The field is set for the 2025 NCAA women’s hockey tournament, with one squad looming as the team to beat.
Wisconsin, the No. 1 overall seed, enters the tournament with a gaudy 35-1-2 record, with the lone loss coming by one goal at Ohio State in mid-November. The Buckeyes are the defending national champions and the No. 2 overall seed. If the Badgers and Buckeyes both make it to the title game, it will mark the third consecutive year they’ll meet in the final. The teams have traded the national championship the past four seasons, with Wisconsin winning it in 2023 and 2021 and Ohio State reigning in 2024 and 2022.
There are nine other teams, however, that hope to shake things up en route to the Frozen Four at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis on March 21 and 23.
The NCAA field is made up of five automatic qualifiers — the postseason tournament champions from Atlantic Hockey America, ECAC Hockey, Hockey East, NEWHA and WCHA — and six at-large teams based on the PairWise rankings.
The top four overall seeds will host regional finals, with the bottom six teams meeting in the regional semifinals March 13 at the home rinks of the top three seeds. Those winners move on to the regional finals, while the No. 4 seed will play the No. 5 seed in the fourth regional final. The four teams that emerge from the regional finals, on March 15, move on to Minneapolis.
Below is the schedule for the entire tournament, which will be updated with results as games are played, along with a breakdown of each team that includes insight from ESPN women’s hockey analyst Paige Capistran.
Every game of the NCAA women’s hockey tournament, including the Frozen Four semifinals and final, will be streaming on ESPN+. Subscribe to watch.
Schedule
All times ET
Regionals, first round
March 13
Minnesota Duluth vs. Sacred Heart, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Penn State vs. St. Lawrence, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Clarkson vs. Boston University, 8 p.m., ESPN+
Regional finals
March 15
Clarkson/BU winner at No. 1 Wisconsin, 3 p.m., ESPN+
No. 5 Colgate at No. 4 Minnesota, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Minnesota Duluth/Sacred Heart winner at No. 3 Cornell, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Penn State/St. Lawrence winner at No. 2 Ohio State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Frozen Four
at Ridder Arena, Minneapolis
Semifinals
March 21, 5 and 8:30 p.m., ESPN+
Final
March 23, 4 p.m., ESPNU/ESPN+
Field at a glance
Wisconsin (35-1-2)
PairWise ranking: 1
How the Badgers got in: WCHA tournament champion
Numbers to know: Wisconsin’s only loss in regulation this season came Nov. 16 at Ohio State. … The Badgers are by far the top scoring team in the country (5.45 goals per game) and have the top three scorers in Casey O’Brien (25 goals, 58 assists), Laila Edwards (30 goals, 35 assists) and Kirsten Simms (22 goals, 43 assists). … Wisconsin also leads the country in scoring defense, allowing 1.11 goals per game. … The Badgers have won seven national titles, including in 2023 and 2021, and lost to Ohio State in the championship game in 2024.
Paige Capistran’s take: The Badgers are the cream of the crop this season in the NCAA. Co-captains O’Brien and Caroline Harvey lead the deep Wisconsin roster as the Badgers come off a thrilling WCHA championship game win against Minnesota. Goalie Ava McNaughton (.947 save percentage) was named one of the three finalists for the national Goalie of the Year. Wisconsin has the best power play and penalty kill percentages in the NCAA. The Badgers will have a target on their back — but it may not matter.
Ohio State (27-7-3)
PairWise ranking: 2
How the Buckeyes got in: At-large bid (WCHA)
Numbers to know: Ohio State has won two of the last three national titles, including a 1-0 win over Wisconsin last season. … The Buckeyes were 14-1 over their last 15 games before falling to Minnesota in the WCHA semifinals. … The Buckeyes are second in the country in scoring offense (3.84 goals per game). … Sophomore Jocelyn Amos is tied for fourth in the NCAA with 26 goals, including 10 on the power play, and is among the best in the country on faceoffs, winning 68%.
Capistran’s take: The reigning national champions play aggressive, in-your-face hockey. After being upset by Minnesota in the WHCA semifinals, the Buckeyes should be coming into the NCAA tournament angry and ready to go. Repeating as national champion is hard, but the Buckeyes have the tools to accomplish it. Joy Dunne leads the Buckeyes with 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists) and was named a Patty Kazmaier top 10 finalist.
