The 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Hockey Tournament begins.
Eleven teams remain in the running for the national championship, and it all starts with three first-round regional games on Thursday.
The four winners from each regional bracket will advance to the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four, which will be held March 22 and 24 at the University of New Hampshire's Whitmore Center Arena in Durham.
Both NCAA Frozen Four semifinal games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ in the United States and TSN+ in Canada. This year's National Championship Game will be broadcast on ESPNU in the United States and TSN+ in Canada.
The University of Wisconsin is the defending NCAA champion, and Ohio State, last year's national runner-up, will enter the 2024 tournament as the No. 1 seed.
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Must read:
Boston Globe: In its second year in Division I, Stonehill achieves first NCAA tournament appearance
Duluth News Tribune: NCAA Tournament is becoming a 'foregone conclusion' for UMD
ESPN: Frozen 4 2024: Schedule, top players, how to watch
Ice Garden: NCAA Roundup: Regional First Round Preview
Mankato Free Press: Dickerman named MSU women's hockey coach after Harrington retires
Minneapolis Star Tribune: Gophers women's hockey team plays in Clarkson in NCAA Tournament opener
Hockey News: PWHL draft prospects to watch in NCAA National Tournament
The Rink Live: 11 teams prepare for NCAA Women's Hockey Regional Tournament
USCHO: Weekend Wrap (March 11)
Must listen:
Bulldog Insider: 'MK' breaks through pipeline to UMD in the Northeast
Champs App Podcast: Featuring Sadie Lundquist, Director of Women's Hockey, College Hockey Inc.
Inside College Hockey America: Featuring Mercyhurst F Sarah Boucher and Penn State F Julie Goff
Inside ECAC Hockey: Featuring Clarkson senior G Michelle Pasiechnik
Inside Hockey East: Women's Championship Edition
First of all:
UConn and Stonehill are both making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
UW (25-7-5) won both the Hockey East regular-season and playoff championships and has lost just once in its past 18 games (14-1-3). The Huskies will face Minnesota Duluth in a first-round regional game on Thursday in Columbus, Ohio.
Stonehill (21-15-2) – Second year as an NCAA Division I women's hockey program – produced two 3-2 overtime wins, including a conference loss to Franklin Pierce in the NEWHA Tournament, earning an automatic bid. championship game secured. The Skyhawks will play Cornell University in Thursday's season opener.
Tape story:
This year's 11-team field boasts a total of 100 NCAA Tournament appearances (including this season):
Tournament participation by field
Minnesota – 21
Wisconsin – 18
Duluth, MN – 15
Clarkson – 12
St. Lawrence – 10
Cornell University – 9
Ohio State University – 6
Colgate – 5
Penn State – 2
University of California Stonehill – 1
NCAA champion Wisconsin has the most national titles in NCAA Division I women's hockey, defeating WCHA rival Ohio State in last year's national title game.
most NCAA titles
Wisconsin – 7
Minnesota – 6
Duluth, MN – 5
Clarkson – 3
Ohio State University – 1
Leader of the pack:
The nation's top 10 scorers from this season, in fact all of the nation's top 14 scorers, will be in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, led by Wisconsin's trio who combined for more than 200 points.
Top 10 NCAA scorers
71 – Kirsten Sims (Thor), Wisconsin
69 – Casey O’Brien (Sr.), Wisconsin
61 – Britta Karl (Gr.), Wisconsin
61 – Daniel Serdachny (Gr.), Colgate
60 – Abby Murphy (Jr.), Minnesota
56 – Lacey Eden (Sr.), Wisconsin
55 – Abby Hassler (junior), St. Lawrence
55 – Kristina Kartunkova (Sr.), Colgate
55 – Izzy Daniel (Gr.), Cornell
53 – Tessa Janecke (Thor), Pennsylvania
Elite Eight:
This year's national tournament will also showcase eight of the 10 finalists for the 2024 Patti Kazmaier Memorial Award.
The eight players also include forwards. Izzy Daniel (Cornell University), abby hustler (St. Lawrence), Tessa Janecke (Pennsylvania), abby murphy (Minnesota), Casey O'Brien (Wisconsin), Daniel Serdachny (Colgate), and Kirsten Sims (Wisconsin State), also as a defender. caroline harvey (Wisconsin).
