Top-seed Nazareth College (25-0-1) will host No. 2 seed Elmira College (18-5-2) in the 2026 UCHC Women’s Championship game at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 from Tim Horton’s Iceplex in Rochester, NY. The winner earns an automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship Tournament. The Golden Flyers are the four-time defending UCHC Champions.
 
Saturday’s title game pits the only two league champions the league has crowned since formed in 2017. Elmira won the first four titles from 2017-18 to 2020-21, while Nazareth has won the last four crowns from 2021-22 to 2024-25. The winner of Saturday’s game will earn its fifth UCHC Championship in program history.

The Golden Flyers advanced to the title game after defeating No. 4 seed Albertus Magnus University, 5-0 in the semifinal round on Feb. 28. Four players had multi-point efforts, while Mia Gonsalves made 18 saves to record the shutout.
 
Nazareth enters the UCHC Championship game with a 25-0-1 overall record, ranked second nationally in the NCAA Women’s Hockey National Power Index and third in the USCHO.com Division III Women's Hockey national poll . The Golden Flyers are the only team without a loss in Division III women’s hockey to date. Nazareth went a perfect 14-0-0 and earned 42 out of a possible 42 points in league play this season.
 
Nazareth is out-scoring its opponents, 121-28 this season and have 10 players with at least 10 points and seven with at least 20 points. The Golden Flyers are among the top-five in nearly every team category in Division III and lead the nation with a .981 winning percentage. Sophomore Amy Laskowski leads the UCHC and is among the NCAA leaders with 25 goals and 49 points with a plus-33 rating, while Brooke Judkiewicz has 21 assists and also has 10 goals. Meredith Boettcher has 17 goals and 30 points, while Allie Zack leads the league with a plus-38 rating. In goal, Mia Gonsalves is 23-0-1 with a 1.18 goals against average,.927 save percentage, and four shutouts.

The Golden Flyers have now won 12 straight UCHC Tournament contests. Nazareth is looking for both its fifth UCHC title and fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Golden Flyers won their first NCAA Tournament game in program history and advanced to the national quarterfinals.
 
The Soaring Eagles advanced to the title game after defeating No. 3 seed Utica University, 2-1 in the semifinal round on Feb. 28. Anna Lugge scored the game-winning, power-play goal midway through the second period, while Olivia Last made 11 saves to earn the win.
 
Elmira, winners of the first four UCHC Championships from 2018-2021, enter the 2026 UCHC Championship game with a 18-5-2 overall record, having finished 11-2-1 in league play for 35 points. The Soaring Eagles are out-scoring opponents, 89-35 this season and have eight players with at least 10 points.
 
Anna Lugge leads the Soaring Eagles in scoring with 20 goals, 17 assists, 37 points and a plus-22 rating. MK Boyle is second on the team in scoring with 25 points on 13 goals and 12 assists, while Abby Eselunas and Alayna Toole have 10 goals apiece. Toole leads all of Division III with five shorthanded goals. Olivia Last has emerged as the starting goaltender is 7-1-1 in net with a 0.94 goals against average and a .952 save percentage to go along with four shutouts.

The Soaring Eagles advanced to the NCAA Championship game in 2023-24 and have won three NCAA Division III Championships (2001-02, 2002-03, 2012-13). Elmira is looking to make its 20th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2001-02.
 
Nazareth won both regular season meetings between the two schools, 3-2 on home ice on Feb. 6 and 4-3 in Elmira the following afternoon. Nikki Sharp scored the game-winner for Nazareth with 23.3 seconds left in regulation on Feb. 6, while Logan Marchese scored two third period goals, including the game-winner with 1:09 left in regulation the following day to lift the Golden Flyers.