Cornell (24-4-5)
PairWise ranking: 3
How the Big Red got in: ECAC champion
Numbers to know: Sophomore Annelies Bergmann has nine shutouts, tied for the most in the NCAA, and is fourth in goals-against average (1.32). … Cornell has a balanced scoring attack, with 12 players in double digits in points, led by Avi Adam (10 goals, 18 assists). … This is Cornell’s 10th NCAA appearance; the Big Red lost to Colgate in the quarterfinals last year.
Capistran’s take: The ECAC champions for the first time since 2014, Cornell has a force to be reckoned with between the pipes in Bergmann, who was named ECAC Goalie of the Year, ECAC tournament MVP and a top-three finalist for national Goalie of the Year. The key to the Big Red offense is their depth — every line can score and everyone contributes. Also, Cornell’s special teams are peaking at the right time.
Minnesota (28-11-1)
PairWise ranking: 4
How the Gophers got in: At-large bid (WCHA)
Numbers to know: Minnesota has won six national titles, most recently in 2016. … The Gophers are second in the country with 148 goals, but rank 23rd in scoring defense, allowing 2.40 goals per game…. Abbey Murphy leads the country with 30 goals is tied for first with seven game-winners. … The Gophers were 1-6-1 vs. Ohio State and Wisconsin, and 26-4 vs. everyone else in the regular season, then beat the Buckeyes in the WCHA semifinals.
Capistran’s take: The Golden Gophers come into the tournament with the excitement of knowing the Frozen Four will be played in their own barn at Ridder Arena. Minnesota had a terrific showing in the WCHA tournament, making a statement by upsetting Ohio State 6-2 in the semis and staying even with Wisconsin until the last 25 seconds of the title game. The leadership of Murphy, a fifth-year forward, is key, and coach Brad Frost takes pride in being a hard team to play against.
Colgate (30-8-0)
PairWise ranking: 5
How the Raiders got in: At-large bid (ECAC)
Numbers to know: Colgate is 12-4 against ranked opponents this season. … The Raiders are fourth in the country in scoring with 3.63 goals per game and fourth in power play percentage (.286). … Hannah Murphy is ninth nationally with a .940 save percentage. Her 26 wins this season are the most by a goaltender in program history. … This is the fifth consecutive year Colgate has made the NCAA field. Last year the Raiders lost to Wisconsin in the national semifinals.
Capistran’s take: The combination of a young roster and great leadership has been the recipe for success for the Raiders. Murphy, a senior, not only keeps the puck out of the net but is a world-class leader. Kristýna Kaltounková, a top 10 Patty Kaz finalist, is an offensive powerhouse (26 goals, 22 assists) who can also dominate in the defensive end. After losing six players from last year’s roster, all now playing in the PHWL, the underclassmen needed to step up this season and they did just that.
Minnesota Duluth (21-14-2)
PairWise ranking: 6
How the Bulldogs got in: At-large bid (WCHA)
Numbers to know: This is Minnesota Duluth’s 15th NCAA appearance and fifth in a row. The Bulldogs have won five national titles and made nine trips to the Frozen Four, most recently in 2022. … Sophomore Eve Gascon is seventh in the country in save percentage (.942) and UMD has allowed three or fewer goals in 29 of its last 31 games. … The Bulldogs have hung with the best this season, dropping a pair of 2-1 decisions to Wisconsin and two one-goal games to Minnesota.
Capistran’s take: After being knocked out by Wisconsin in the WCHA semifinals, the Bulldogs come into the NCAA tournament on the shoulders of Gascon, the WCHA Goalie of the Year and a top-three finalist for national Goalie of the Year. Gascon had 39 saves in the loss to the Badgers, her 11th game with at least 35 saves this season. Freshman Caitlin Kraemer, the WCHA Rookie of the Year, has made a statement, notching 29 points.
