For the first time in its history, Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team will face off against the Franklin Pierce Ravens, doing so in the opening matchup of the 2026 NCAA Tournament Thursday night.
The Ravens, who won the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) en route to securing an NCAA Tournament bid, have an overall record of 23-11-2 and 18-8-2 in conference play.
Franklin Pierce, the top seed in the NEWHA Tournament, defeated Saint Michael’s College, Stonehill College and Saint Anselm’s College in four straight home wins to take the NEWHA title.
So how do the Bobcats stack up?
The primary comparison between the two teams is goaltending. Bobcats’ sophomore goaltender Felicia Frank has been lights out this season, remaining top 10 in goals against average, save percentage and goalie wins nationally. The ECAC women’s Goaltender of The Year elevated that performance during the ECAC Championship in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Falkoping, Sweden native allowed only one goal in each of the Bobcat’s championship games, stopping a combined 61 shots.
However, a name closely behind Frank’s in national goaltending stats is Ravens’ senior goaltender Jill Hertl. The netminder from Highland Park, Ill., is the NEWHA Women’s Goalie of the Year, as well as leading the NCAA in save percentage.
In her final two games of the NEWHA playoffs, Hertl faced 40 shots and 41 shots, respectively, including a double OT victory against Stonehill to secure a championship berth. During that span, she only allowed a single goal, maintaining a shutout in the championship game.
However, the goaltenders’ duel forecast may not be exactly what it appears. The NEWHA is one of the least defensive conferences in women’s Division I hockey, with five of the top six teams in the nation in shots allowed residing in the conference.
While Frank can rely on the Bobcats offense to keep the puck out of the defensive zone, Hertl often lacks that same offensive support. In games where the Ravens were held under 27 shots on goal, they had a winning percentage of just 0.416. Against non-conference opponents, that percentage dropped to 0.125.
Franklin Pierce is no exception, ranking fifth in the nation in allowed shots, averaging 363 shots allowed per game. That, in tandem with the team’s 1.8 opponent goal average, suggests that if the Bobcats can get the puck past Hertl, the game is in hand.
For a Bobcats team that holds opponents to 26.5 shots per game, winning is simple. Continue to play staunch defense and pepper shots on net.
“We need to be sure that we’re sticking to our game plan and that we’re ready to attack,” Quinnipiac head coach Cass Turner said during media availability Wednesday.
Along with that, the Bobcats have the opportunity to make the most of another big Ravens weakness: penalties. Franklin Pierce averages over eight penalty minutes a game and leads the NCAA in total number of opponent power plays at 146.
Despite the Ravens maintaining a top-five power play percentage, they are far from infallible. Even Hertl, who’s remained the best penalty killer for Franklin Pierce, has allowed multiple power play goals in multiple games this season. For a Bobcats power play that has been equally inconsistent this season, finding success on the man-advantage could firmly put this game out of reach for the Ravens.
What makes this matchup tough is the unfamiliarity with both the team and the conference. Quinnipiac has only faced one NEWHA opponent this season, playing Sacred Heart in the Nutmeg Classic. In that game, the Bobcats had 58 shots on goal, securing a 2-0 shutout win in the consolation game.
Against that singular common opponent, the Ravens were inconsistent. In four games against the Pioneers, they were 3-1, with Hertl starting all four contests. In every game, Hertl made 30+ saves to keep the contests close for Franklin Pierce.
However, the Bobcats aren’t looking to compare performances with shared opponents like Sacred Heart and ECAC opponent Union.
“Those transitive properties…they just don’t work in college hockey,” Turner said.
But it’s hard not to compare, particularly with the strength of schedule comparison between the two teams. Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 25 in the country, did not play a single ranked opponent this season, while Quinnipiac had nine games against ranked opposition. Two out of the three teams that the Bobcats faced to win the ECAC were ranked in the NPI top 10.
But the Bobcats aren’t focusing on that.
“Anybody can beat anybody,” Turner said.
There is truth to that. The Bobcats have been on the bad side of some upsets this season, including tough conference losses to Clarkson and St. Lawrence that hindered the Bobcats’ chances of the top seed in the ECAC Tournament, and a loss to Boston University that kept them from competing for the Belpot Trophy in the Friendship Four.
“For us, it’s more looking at trends of what they do,” Turner said. “We just watch the scout with our players, Brent did an amazing job with it to see, like, here’s some of the things that we need to be prepared for.”
The Bobcats are also counting on their history to drive them to success in the NCAA Tournament. Against a team that has never been in the Tournament like Franklin Pierce, the bit of extra experience is a difference maker, even if it may be coming more from alumni than active Quinnipiac players.
“I’m trying to draw into that experience as much as we can,” Turner said. “We watched a little video yesterday from two players that played in the 14-15, 15-16 teams…and then also some advice from players who played in those two rounds. It was awesome… I think they heard some really connected things that are very similar to what we’re talking about and how we’re approaching it.”
Turner cited the support of former Bobcats Lexie Adzija ‘23, Nicole Connery ‘16, Emma Greco ‘17 and Courtney Vorster ‘23 as sources of experience for a Bobcat squad whose personal experience in Tournament play may not be as extensive as in seasons past.
Quinnipiac will take on the Franklin Pierce Ravens in Madison, Wisc. Thursday, March 12. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. EST.
