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The NCAA Women’s Frozen Four officially kicks off Friday night in Minneapolis with the top four teams — Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota and Cornell — playing for the 2025 national championship.
Ohio State, the reigning champion, will play Cornell in the first semifinal on Friday at 5 p.m. ET. Then, the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers will play the tournament hosts, Minnesota, at 8:30 p.m.
The winner of each semifinal will face off in the championship game on Sunday afternoon (4 p.m. ET) at the University of Minnesota’s Ridder Arena.
This year’s Frozen Four field has combined to win 15 national championships, including each of the last five — three for Wisconsin and two for Ohio State. Minnesota is looking for its first national championship since it won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. Cornell is the only team in the bracket without an NCAA championship.
Eight of the nation’s top 10 scorers will appear in the tournament. So will the national goalie of the year (Wisconsin’s Ava McNaughton), coach of the year (Wisconsin’s Mark Johnson) and the top three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the best player in women’s college hockey (Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards and Casey O’Brien).
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament before puck drop.
Friday, March 21
5 p.m. ET: Ohio State versus Cornell (semifinal 1)
8:30 p.m. ET: Wisconsin versus Minnesota (semifinal 2)
Sunday, March 23
4 p.m. ET: Championship game
1. Wisconsin Badgers (36-1-2)
This year’s Wisconsin roster is one of the deepest and most skilled in the program’s history with elite talent, depth and the best goalie in the nation.
“Going off of the skill, it’s probably the deepest we’ve ever been,” said assistant coach Jackie Crum.
The Badgers lost only one game in regulation this season — a one-goal game against Ohio State — and are coming off another WCHA conference title with a 4-3 win over Minnesota. They have the top offense in the country (5.41 goals per game) and the best defense (1.10 goals against per game).
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (28-7-3)
The Buckeyes have won two of the last three NCAA championships under head coach Nadine Muzerall, including a 1-0 victory against Wisconsin last season.
The team lost several veterans from its championship roster, including captain Jennifer Gardiner, starting goalie Raygan Kirk, defender Cayla Barnes and forward Hannah Bilka. Still, only the Badgers have scored more goals per game than Ohio State (3.89) this season.
The team has been well paced by sophomores Joy Dunne — a top-10 Patty Kazmaier finalist — and Jocelyn Amos. Captain Jenna Buglioni has been a steady — and clutch — veteran with seven game-winning goals.
Ohio State was upset by Minnesota in the WCHA semifinals, but at the end of the day, they’re the reigning champions, and the only team to beat Wisconsin this season.
3. Cornell Big Red (25-4-5)
Cornell returns to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2019 after beating Minnesota-Duluth 1-0 in the NCAA Regional Final. The Big Red were the top team in the ECAC this season, only losing twice within the conference.
The Big Red have a balanced attack with eight players scoring at least 20 points this season, and six players with double-digit goals. Only Wisconsin allows fewer goals against than Cornell (1.38), thanks in large part to their star goalie Annelies Bergmann.
Cornell is the only team outside of the WCHA to make the Frozen Four, which makes them relatively untested against its competition heading into the weekend. In one game against Ohio State back in October, Cornell lost 7-3. Since November, however, Cornell has a 24-2-4 record, has won the Ivy League and ECAC championships, and has gone 16 games without losing in regulation.
4. Minnesota Golden Gophers (29-11-1)
The Frozen Four will be played at Minnesota’s Ridder Arena, which should give an already skilled team a nice boost.
The Gophers play hard and have a solid offense (3.68 goals per game), paced by star forward Abbey Murphy.
But, the team also has allowed the most goals against (2.39) of any team in the Frozen Four, which could be an issue against Wisconsin in the semifinals. The two teams have faced off five times this season, with the Badgers outscoring the Gophers 27-9.
Minnesota went 1-6-1 against Ohio State and Wisconsin this season, but is coming off a really strong showing in the WCHA tournament, with a statement win against Ohio State in the semifinals. Minnesota did well to keep the final game against Wisconsin close and nearly pushed it to overtime before Sarah Wozniewicz’s game-winner with 25 seconds remaining.
Despite their record against the Badgers (0-5), head coach Brad Frost said, “it comes down to 60 minutes on Friday.”
Casey O’Brien (Wisconsin)
O’Brien leads the NCAA in points (85) and assists (60) and was named the WCHA Forward of the Year. She scored three points in the conference championship and her coach, Mark Johnson, called her “the best player in college hockey this year by far.”
O’Brien is an excellent playmaker, strong in the faceoff circle, and has only been held off the scoresheet twice all season. Just last week, she broke the program record for career points for any male or female hockey player at Wisconsin. She heads into the Frozen Four with 271 points as a Badger.
Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin)
Harvey was named the WCHA Defender of the Year for a second straight year and is putting together a historic season at Wisconsin. Her 58 points in 39 games are the most in a single season by any blueliner in school history, and her 132 career points are now a program record.
Harvey is a dynamic offensive defender with elite skating ability, which helps her on the defensive side of the puck. She leads all defenders in the nation in scoring, and is fifth overall. Harvey’s 42 assists rank third among all skaters, and her plus-75 is first.
Laila Edwards (Wisconsin)
Edwards’ 31 goals rank second-best in the NCAA. And her 66 points are third, behind only O’Brien and Simms — another (highly skilled) player to watch, but we can’t just list the entire Badgers roster here.
Edwards scored a goal and an assist in the national semifinal last season to help Wisconsin get to its second-straight national championship game. She should be a big-game player again for the Badgers, especially as a junior coming off a loss in the title last season.
Joy Dunne (Ohio State)
Dunne was the National Rookie of the Year and scored the game-winning goal in the NCAA Championship against Wisconsin last season. She leads the No. 2 Buckeyes in scoring with 58 points in 38 games, and is among the top scorers in the NCAA.