Penn State (31-5-1)
PairWise ranking: 7
How the Nittany Lions got in: Atlantic Hockey champion
Numbers to know: Junior Katie DeSa has nine shutouts, including one in the AHA semifinals against RIT, tied for the most in the country. She is fifth in goals-against average (1.36). … The Nittany Lions are sixth in scoring (3.62 goals per game). … Junior Tessa Janecke, the program’s all-time leader in points, is in the top 10 nationally in goals and points per game. She is No. 1 by far at the faceoff dot with 604 wins — no one else is at 500 — with a .702 winning percentage.
Capistran’s take: The Nittany Lions earned their third consecutive AHA championship, setting a program record for wins, and are looking to move past the first round of NCAA tournament for the first time. The Penn State roster has a balance of experience and energetic underclassmen. All eyes will be on captain Janecke, a top 10 Patty Kaz finalist who has at least one point in 31 of 37 games.
Clarkson (24-12-2)
PairWise ranking: 8
How the Golden Knights got in: At-large bid (ECAC)
Numbers to know: Clarkson has won three national championships, the most recent in 2018, and made its sixth Frozen Four appearance last season, losing to Ohio State in the semifinals. … The Golden Knights trail only Wisconsin in power-play percentage (.330). … Seventh nationally with 3.47 goals per game, Clarkson has 13 players in double-figures in points, led by Haley Winn (14 goals, 31 assists). … The Knights had lost five of their last six one-goal games entering the ECAC tournament. They had a 2-1 win over Quinnipiac in their quarterfinal series before falling to Cornell 2-1 in triple overtime in the semis.
Capistran’s take: Clarkson will look to use the experience from its triple overtime heartbreaker against Cornell to fuel an NCAA tournament run. After making it to the Frozen Four last season, the Golden Knights know what it will take to get to Ridder Arena. Co-captains Winn and Nicole Gosling lead the charge from the blue line. Winn joins Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey as the only defenders on the top 10 Patty Kaz list.
St. Lawrence (21-11-5)
PairWise ranking: 9
How the Saints got in: At-large bid (ECAC)
Numbers to know: St. Lawrence is in the NCAA field for the second consecutive season after breaking a six-year drought in 2024. … The Saints are 5-2 since an overtime loss at Colgate on Feb. 1. … Goaltender Emma Sofie-Nordstrom has more than 800 saves (.935 percentage). … Five of Taylor Lum’s nine goals on the season have been game-winners.
Capistran’s take: The Saints rallied for two goals in the third period but fell short against Colgate in the ECAC semifinals and come into the tournament after making it to last year’s NCAA quarterfinal round. Senior Abby Hustler has a nose for the net and leads the way for the Saints with 37 points, averaging a point per game.
Boston University (24-11-2)
PairWise ranking: 11
How the Terriers got in: Hockey East champion
Numbers to know: BU won its sixth Hockey East title, but its first since 2015. The Terriers’ 24 wins are their most since 2020. … BU has the second-best penalty kill percentage in the country (.897), trailing only Wisconsin (.916). … Seventeen Terriers have scored at least one goal this season, with six notching eight or more.
Capistran’s take: BU knows what it takes to win in big moments. In all three of their postseason games, the Terriers came from behind to win in overtime, including a 3-2 victory over Northeastern in the Hockey East final. Junior Sydney Healey scored the winning goal against the Huskies, her team-high 15th goal on the season, and was named the tournament MVP.
Sacred Heart (21-14-3)
PairWise ranking: 27
How the Pioneers got in: NEWHA champion
Numbers to know: Sacred Heart is making its first NCAA appearance in 22 seasons under Tom O’Malley. The Pioneers won the NEWHA tournament for the second time — they also won in 2018, before the league had an automatic NCAA berth. … Sacred Heart scored seven power-play goals in its four NEWHA tournament games. Entering the tournament, it had gone seven games without a PPG. … Carly Greene, who leads the country with a .959 save percentage, made 145 stops in the four tournament wins.
Capistran’s take: The Pioneers punched their NCAA ticket with a come-from-behind 4-2 win over Long Island. “This means everything for the program,” O’Malley said after the win. Grayson Limke scored the winner against LIU and Isabella Chaput, who leads the team with 22 points, scored twice. Ten Pioneers scored goals in the four playoff games.
