The Merrimack College men’s ice hockey team will play against the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks on March 26 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, according to a March 22 announcement. The game is part of the Sioux Regional Semifinals in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship.
This matchup is significant as it marks Merrimack’s fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their second qualification in four seasons. The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to play either Quinnipiac or Providence on March 28 for a chance to reach the Frozen Four in Las Vegas.
In previous tournament appearances, Merrimack defeated Northeastern on aggregate before falling to Lake Superior State in the quarterfinals in 1988. In subsequent years, they lost close games against Notre Dame and Quinnipiac during regional rounds. The last meeting between Merrimack and North Dakota was in Grand Forks in 2009, where North Dakota won both games.
Merrimack (21-15-2) secured an automatic bid after capturing their first-ever Hockey East Championship with victories over UMass Lowell, Providence, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. North Dakota (27-9-1), entering as the top seed in their region and ranked second nationally by NPI, won their conference regular season but did not earn an automatic qualifier after losing to Minnesota Duluth.
Further updates about Merrimack College Athletics can be found at MerrimackAthletics.com or through official social media channels.
