. 10. Also listed: No. 12, Blues defenseman Justin Faulk (UMD); No. 13 Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (U.S. National Team Development Program); No. 22 Blue Jackets center Charlie Coyle (Boston University. Kings forward Warren Foegele (UNH) was on a supplemental list. The 2026 NHL trade deadline is March 6, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET.

• Spartans' Martone Discusses Emotional Decision, NHL Future

Men's College Hockey Friday Scores

AHA
Niagara 3, Canisius 2
Holy Cross 5, RIT 1
Robert Morris 5, Mercyhurst 3
Sacred Heart 3, Army 2
Air Force 3, Bentley 2

Big Ten
No. 2 Michigan 4, Minnesota 2
No. 5 Penn State 3, Notre Dame 3 (SO, Penn State wins shootout, 1-0)
Ohio State 5, No. 1 Michigan State 1

CCHA
Ferris State 2, Lake Superior 2 (SO, Lake Superior wins shootout, 2-1)
Bowling Green 1, No. 18 Michigan Tech 0
Northern Michigan 2, No. 16 Minnesota State 2, (SO, Minnesota St. wins shootout, 2-0)
Bemidji State 3, No. 15 St. Thomas 1

ECAC
RPI 3, Brown 1
Clarkson 4, Colgate 1
No. 10 Cornell 5, St. Lawrence 1
No. 11 Dartmouth 7, No. 7 Quinnipiac 4
Harvard 4, Princeton 3
No. 20 Union 5, Yale 4 (OT)

Hockey East
Boston University 3, No. 12 Boston College 1
No. 19 Massachusetts 5, No. 14 UConn 1
Merrimack 5, Vermont 2
Maine 4, Northeastern 0
New Hampshire 1, No. 6 Providence 0

NCHC
No. 9 Denver 5, Arizona State 2
Omaha 5, Miami 3
Colorado College 4, No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 1
No. 3 North Dakota 5, No. 4 Western Michigan 3

Exhibition
Stonehill 9, Simon Fraser 3

Non-Conference
Alaska 2, Alaska-Anchorage 0

Games between ranked opponents are bolded. All times are local to where the game is being played.

Men's College Hockey Saturday Schedule

AHA
Sacred Heart at Army, 4 p.m. ET
Niagara at Canisius, 6 p.m. ET
Air Force at Bentley, 6 p.m. ET
RIT at Holy Cross, 7 p.m. ET
Mercyhurst at Robert Morris, 7 p.m. ET

Big Ten
No. 5 Penn State at Notre Dame, 6 p.m. ET
Ohio State at No. 1 Michigan State, BTN, 8 p.m. ET

CCHA
Bowling Green at No. 18 Michigan Tech, 6 p.m. ET
Northern Michigan at No. 16 Minnesota State, 6 p.m. CT
No. 15 St. Thomas at Bemidji State, 6 p.m. CT

ECAC
No. 20 Union at Brown, 7 p.m. ET
St. Lawrence at Colgate, 7 p.m. ET
Clarkson at No. 10 Cornell, 7 p.m. ET
Princeton at No. 11 Dartmouth, 7 p.m. ET
No. 7 Quinnipiac at Harvard, SNY 7 p.m. ET
RPI at Yale, 7 p.m. ET

Hockey East
No. 14 Connecticut at No. 19 Massachusetts, 7 p.m. ET
Vermont at Merrimack, 7 p.m. ET
No. 6 Providence at New Hampshire, 7 p.m. ET
Maine at Northeastern, 7 p.m. ET
Boston University at No. 12 Boston College, NESN, 7 p.m. ET

NCHC
Arizona State at No. 9 Denver, 6 p.m. MT
Colorado College at No. 8 Minnesota Duluth, 6 p.m. CT
Miami at Omaha, 7 p.m. CT
No. 3 North Dakota at No. 4 Western Michigan, 7 p.m. ET

Non-Conference
Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska, 7 p.m. AT

Exhibition
Simon Fraser at Stonehill, 7 p.m. ET

Women's College Hockey Conference Tournaments

AHA Tournament
Semifinals (Best of 3)
Friday’s Games
No. 12 Mercyhurst 2, Lindenwood 1
No. 3 Penn State 7, Syracuse 0

Saturday’s Games
Lindenwood at No. 12 Mercyhurst, 1 p.m. ET
Syracuse at Penn State, 3 p.m. ET

Sunday’s Games (if necessary)
Lindenwood at No. 12 Mercyhurst, 1 p.m. ET
Syracuse at No. 3 Penn State, 3 p.m. ET

ECAC Tournament
Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Friday’s Games
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’s Games
No. 13 Colgate at No. 11 Cornell, 3 p.m. ET
Harvard at No. 10 Princeton, 3 p.m. ET
Union at No. 8 Yale, 3 p.m. ET
Brown at No. 6 Quinnipiac, 3 p.m. ET

Sunday’s Games (if necessary)
Brown at No. 6 Quinnipiac, 2 p.m. ET
No. 13 Colgate at No. 11 Cornell, 3 p.m. ET
Harvard at No. 10 Princeton, 3 p.m. ET
Union at No. 8 Yale, 3 p.m. ET

Hockey East Tournament
Quarterfinals
Saturday’s Games
Vermont at Boston College, NESN+, 1 p.m. ET
New Hampshire at Holy Cross, 2 p.m. ET
Maine at No. 7 Connecticut, 3 p.m. ET
No. 5 Northeastern at Boson University, 4 p.m. ET

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

Saturday’s Games
Sacred Heart at Saint Anselm, TBD
Long Island at Stonehill, 1 p.m. ET
Post at Assumption, 4:10 p.m. ET
Saint Michael’s at Fraklin Pierce, 7 p.m. ET

Sunday’s Games (if necessary)
Long Island at Stonehill, 1:30 p.m. p.m. ET
Sacred Heart at Saint Anselm, 3 p.m.
Saint Michael’s at Fraklin Pierce, 4 p.m. ET
Post at Assumption, 7 p.m. ET

WCHA Tournament
Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Friday’s Games
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’s Games
No. 15 Minnesota State at No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth, 1 p.m. CT
St. Cloud State at No. 4 Minnesota, 2 p.m. CT
St. Thomas at No. 2 Ohio State, 3 p.m. CT
Bemidji State at No. 1 Wisconsin, 3 p.m. CT

Sunday’s Games (if necessary)
No. 15 Minnesota State at No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth, 1 p.m. CT
Bemidji State at No. 2 Wisconsin, 2 p.m. CT
St. Cloud State at No. 4 Minnesota, 3 p.m. CT
St. Thomas at No. 2 Ohio State, 3 p.m. CT

Hockey Quote of the Day

“Make giving back a priority.”
Angela Ruggiero (Harvard)

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