Preview: Post Eagles at Long Island Sharks - Women’s NCAA Hockey

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Long Island Sharks look to solidify a winning season record when they host the Post Eagles in a women’s NCAA Division I hockey matchup on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, at Northwell Health Ice Center.

The Sharks (16-15-2) enter the contest having won five of their last seven games, including a 1-0 shutout victory over Sacred Heart on Saturday. Goaltender Victoria Rutnik, the anchor of their recent success, stopped all 26 shots she faced in that win. Over her last eight starts, Rutnik has posted a .942 save percentage, giving Long Island a decisive edge in net.

The Post Eagles (10-21-1) seek to build momentum from a 3-2 win over Stonehill on Feb. 14, which snapped a four-game losing skid. Their offense runs through defender Emma Hoen, who leads the team in production. Hoen tallied a goal and an assist in the win over Stonehill and has recorded seven points in her last eight games, consistently driving play with 37 shots on goal in that span.

This game is the front half of a home-and-home series, with the teams set to meet again at Post on Saturday. In their previous meetings this season on Dec. 5-6, Long Island swept the weekend set, winning 3-1 on the road and 5-3 at home.

For Post, reversing that trend will require solving Rutnik and generating secondary scoring behind Hoen. Jet Devlin, who scored in the last outing, will be a key figure. Long Island counters with a balanced attack; center Grace Babington scored the lone goal in the shutout of Sacred Heart, and winger Paige Vreeman is coming off a strong two-assist weekend.

The Sharks currently hold the upper hand in the standings and recent head-to-head history, but the Eagles have shown they can compete, with five of their last eight losses decided by a single goal. The battle between Post’s top offensive weapon in Hoen and Long Island’s stalwart goaltender Rutnik will likely dictate the tempo of this conference clash.