UTICA, NY - This weekend, four teams with National Championship aspirations will set their sights on the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium as Utica University proudly hosts the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship Weekend. Semifinals will be held on Friday, March 27th, and the national championship game will be held on Sunday, March 29th.

The Participants: The four remaining teams are top-seeded Hobart College, third-seeded Hamilton College, fifth-seeded University of Wisconsin-Stout, and seventh-seeded Aurora University.

Schedule: In Friday's Semifinals, Hamilton takes on Aurora at 3 PM, and Hobart and UW-Stout meet at 7 PM. The winners of the two games will meet in Sunday's championship at 3 p.m. In the last three championships, Saturday has been designated as a "Rest Day", and that will continue this year. 

Tickets: Are available online through https://empirestatetix.evenue.net/events/NCAA. An all-session pass will cost $40, and individual games can be purchased for $25.

Broadcast: All three games will be streamed free of charge by NCAA.com through the website and the NCAA Championships Pass application. The broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Steve Vecchione (Trinity) and color analyst Rob Kennedy (Dartmouth College, formerly Bowdoin), returns to call a fourth straight championship together. Live stats will also be available at NCAA.com.

Host History: This marks Utica's third time hosting this particular championship, and its second time as the predetermined host. The University has previously hosted in 2017 and 2025.
In 2017, the championship was held with the Adirondack Bank Center serving as the predetermined site. Norwich was the National Champion as the Cadets delivered the fourth and final title in the storied career of head coach Mike McShane. The Cadets topped Trinity 4-1 in the title game, denying the Bantams a second title in a three-year span. The additional semifinalists were NCHA stalwarts St. Norbert and Adrian. William Pelletier of Norwich was the Most Outstanding Player, and went on to a career in the American Hockey League. 

In 2025, the championship reached a level of buzz rarely seen as the Utica University Nexus Center was the non-predetermined host, selected just a week prior. A trio of Empire State teams, including the host Pioneers, made the championship the hottest ticket in town. Hobart was the national champion for the third year in a row, defeating Utica in overtime 2-1 on Khalil Fontana's title-clinching goal. In the semifinals, Utica defeated Curry 2-1 in overtime on Eric Vitale's winning tally, and Hobart bested SUNY Geneseo by the same score in regulation. Fontana was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship.

It is also worth noting Utica's history as a host of the Division I Frozen Four. In 1962, the recently-built Utica Memorial Auditorium opened its doors to college hockey's culminating event, with Clarkson, Michigan, Michigan Tech, and St. Lawrence taking part. Michigan Tech, coached by John MacInnes, won their first of three national titles to date with a 7-1 championship victory over Clarkson.

History In The Making?: All eyes will be on Hobart as they look to add to a generational run. The defending champs are the owners of the fourth three-peat in the history of the championship, and with a title in 2026, would become just the second team to win four consecutive titles. Middlebury won the first five of their eight national titles in succession from 1995 to 1999, then three-peated again from 2004 to 2006. All of those came under Bill Beaney. The first team to three-peat was UW-Stevens Point from 1989 to 1991 under Mark Mazzoleni.

The Statesmen are also in play to achieve something that has never been done before: Win the title undefeated and untied. UW-Stevens Point is the only undefeated champion in history, going 29-0-2 in the 2018-19 season. The 2000-2001 RIT Tigers entered the 2001 title game undefeated, only to lose to Plattsburgh in the championship.

If Hobart does not win the title, we will have a first time champion.

Big Announcements Coming: The American Hockey Coaches' Association will unveil its 2025-26 All-American Teams, and the winners of the Sid Watson Award (National Player of the Year), and Ed Jeremiah Award (National Coach of the Year) as part of Thursday's championship banquet, with a release to follow shortly after.

About #3 Hamilton: The Continentals are in uncharted territory in over 100 years of hockey on Clinton's College Hill, with their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Semifinals. They are 21-5-2 overall and won the NESCAC Regular Season title. They have rebounded nicely from a conference semifinal loss with an NCAA first round win over Neumann by a 6-2 score, and a dramatic overtime win over Norwich by a score of 2-1. In the quarterfinal win, Jackson Krock scored the game-winner at 2:44 of the extra session. Four of Hamilton's last five games have gone to overtime. NESCAC Player of the Year Luke Tchor (16-15-31) headlines a Continentals roster that featured six All-Conference selections, and an offense where eight players have 20 points or more. Devon de Vries (6-24-30), John Wojciechowski (5-19-24), and Justin Biraben (8-15-23) have all contributed steadily to an offense that ranks eighteenth nationally at 3.75 goals per game. Defensively, the Buff and Blue has been a challenge to score on, posting the fifth best goals against average in the nation at 1.82 goals allowed per contest, and the nation's ninth-best penalty kill. The blue line unit is led by Wojciechowski, who was first team All-NESCAC alongside Tchor. In goal, second team all-NESCAC netminder Aksel Reid has been the go-to guy with an 18-5-2 record. The team is led by NESCAC Coach of the Year Rob Haberbusch, in his fifteenth year leading the program.

