Liam MacKenzie – Treasurer/Sports Editor – Photo: Merrimack Athletics
North Andover, MA – A new era is set to begin at Lawler Rink as Merrimack College women’s ice hockey has unveiled its 2026-27 schedule. It features 33-regular season games, including 25 against Hockey East opponents, as first-year head coach Courtney Kennedy prepares to write a new chapter with the Warriors.
Kennedy, who was named Merrimack’s head coach in March after spending 17 seasons in Hockey East, enters her first season with a schedule filled with familiar conference opponents and several opportunities to test the Warriors. The season will feature 18 home games at Lawler Rink, giving Merrimack plenty of chances to begin building its new identity in front of its home crowd.
A Five-Game Homestretch to Open the Season – Before the regular season officially begins, Merrimack will host Stonehill in an exhibition game on September 19 at Lawler Rink. The scrimmage begins a five-game stretch at home that will give the Warriors an early opportunity to get comfortable under their new coaching staff.
The regular season officially gets underway on September 24, when Merrimack hosts Linderwood in the first game of a two-game series. The Warriors will remain at Lawler Rink on September 25 for the second meeting, marking the third consecutive season that Merrimack has opened its regular season against Lindenwood.
Merrimack will then continue its homestand against Union on October 2 and 3. The Warriors will remain at Lawler Rink for both games, completing the opening five-game stretch on home ice before beginning Hockey East play.
Kennedy Returns to Chestnut Hill – The Warriors’ first road game of the regular season will come on October 14, when Merrimack travels to Chestnut Hill to face Boston College. The matchup carries an added connection for Kennedy, who spent more than a decade as an assistant coach with the Eagles before taking over at Merrimack.
After the trip to Boston College, Merrimack will return to Lawler Rink for back-to-back home games against Post University on October 23 and Saint Michael’s College on October 24. The two contests will give the Warriors another chance to build momentum before returning to Hockey East competition.
A Familiar New Hampshire Rematch – Merrimack will close out October with a home-and-road series against New Hampshire, beginning at Lawler Rink on October 30 before heading to Durham on October 31. The series will provide a rematch of the 2025 Hockey East opening round between the two programs.
The Warriors will see the Wildcats again later in the season, with Merrimack traveling to New Hampshire on February 12. The two meetings will give the Warriors another opportunity to measure themselves against a familiar conference opponent.
November Begins With Holy Cross – The month of November begins with another Hockey East home-and-road series, this time against Holy Cross. Merrimack will travel to Worcester on November 6 before returning to Lawler Rink on November 7.
The Warriors will then face Northeastern in a home-and-road series on November 13 and 14. The matchup will be a rematch of the 2024 Hockey East quarterfinals, adding another postseason connection to Merrimack’s regular-season schedule.
A Thanksgiving Trip to Lake Placid – Merrimack will host Boston College on November 20 before turning its attention toward Thanksgiving weekend. Rather than playing at Lawler Rink, the Warriors will travel to Lake Placid, New York, for back-to-back neutral-site games against St. Lawrence on November 27 and 28.
The two games will be part of a Thanksgiving weekend tournament hosted by St. Lawrence at the 1980 Olympic Center. Merrimack’s men’s hockey team will also be in Lake Placid during the holiday weekend.
Providence Closes Out 2026 – Merrimack will open December with a home-and-road series against Providence, hosting the Friars at Lawler Rink on December 4 before traveling to Providence on December 5. The series will be the Warriors’ final games of the 2026 calendar year.
After the Providence series, Merrimack will have a break before returning to the ice in January. The Warriors will enter 2027 with a home matchup against Brown.
Brown Welcomes the New Year – Merrimack will open the 2027 calendar year at Lawler Rink against Brown on January 2. The home matchup will give the Warriors their first opportunity to start the new year in front of their home crowd.
Following Brown, Merrimack will travel for a pair of games against Vermont, creating a road-and-road series for the Warriors. The schedule then returns to Hockey East competition with one of the biggest matchups of the season.
Defending Hockey East Champion UConn Comes to Town – Merrimack will face the defending Hockey East champion UConn Huskies in a home-and-road series. The two-game set will give the Warriors a chance to compete against the reigning conference champion during the regular season.
The UConn series will be followed by another familiar Hockey East matchup against Maine. Merrimack will play the Black Bears in a home-and-home series that serves as a rematch of the 2026 Hockey East opening round.
January Ends with Boston University – Merrimack will close out January with a home-and-road series against Boston University. The Warriors will begin the series on the road before returning to Lawler Rink for the second matchup.
The BU series will also set up the final stretch of the regular season. Merrimack will have several important Hockey East contests remaining as it enters February.
The Final Push – The Warriors will begin February at Lawler against Providence. Merrimack will then hit the road for games against Boston College and New Hampshire before returning home for a matchup against Vermont.
The Vermont game will be followed by Merrimack’s final home game of the regular season, which will come against Boston University. The Warriors will then close the regular season on the road against Maine.
A New Era Awaits – From the opening home game against Lindenwood to the regular-season finale against Maine, Merrimack’s 2026-27 schedule is filled with familiar opponents and opportunities for the Warriors to build their identity. With Kennedy taking over behind the bench, the upcoming season officially begins a new chapter for Merrimack women’s ice hockey.
The Warriors will get their first chance to turn the page on September 19 at Lawler Rink, beginning what could be a memorable first season of a new era.
