WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The 2025-26 season was a magical ride for the No. 6-ranked Williams College women's ice hockey team, as the Ephs reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fourth time in program history.
That positive momentum is permeating through the student-athletes and coaching staff going into 2026-27. The ride begins with a 7 p.m. NESCAC game against Connecticut College on Friday, Nov. 13, in Lansing Chapman Rink.
"We are excited to get the season underway and build off our strong run last season,"Â said 16th-year head coach
Meghan Gillis. "We open with a tough opponent in Connecticut College and will be pushing each other in practice to be ready for that important season opener."
The Ephs have reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in 2003, 2014, 2019 and 2026, as the three most recent ones have occurred with Gillis at the helm. The 2018-19 team won the program's first-ever game on the national stage, and then the 2025-26 unit accomplished the feat for the second time.
The Ephs won their first-ever NESCAC Championship in 2014, and five years later in 2019, Williams hoisted the conference crown again, with both titles being secured inside Lansing Chapman Rink. Gillis has compiled the most wins in program history with 170 and is four wins shy of 100 NESCAC victories at Williams. She earned NESCAC Coach of the Year honors in 2014 and 2019, with the 2018-19 team recording a program-best 21 victories.
During the 2025-26 season, Williams defeated then-11th-ranked Plattsburgh, 2-1, in a comeback overtime triumph during the Sweet 16 at Lansing Chapman Rink. The unit finished with a 18-5-5 record and a 9-3-4 NESCAC mark, as the group recorded the most single-season overall wins and conference victories for the program since the 2018-19 season.
Williams earned the third seed in the 2026 NESCAC Tournament, as the unit outlasted sixth-seeded and Little Three-rival Wesleyan, 5-3, during the quarterfinal round in Williamstown, marking the first time the Ephs hosted and won a conference playoff game since the 2018-19 season.
The Ephs defeated four ranked opponents, going 2-0 against eventual NESCAC runner-up Colby and Plattsburgh, while embarking on a 16-game undefeated streak with a 13-0-3 record from Nov. 19 - Jan 31. Williams held 19 opponents to one or fewer goals.
Williams returns an abundance of offensive production from last year's team, including junior
Charlotte Fetherston (9 goals, 10 assists, 19 points), sophomore
Savana Littlewood (6-13-19), junior
Zoe Rosenberg (7-9-16), junior
Annie Gallagher (8-6-14) and senior
Celine Mayer (10 assists). Gallagher finished in a tie for first in the NESCAC in power-play goals (5) and was tied for fourth in game-winning goals (3), while Littlewood was tied for fifth in total assists.
Sophomores
Reese Luber (3-6-9),
Laney Mead (2-6-8),
Becca White (3-3-6),
Noa Diop (1-4-5) and
Grace Johnson (2 assists), seniors
Isa Healey (2-1-3) and
Keira Harder (1-1-2), and junior
Skyler Moore (1-3-4)Â played an instrumental role in the team's success last season.
Williams welcomes No. 13 Plattsburgh to Lansing Chapman Rink on Friday, Dec. 4, for a 6:30 p.m. puck drop. The Ephs and Cardinals met in the Elite Eight of the national tournament during the 2013-14 and 2018-19 seasons, while also meeting during the Sweet 16 on March 14, 2026, in Williamstown.
Williams competes at third-ranked Amherst on Jan. 29 and 30, with game times set for 7 and 3 p.m., respectively, at Orr Rink. Furthermore, the Ephs travel to No. 8 Middlebury on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m., and then host the Panthers on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m.
The top-eight teams qualify for the 2026 NESCAC Tournament, with the higher seeds hosting quarterfinal-round action on Feb. 27. The highest remaining seed will host the semifinal and final rounds on March 6-7.
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