Quinnipiac, Clarkson, Dartmouth, and Cornell are headed to Lake Placid after securing quarterfinal victories to advance to the ECAC Hockey Men’s Championship round set for Friday and Saturday in the Olympic Center's 1980 Herb Brooks Arena.

Defending Whitelaw Cup champion Cornell, the No. 6 seed, will take on top-seeded Quinnipiac in the first semifinal matchup Friday at 4 p.m., followed by No. 5 Dartmouth facing No. 2 Clarkson at 7 p.m. The winners will meet in Saturday’s championship game at 5 p.m., with the victor claiming the Scott M. Whitelaw Cup and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Friday, March 21 – Semifinals

Cornell vs. Quinnipiac, 4 p.m.

Dartmouth vs. Clarkson, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 22 – Championship

Semifinal Winners, 5 p.m.

THE TEAMS

Quinnipiac (24-10-2)

The top-seeded Bobcats, ranked No. 13 in the latest USCHO poll, swept Brown in the quarterfinals, highlighted by a 4-0 shutout led by standout goalie Matej Marinov and a two-goal performance from Tyler Borgula. Quinnipiac, the 2023 NCAA national champion, is a nine-time ECAC regular season champion in search of its third ECAC Hockey tournament title.

Cornell (16-10-6)

Cornell clinched a semifinal berth with a 3-0 shutout victory over No. 3 Colgate in Game 2 of their quarterfinal series. The Big Red return to Lake Placid aiming to defend their ECAC Hockey tournament title from a year ago. Head coach Mike Schafer, who has led Cornell since 1995, will retire at the end of the season, with longtime Clarkson head coach Casey Jones set to take over next season as the program’s 13th head coach.

Clarkson (23-11-3)

Clarkson advanced to Lake Placid in dramatic fashion Sunday as freshman Luka Sukovic netted the game-winner in overtime for a 2-1 victory over Harvard in Game 3 of their quarterfinal matchup. The Golden Knights took the series opener 3-2 before Harvard forced a decisive third game with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2. Clarkson, ranked No. 18 in the latest USCHO poll, returns to Lake Placid for the first time since 2022.

Dartmouth (18-12-2)

Dartmouth punched its ticket to Lake Placid with a 7-2 win over No. 4 Union that completed a quarterfinal sweep. The Big Green advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive season, marking their first back-to-back appearances since 2005-06 and 2006-07. Dartmouth, still in search of its first ECAC Hockey title, fell to Cornell in last year’s semifinals.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The ECAC Tournament began in 1962 with the championships held at Boston Garden each year until 1993 when it moved to Lake Placid. The 2025 tournament marks the 21st Championship hosted at the Olympic Center. Cornell has won the most ECAC Hockey men’s tournament titles with 13, followed by Harvard with 11. No other program in the league’s history has won more than seven tournament trophies.

On March 9, 1989, the league paid tribute to retiring ECAC Commissioner Robert M. “Scotty” Whitelaw by announcing that the Men’s Ice Hockey Championship trophy would be named the Whitelaw Cup. Whitelaw joined the ECAC in 1960 as Assistant Commissioner, two years before the ECAC Division I Ice Hockey Championship was formalized.

LAST SEASON

Cornell captured the 2024 ECAC tournament title with a 3-1 victory over St. Lawrence. The Saints, the No. 7 seed, upset top-seeded Quinnipiac in the semifinals, while Cornell defeated Dartmouth 6-3.

Quinnipiac earned an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, defeating Wisconsin 3-2 before falling in the second round to Boston College 5-4 in overtime. Cornell also advanced, beating Maine 3-1 before losing 2-1 to eventual national champion Denver.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

The 2025 ECAC Men’s Hockey Tournament began with single-game matchups on March 7-8, followed by best-of-three quarterfinal series on March 14-16. The first two rounds were hosted by the higher-seeded teams before the final four advanced to Lake Placid. The tournament champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

TICKETS/MORE INFORMATION

Tickets are available for purchase HERE. Roamers Café & Bar at the Olympic Center opens at 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with live entertainment, food and beverages available. For more information, go to lakeplacidolympiccenter.com or ecachockey.com.