WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — After reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fourth time in program history during the 2025-26 season, the fifth-ranked Williams College women's ice hockey team carries a great deal of momentum into 2026-27, as the Ephs announced their schedule Wednesday afternoon.
The Ephs compete in a total of 24 regular-season games, including 16 NESCAC matchups and 14 contests at Lansing Chapman Rink. Williams opens the season with 9-of-10 games at home, including when the program hosts conference-rival Connecticut College in season-opening action on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m.
"We are excited to get started for the 2026-27 season and build off the success and foundation of last year," said 16th-year head coach
Meghan Gillis, who has guided the Ephs to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2014, 2019 and 2026. "We face a tough slate of conference and non-conference opponents, and we are eager for the opportunity to compete with excellence. We know what it takes to win at a high level, and we are ready to bring that relentless energy to every game on this schedule and each day at practice."
Williams welcomes No. 12 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 2014 and 2019 seasons, while also meeting during the Sweet 16 on March 14, 2026, in Williamstown.
Williams earned its second-ever NCAA victory during the 2025-26 season, defeating Plattsburgh, 2-1, in a comeback overtime triumph. The unit finished with a 18-5-5 overall record and a 9-3-4 NESCAC mark, as the group recorded the most single-season wins for the program since the 2018-19 season.
The Ephs will compete against Wesleyan on Jan. 8 and 9, starting at 7 and 3 p.m., respectively, from the Spurrier-Snyder Rink in Middletown, Connecticut. The Ephs outlasted the visiting Cardinals, 5-3, during the quarterfinal round of the NESCAC Tournament last season, earning their first conference playoff win since 2019.
Williams competes at third-ranked Amherst on Jan. 29 and 30, with game times set for 7 and 3 p.m., respectively, at the Orr Rink. Furthermore, the Ephs travel to No. 11 Middlebury on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m., and then hosts 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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