The winner will be announced on March 23rd at the NCAA Frozen Four in Durham, New Hampshire.
Skyhawks soar:
Stonehill enters Thursday's first-round game against Cornell University on an eight-game winning streak, the longest streak for an active team in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
UW, Wisconsin and Colgate are tied for second on five straight wins.
Additional notes by region
Columbus, Ohio (OSU Ice Rink)
Top-seeded and host Ohio State awaits the winner of Thursday's first-round game between Minnesota-Duluth and UW… UW (.950) and UMD (.948) each lead the NCAA in team save percentage Ranked 1st and 3rd…OSU's Raegan Kirk (St. Ann, Manitoba, Greece) and UConn's tia chan (Sr., Hamilton, Ontario) is affiliated with Clarkson's Disease Michelle Pachenik (Ottawa, Ontario, Sr.) Leads the NCAA with eight shutouts each…OSU is tied for second in the nation in shooting percentage (12.2).
Madison, Wisconsin (Laverne Arena)
St. Lawrence University and Penn State will meet Thursday, with the winner set to face host and defending NCAA champion University of Wisconsin in the regional final…The Badgers have played all six of their past NCAA games at La Verne Arena. They won by a score difference of 28-2…In the UW national power play rankings, (31.6%) and St. Lawrence (31.4%) are 3rd-4th…PSU (1,266) and (1,237) UW have won head-to-head games. 1st-2nd Place: The Nittany Lions tied for the highest percentage in the nation at 58.9%.
Hamilton, New York (Class of 1965 Arena)
In Thursday's first round, NCAA Tournament debutant Stonehill will face nine-time starter Cornell…The winner will face host and No. 3 seed Colgate…Colgate's power play led the NCAA this season with 46. , ranks second in the nation in efficiency (35.9%)…Stonehill boasts the fourth-best faceoff team in the nation (55.8%)…Cornell's seven short-handed goals trail Ohio State. That ties the University and Wisconsin for the most of any tournament field.
Potsdam, New York (Chel Arena)
Clarkson hosts Minnesota in Saturday's regional final in a matchup between the tournament's No. 4 and No. 5 seeds…a matchup that features Minnesota's No. 1 ranked power play (37.0%) and Clarkson's penalty kill. (91.8%) leads the way…The Golden Knights have scored just 45 goals per game this season, the fewest in the nation.
Notebook quotes:
“They're a group of believers and I'm very fortunate to be able to lead this group. They did this. They earned this.”
— Stonehill Head Coach Lee J. Mirasolo (Boston College 08) After the Skyhawks defeated Franklin Pierce 3-2 in the NEWHA Championship Game to earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth (Source: StonehillSkyhawks.com)
PWHL Notes of the week:
ottawa f Katezina Murazova (Minnesota Duluth, 2013-18) is currently enjoying a six-game point streak, tied for the longest in the PWHL this season. She had three assists in the most recent game, a 4-2 road win over Montreal, and now has 13 points in 16 games. Mrazova spent four seasons with Minnesota Duluth, where she had 25 goals and 50 assists in 117 games during her collegiate career.
French fries at the bottom of the bag:
Penn State University Sophomore G Katie Desa (Pawcatuck, Conn.) posted shutout wins in two of their three wins in the CHA Tournament…Wisconsin State. Kirsten Sims (Plymouth, Michigan) is the first team since 2011-12 for the Badgers to reach the 30-goal mark…Colgate became the second team in league history to win the ECAC Playoff Championship four years in a row… Izzy Daniels (Green, Minneapolis, MN) 35 assists is three shy of Cornell's single-season school record…University of Minnesota Josephine Bouven (So, Vasunda, Sweden) has scored 12 points in the last four games.
Conference Champion (Playoffs):
College Hockey America – Penn State University
ECAC Hockey – Colgate
Hockey East – UConn
NEWHA – Stone Hill
WCHA – Wisconsin
Conference Champion (Regular Season):
College Hockey America – Penn State University
ECAC Hockey – Colgate
Hockey East – UConn
NEWHA – Long Island
WCHA – Ohio State University
conference website
CH | ECAC | Hockey East | NHA | WCHA
Did you know that? Her 98% of NCAA Division I women's hockey players have a degree.
