LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- The Yale women's ice hockey team is scheduled to play Cornell in the semifinals of the ECAC Hockey Tournament on Friday, March 6, at 4 p.m. The semifinals and finals will be held at the historic 1980 Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., as the conference's final four teams battle for a league title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 1-seeded Bulldogs will square off against No. 4 Cornell in the first matchup of the day. No. 2 Princeton and No. 3 Quinnipiac will play in the other semifinal contest. The two winners will vie for the ECAC Hockey Tournament championship on Saturday, March 7, at 5 p.m.

Game Schedule
Semifinals (Game 1) -- No. 1 Yale vs. No. 4 Cornell | Friday, March 6 at 4 p.m.
Semifinals (Game 2) -- No. 2 Princeton vs. No. 3 Quinnipiac | Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m.
Finals -- Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 | Saturday, March 7 at 5 p.m. 

Scouting the Bulldogs
Yale earned a share of the ECAC Regular Season Title with a final regular-season record of 22-8 overall and a 16-6 mark in conference games. The Bulldogs earned the No. 1 seed and hosting rights through the quarterfinals. Yale swept No. 12 Union in the quarterfinals at Ingalls Rink. The Bulldogs prevailed 4-2 and 6-1, securing a spot in the semifinals. The senior duo of Carina DiAntonio and Gracie Gilkyson led the way for Yale, combining for four goals and five assists during the two-game series. 

During the regular season, Yale showcased the best scoring offense in the ECAC, tallying 78 goals in 22 conference games. DiAntonio finished second in the league in both goals (18) and points (13), earning All-ECAC Second Team recognition. Classmate and fellow first-line contributor Jordan Ray had a fantastic regular season as one of the league's best facilitators. She finished tied for second in assists and earned a second-team all-conference nod. Naomi Boucher, Stephanie Stainton and Hannah Weyerhaeuser were also major factors on the offensive end.

Defensively, the Bulldogs were among the conference's best. First-year Molly Boyle has been a superstar as a productive two-way defender. Boyle earned All-ECAC First Team honors after leading the league with 20 assists. Gilkyson also was an all-conference selection, recording 21 points while playing all 30 games. Goaltender Samson Frey has been unflappable after taking over the starting role at the beginning of 2026. Frey finished the regular season with a 14-1 record and five shutouts.

Yale in the ECAC Tournament

The Bulldogs secured the No. 1 seed for the second time in program history, having previously earned the top spot in 2023. Yale is making its 16th ECAC postseason appearance and its eighth straight. The Bulldogs will play in the ECAC Hockey semifinals for the fourth time, having previously reached this stage in 2004-05, 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Scouting the Big Red 

Cornell enters the ECAC semifinals as the reigning conference tournament champion. Last season, the Big Red captured the ECAC Hockey crown with a 5-1 victory over Colgate. This year, Cornell finished the regular season with an overall record of 18-10-2. The Big Red recorded a 14-7-1 mark in conference play, earning the No. 4 seed in the tournament and an opening-round bye. Cornell advanced to the semifinals after sweeping No. 6 Colgate last weekend.

Offensively, Georgia Schiff leads the Big Red with 12 goals and 28 points. Senior Avi Adam also finished with 28 points on 11 goals and 17 assists. Cornell boasts a stout defense, including All-ECAC selections Piper Grober and Grace Dwyer. Between the pipes, Annelies Bergmann has been one of the best goaltenders in the conference, posting a .932 save percentage.

Cornell in the ECAC Tournament
Cornell has reached the ECAC semifinals in three consecutive seasons and has captured five ECAC Hockey Tournament championships.

Matching Up
The two teams have split their past 10 matchups, with a 4-4-2 record against each other, and also split the regular season series: Cornell won at home, 3-0, on Oct. 31, while Yale triumphed 3-1 in the second game on Jan. 17 at Ingalls Rink. Despite their long history as ECAC and Ivy League rivals, the Bulldogs and Big Red have never faced each other in the conference tournament.