About #7 Aurora: Like their semifinal foes, the Spartans are also reaching new heights with their first-ever semifinal appearance, which guarantees a first-time national finalist this weekend. The Spartans are 25-5-1, and reached the tournament by way of an At-Large selection after a loss in the NCHA's Harris Cup finals. Since that defeat, the squad from the Chicago suburbs disposed of MIAC Champion St. John's by a 6-1 score, and overthrew second-seeded Endicott by a 3-2 score in double overtime to make their way to Utica. Andrew Schultz had the game-winner at 16:48 of overtime. Aurora is the only program in the remaining field that has never played at the Aud in its history, with the three others playing in the venue this season. 2025 All-American Hassan Akl (13-24-37) sets the pace for the Spartans' fourth ranked offense, which averages 4.71 goals per game, and Jakson Kirk (23-12-34) has a team-best 23 goals, two of which have come in this year's tournament. Jaden Davis (13-20-33) was the NCHA's Co-Freshman of the Year. The Aurora power play is a force to be reckoned with at 27.2 percent, and has goals in four out of six postseason games. Defensively, the Spartans concede just 2.23 goals per game to rank 12th nationally, and their blue line unit includes NCHA All-Conference picks Simon Diaz and Juliano Santalucia. All-Conference goaltender Matt O'Donnell is expected to make his 28th start of the season in Friday's semis, and has a 22-3-1 record, a .931 save percentage, and a 2.05 goals against average. The Spartans are coached by the only head coach in their history, Jason Bloomingburg.

About #5 UW-Stout: The Blue Devils are in their first NCAA tournament since 2009, and they are also returning to the semifinals for the first time since that year. They've never played a national semifinal in a state other than New York. The first-time WIAC champions out of Menomonie, Wisconsin hold a 23-5-1 overall record, and have won ten straight games. They've been running up the frequent flyer miles to the Handshake City from America's Dairyland, with their second trip to Utica in as many weeks. They defeated Anna Maria 4-1 in the opening round, before topping the fourth-seeded Pioneers last weekend by a score of 5-1. In their win at Utica, sophomore Hayden Stocks did his part in Stout's five unanswered goals with two goals and an assist, while Sebastian Monaco stopped 46 shots in net. Both players were named to the All-WIAC first team this year, alongside forward Nicolas Pigeon (11-14-25) and defenseman Gunner Moore (1-15-16). Stocks sets the pace for the offense with 37 points on 17 goals and 20 assists, with all three marks leading the team. Arhip Sidarovich (10-15-25) is also a dangerous presence. A 23.3 percent power play has a big-time weapon in Maksis Brimanis, who has six of the team's 21 extra man scores. Monaco (15-2-1, .939, 1.91) is the backbone of a defense that allows 2.24 goals per game, and a penalty kill that ranks second in the country. The Blue Devils are coached by WIAC Coach of the Year Mike MacDonald, in his sixth season. 

About #1 Hobart: The Statesmen need little introduction after taking Division III hockey by storm with three straight national titles, and they've routinely found a way to prevail year-to-year, even when they've been mightily tested. Hobart held off a late St. Norbert charge in the quarterfinals to win 2-1, and keep their unbeaten, untied season alive at 29-0. Their last four NCAA tournament games have been decided by a single goal, with two ventures into overtime including the 2025 title game against Utica, and two of their three titles have been settled in the extra session. The Statesmen led the nation in scoring offense (5.28 goals/game), scoring defense (0.90 goals/game), and also rank in the top five nationally in power play percentage (34.2 percent), and penalty kill percentage (91.4 percent). They sport eight All-SUNYAC picks, including five of the six first team selections, and took three out of the league's four individual awards in their first season in the conference. Goaltender Damon Beaver (19-0-0, .956, 0.90) was chosen as the SUNYAC Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year, and leads the nation in every conceivable goaltending category except for saves. The SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year award went to Conor Lally(13-24-37), who was a league-best +34 in conference games, and +46 overall. Other first team All-Conference honorees include Arvega Hovsepyan (11-30-41), Tanner Daniels (16-21-37), and the man who scored the 2025 national title clincher, Kahlil Fontana (20-20-40). The Statesmen are coached by SUNYAC Coach of the Year Mark Taylor, in his 26th year.