For the second straight season, top-seed Utica University (18-7-1) will host No. 2 seed SUNY Geneseo (18-7-1) in the 2026 UCHC Men’s Championship game at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 from Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, NY. The winner earns an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship Tournament.
 
The Pioneers advanced to the championship after defeating No. 4 seed Nazareth University by a score of 4-1 in semifinal action on Feb. 28. The Pioneers scored a pair of power-play goals in the win. Aidan Hughes scored two goals and added an assist, while Kyle Curtin made 20 saves to earn the win in net.
 
Utica is ranked No. 6 in the NCAA National Power Index, No. 8 in the USCHO.com Division III Men's Hockey national poll and enters the UCHC Championship Tournament with a 18-7-1 mark, having finished 13-2-1 in UCHC play. The Pioneers are the No. 1 seed in the UCHC Tournament for the ninth straight season. Utica is out-scoring opponents, 119-61 this season, featuring the sixth best offense in Division III this season (4.58 goals per game). The Pioneers have six players with at least 20 points, 15 with at least 10 points and five players with at least 11 goals this season.
 
Drake Morse leads the Pioneers in scoring with 32 points on 16 goals and 16 assists. Nick Ahern has 27 points has 11 goals and 16 assists. Eric Vitale, who scored the overtime winner in the 2025 NCAA Frozen Four win over Curry College, has 14 goals, including five power-play markers, while John Gutt has 26 points on 12 goals and 14 assists and Andrew Della-Rovere has 25 points. Goaltenders Kyle Curtin and Frank Murphy have shared duties in net. Curtin is 12-5-1 with a 2.28 goals against average and two shutouts, while Murphy is 6-2-0 with a 2.23 goals against average.
 
Utica is looking to win its fourth UCHC Championship in the last five seasons and sixth in program history.
 
The Knights advanced to the UCHC Championship after defeating No. 3 seed Chatham University, 7-5 in the semifinals on March 1. Geneseo led 2-1 before scoring three times in a span of 2:10 late in the second period to take a 5-1 lead. The Cougars would rally to cut the Geneseo lead to 6-5 midway through the third period before the Knights netted a key insurance goal and hang on for the victory. Dakota Zarudny had a goal and two assists, while Alex Dameski added two goals. Jacob Torgner made 37 saves between the pipes for the Knights.
 
SUNY Geneseo is ranked No. 10 in the USCHO.com Division III Men's Hockey national poll and No. 13 in the NCAA Division III National Power Index. The Knights enter their second straight UCHC Championship game with an 18-7-1 overall record, having finished 12-4-0 in league play. The Knights are out-scoring opponents, 103-65 this and have tremendous depth, with six players scoring at least 20 points and 13 with at least 10 points.
 
Alex Dameski leads the Knights and is among the league leaders in scoring with 37 points on 21 goals and 16 assists and is plus-24. Filip Wiberg has 26 points on 10 goals and 18 assists, while defenseman Sean Melso, the 2025 UCHC Defensive Player of the Year and AHCA All-American, has 27 points on eight goals and 19 assists. Carter Diceman has added 12 goals. Goaltender Jacob Torgner is 14-5-1 between the pipes with a 2.32 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.

SUNY Geneseo earned five of six points against Utica during the regular season, with a 5-3 regulation win in Utica on Feb. 13 and 3-2 overtime victory in Geneseo the following night. Twelve different skaters had a point in the 5-3 win for Geneseo, while Danny Bagnole scored his second goal of the night, 2:30 into overtime to lift Geneseo to the win the following night.
 
The Knights defeated Utica by a score of 7-3 in the 2025 UCHC Championship game at Adirondack Bank Center. Geneseo’s Filip Wiberg was the 2025 UCHC Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player.
 
Tickets will be available for purchase to the general public at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online at https://empirestatetix.evenue.net/events/UCP.