The spots for the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four are on the line on Saturday, as some of the best teams in the country battle in it out in quarterfinal action.
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(5) Colgate Raiders vs. (4) Minnesota Golden Gophers
When: Saturday, March 15
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Where: Ridder Arena (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Stream: ESPN+
Even though they are coming into the tournament as the four-seed, don’t sleep on Minnesota. There’s a reason they were able to oust Ohio State in the WCHA Tournament. Led by the exceptional talent that is Abbey Murphy, a favorite to win the Patty Kaz this year, the Golden Gophers have the group that can advance to the Frozen Four, which is being held at Ridder Arena, for the first time in two years.
Murphy has just been on a tear this year, leading many to believe she could be the No. 1 pick in this year’s PWHL Draft if she doesn’t choose to stay for a fifth year. The senior forward is fourth in the country in scoring with 63 points and has been complimented by players such as Ella Huber and Peyton Hemp on their way back to the tournament.
For a team that lost its head coach this past summer, its star scoring threat and its No. 1 goaltender, Colgate has been having an exceptional year and was one victory away from hosting a regional.
Yet, the Raiders' loss to Cornell ended a run of four straight ECAC titles, but under first-year head coach Stefan Decosse, Colgate is still a very good team with a lot to be worried about if you’re the opposition. With Danielle Serdachny gone, fifth-year forward Krystyna Kaltounkova and junior Elyssa Biederman have more than picked up the slack, with Kaltounkova being named as a top-10 Patty Kazmaier finalist.
(7) Clarkson Golden Knights vs. (1) Wisconsin Badgers
When: Saturday, March 15
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Where: LaBahn Arena (Madison, Wis.)
Stream: ESPN+
Less than a year after suffering heartbreak at the hands of rival Ohio State, Wisconsin has returned hungrier than ever before. Along with posting the best record in the uber-competitive WCHA, the Badgers won the conference championship for the second year in a row.
WCHA Coach of the Year Mark Johnson’s team is stacked with talent from top to bottom. The team possesses four of the 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, including fifth-year forward Casey O’Brien, who leads the country with an insane 83 points. Wisconsin has four of the top five leading scorers in the NCAA, Caroline Harvey on defense and Ava McNaughton, one of the country’s top goaltenders.
Clarkson might have dominated against Boston University, but they had to survive a late Terrier push to snag a 3-1 win to advance to the quarterfinals. The Golden Knights are looking to make it to the Frozen Four for the second year in a row.
(6) Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs vs. (3) Cornell Big Red
When: Saturday, March 15
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Where: Lynah Rink (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Stream: ESPN+
Who would’ve thought that, after losing reigning Patty Kazmaier winner Izzy Daniel, the Big Red would’ve become even better?
Led by an amazing young goaltender in Annelies Bergmann, and solid scoring threats such as Avi Adam and conference rookie of the year, Lindzi Avar, the Big Red managed to end Colgate’s dominance, winning the ECAC Championship for the first time since 2020, and are in a great position to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in six years.
They will take on a Bulldogs team hoping to pull off an upset. Minnesota Duluth opened up their tournament run with a convincing 6-1 win over Sacred Heart on Thursday. UMD is trying to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in three years.
(9) St. Lawrence Saints vs. (2) Ohio State Buckeyes
When: Saturday, March 15
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Where: Ohio State Rink (Columbus, Ohio)
Stream: ESPN+
Despite bowing out in the WCHA Semifinals to Minnesota, the Buckeyes are confident they have what it takes to become the first back-to-back national champions for the first time since Clarkson accomplished the feat seven years ago. The team lost much of that championship roster, with names like Cayla Barnes, Jennifer Gardiner, Hannah Bilka and Raygan Kirk joining the PWHL.
Yet, with underclass players like Joy Dunne and Jocelyn Amos leading the charge, Ohio State was good enough to earn the No. 2 seed heading into the tournament, giving the home-ice advantage for the regional round. If OSU wants to do it again, they will have to rely on their depth in order to get through the nation’s top teams.
St. Lawrence put forth a strong defensive effort against Penn State on Thursday night, eliminating the Nittany Lions for the second year in a row with a 3-1 victory. The Saints have not made it to the Frozen Four since 2007.
For the full tournament schedule, click here