Providence College Hockey Advances to NCAA Tournament, Faces Quinnipiac in Sioux Falls
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College men’s hockey team will compete in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, earning an at-large bid as the 16-team bracket was revealed on Sunday. The Friars (23-10-2) are seeded No. 2 in the Sioux Falls Regional and will face No. 3-seeded Quinnipiac (26-9-3) on Thursday, March 26, at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The game is scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+. This marks the Friars’ 17th NCAA tournament appearance and their second consecutive berth.
Friars vs. Bobcats: A Familiar Matchup
Providence holds a 4-2-1 advantage in the all-time series against Quinnipiac. The teams most recently met in an exhibition game on October 5, with Providence securing a 2-1 victory. Their last official meeting was in the 2014 NCAA Northeast Regional, where the Friars defeated the Bobcats 4-0 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Road to the Regional Final
The winner of the Providence-Quinnipiac matchup will advance to the Sioux Falls Regional Final on Saturday, March 28, to compete against either No. 1 seed North Dakota or No. 4 seed Merrimack. Game time and broadcast details for the regional final will be announced at a later date.
Season Highlights for Providence
Providence concluded the season with a 23-10-2 record, leading Hockey East with 86 goals scored and allowing a league-low 46 goals. The team started the 2026 season with nine consecutive wins, the second-longest winning streak in program history. Despite an early exit from the Hockey East tournament following a 3-2 overtime loss to Merrimack on March 14, the Friars’ strong regular-season performance earned them an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Freshman goalkeeper Jack Parsons stepped into the starting role after Philip Svedebäck sustained a knee injury in January against Alaska Fairbanks.
NCAA Tournament Schedule – First Round
- Thursday, March 26:
- Michigan State vs. UConn (Worcester), 1:30 p.m.
- Providence vs. Quinnipiac (Sioux Falls), 5 p.m.
- Dartmouth vs. Wisconsin (Worcester), 5 p.m.
- North Dakota vs. Merrimack (Sioux Falls), 8:30 p.m.
The Frozen Four is scheduled for April 9 and April 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.