quinnipiac hockey is on the ice against North Dakota in the NCAA regional final at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The winner moves on to the NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas, putting immediate, season-defining stakes on every shift. As of 6: 03 into the game, North Dakota leads 1–0 after a first-period goal.
Live stakes and early score update
The matchup is being played at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, with faceoff listed for 6: 00 p. m. ET. A Frozen Four berth is the prize, and the tension showed early with a quick strike that put Quinnipiac in chase mode.
North Dakota’s first goal came at 6: 03, credited to Jack Kernan for his 10th of the season, assisted by Will Zellers. The play developed when Quinnipiac defenseman Braden Brace tried to chip the puck out of the zone, but Zellers held it in and moved it to Kernan along the half wall. Kernan curled into the left circle and snapped a shot five-hole on Quinnipiac goaltender Dylan Silverstein to make it 1–0.
Officials for the game are referees Andrew Bruggeman and Sam Hernandez, with linesmen Sam Shikowsky and Tommy George. The supervisor listed is Steve Piotrowski.
Lineups, absences, and the goaltending picture
Both teams entered the regional final keeping their line combinations intact from their Thursday regional games. North Dakota is using the same lines as its game against Merrimack, while quinnipiac hockey is using the same lines as its game against Providence.
Quinnipiac’s goaltenders listed are Dylan Silverstein, Matej Marinov, and Samuel Scopa. North Dakota’s goaltenders listed are Jan Špunar, Gibson Homer, and Zach Sandy.
Quinnipiac players not in the lineup are forward Jeremy Wilmer (injured), forward Alex Power, forward Ben Riche, and defenseman Logan McCutcheon. North Dakota players not in the lineup are forward Ollie Josephson (injured), forward Anthony Menghini, forward Dalton Andrew, defenseman Jayden Jubenvill, and defenseman Ian Engel.
Immediate reactions from the ice level
There were no official public quotes included in the game information made available at the time of this update. The only confirmed on-site officiating personnel are the Big Ten-listed officials: Andrew Bruggeman (referee), Sam Hernandez (referee), Sam Shikowsky (linesman), Tommy George (linesman), and Steve Piotrowski (supervisor).
Quick context: a tournament history between these programs
North Dakota and Quinnipiac have met twice in the NCAA tournament. North Dakota won both matchups: in the 2015 NCAA regional in Fargo and in the 2016 NCAA national championship game.
North Dakota is looking to reach its first Frozen Four since 2016, while Quinnipiac is trying to return to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2023.
What’s next
This regional final will decide who punches the ticket to Las Vegas for the NCAA Frozen Four, and the urgency is only rising with North Dakota holding an early 1–0 edge. The next key developments will come from how quinnipiac hockey responds after conceding first—whether it can flip momentum, tighten exits, and generate the equalizer before the game’s next turning point.
