COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Yale women's ice hockey team will play No. 1 Ohio State in the NCAA Regional Finals. The Bulldogs will square off against the Buckeyes on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at the OSU Ice Rink with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line.
Yale earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, facing the University of Minnesota Duluth in the Regional Semifinals. The Bulldogs topped UMD 1-0 thanks to a 37-save shutout from goaltender Samson Frey and a second-period goal from defender Molly Boyle.
Scouting Yale
The Bulldogs earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament following a standout season. Yale was ECAC Hockey Co-Regular Season Champion after finishing the regular season with a 22–8 overall record and a 16–6 mark in conference play. Yale secured the top seed in the ECAC Hockey Tournament, defeating Union in the quarterfinals and Cornell in the semifinals. The Bulldogs advanced to their second conference championship game in program history but fell to Quinnipiac 5–1 in the final. With the victory over Minnesota Duluth, Yale tied its second-highest single-season win total in program history.
Yale's offense is powered by the dynamic senior duo of Jordan Ray and Carina DiAntonio. The first-line pair has combined for 43 goals and 55 assists this season. Both players have also enjoyed remarkable collegiate careers, ranking among the program's top five in goals, assists and points.
Boyle, the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and ECAC Hockey Defender of the Year, has been a highly impactful two-way defender, recording 12 goals and 23 assists this season. Frey has been strong in net for the Bulldogs, posting a 15–2 record since taking over as the starting goaltender in January.
Scouting Ohio State
Ohio State earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament after a 34-4 season, culminating in a WCHA Final Faceoff Tournament win over previously No. 1-ranked Wisconsin, 2-1. The Buckeyes are 16-2-0 at home this season and 2-0-0 in the postseason this year at the OSU Ice Rink.
Ohio State boasts one of the best offenses in the country, ranking third in goals (168). The Buckeyes are led by freshman forward Hilda Svensson with 50 points. Joy Dunne (47), Jocelyn Amos (42) and Sloane Matthews (40) are also 40-point scorers this season. In all, nine of the team's 19 skaters have 20-plus points on the year, and every player has recorded multiple points.
Buckeyes goaltender Hailey MacLeod is the program's single-season wins record holder with a 24-3-0 record this year. She ranks third in the country with a .889 win percentage and fourth with a 1.50 goals-against average. MacLeod has a .930 save percentage and has allowed only three goals in the team's last four postseason games.
The Matchup
Saturday marks the fifth all-time meeting between Ohio State and Yale and the second consecutive meeting in the NCAA Tournament. The teams last met in the 2022 Frozen Four, with Ohio State earning a 2-1 win in the semifinals. The Buckeyes and Bulldogs have faced off twice before in Columbus. In the only two-game series played between the teams, Ohio State hosted Yale and swept the series with a 5-4 overtime win and a 3-2 victory.
The Buckeyes are 10-0 in non-conference games and are one of four WCHA teams (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota) to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are one of three ECAC Hockey schools to receive a bid (Yale, Quinnipiac, Princeton).
On the Line
The winner of Saturday's game advances to the 2026 Women's Frozen Four in University Park, Pa., at Pegula Ice Arena and will play the winner of the regional final between No. 4 Minnesota and No. 5 Northeastern on Friday, March 20.