She scored two goals and four points in the regional final against St. Lawrence last weekend, and is riding an eight-game goal streak heading into the national semifinals.
Jocelyn Amos (Ohio State)
Amos is the Buckeyes’ second 50-point player and the team’s top goal scorer. Her 27 goals are fourth in the nation, and third among players in the Frozen Four, only behind Murphy and Edwards.
Amos is highly productive on the power play with 10 goals, more than any other player remaining in the tournament. And she’s one of the top players in the faceoff dot, with 486 wins and a .679 win percentage.
Abbey Murphy (Minnesota)
Nobody in the country has more goals than Murphy (33) this season, and her 65 points — a career-high for the redshirt senior — ranks fourth. Murphy is the kind of player opponents hate to play against, which should help her team in a big test against Wisconsin on Friday.
She’s also just a big-game player. Murphy scored two goals in Minnesota’s upset win against Ohio State in the conference semifinals. She had another two-goal game against Colgate in the regional final last weekend.
Ella Huber (Minnesota)
Huber is Minnesota’s No. 1 center and Murphy’s most consistent linemate. She’s having a career year for the Gophers with 48 points in 41 games. Huber’s 33 assists lead Minnesota and rank fifth in the NCAA, behind a quartet of Badgers (O’Brien, Simms, Harvey and Edwards).
Annelies Bergmann (Cornell)
Bergmann came up big in Cornell’s regional final victory, with 28 saves for her NCAA-leading 10th shutout of the year. The sophomore goalie has proven to be one of the best goalies in the nation with a .945 save percentage and a 1.28 goals-against average.
Bergmann was named the ECAC Goalie of the Year, and was one of three finalists for national Goalie of the Year. If Cornell were to upset Ohio State, it would likely be on the back of a big game from Bergmann.
Both Frozen Four semifinal matchups will be available in the U.S. on ESPN+ and in Canada on TSN+.
Sunday’s championship game will stream in the U.S. on ESPN+/ESPNU and on TSN+ in Canada.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
NHL, Sports Betting, Women's Hockey, College Sports
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Continue reading...
Ohio State, the reigning champion, will play Cornell in the first semifinal on Friday at 5 p.m. ET. Then, the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers will play the tournament hosts, Minnesota, at 8:30 p.m.
The winner of each semifinal will face off in the championship game on Sunday afternoon (4 p.m. ET) at the University of Minnesota’s Ridder Arena.
This year’s Frozen Four field has combined to win 15 national championships, including each of the last five — three for Wisconsin and two for Ohio State. Minnesota is looking for its first national championship since it won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. Cornell is the only team in the bracket without an NCAA championship.
Eight of the nation’s top 10 scorers will appear in the tournament. So will the national goalie of the year (Wisconsin’s Ava McNaughton), coach of the year (Wisconsin’s Mark Johnson) and the top three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the best player in women’s college hockey (Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards and Casey O’Brien).
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament before puck drop.
Schedule
Friday, March 21
5 p.m. ET: Ohio State versus Cornell (semifinal 1)
8:30 p.m. ET: Wisconsin versus Minnesota (semifinal 2)
Sunday, March 23
4 p.m. ET: Championship game
The field at a glance
1. Wisconsin Badgers (36-1-2)
This year’s Wisconsin roster is one of the deepest and most skilled in the program’s history with elite talent, depth and the best goalie in the nation.
“Going off of the skill, it’s probably the deepest we’ve ever been,” said assistant coach Jackie Crum.
The Badgers lost only one game in regulation this season — a one-goal game against Ohio State — and are coming off another WCHA conference title with a 4-3 win over Minnesota. They have the top offense in the country (5.41 goals per game) and the best defense (1.10 goals against per game).
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (28-7-3)
The Buckeyes have won two of the last three NCAA championships under head coach Nadine Muzerall, including a 1-0 victory against Wisconsin last season.
The team lost several veterans from its championship roster, including captain Jennifer Gardiner, starting goalie Raygan Kirk, defender Cayla Barnes and forward Hannah Bilka. Still, only the Badgers have scored more goals per game than Ohio State (3.89) this season.
The team has been well paced by sophomores Joy Dunne — a top-10 Patty Kazmaier finalist — and Jocelyn Amos. Captain Jenna Buglioni has been a steady — and clutch — veteran with seven game-winning goals.
Ohio State was upset by Minnesota in the WCHA semifinals, but at the end of the day, they’re the reigning champions, and the only team to beat Wisconsin this season.
3. Cornell Big Red (25-4-5)
Cornell returns to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2019 after beating Minnesota-Duluth 1-0 in the NCAA Regional Final. The Big Red were the top team in the ECAC this season, only losing twice within the conference.
The Big Red have a balanced attack with eight players scoring at least 20 points this season, and six players with double-digit goals. Only Wisconsin allows fewer goals against than Cornell (1.38), thanks in large part to their star goalie Annelies Bergmann.
Cornell is the only team outside of the WCHA to make the Frozen Four, which makes them relatively untested against its competition heading into the weekend. In one game against Ohio State back in October, Cornell lost 7-3. Since November, however, Cornell has a 24-2-4 record, has won the Ivy League and ECAC championships, and has gone 16 games without losing in regulation.
4. Minnesota Golden Gophers (29-11-1)
The Frozen Four will be played at Minnesota’s Ridder Arena, which should give an already skilled team a nice boost.
The Gophers play hard and have a solid offense (3.68 goals per game), paced by star forward Abbey Murphy.
But, the team also has allowed the most goals against (2.39) of any team in the Frozen Four, which could be an issue against Wisconsin in the semifinals. The two teams have faced off five times this season, with the Badgers outscoring the Gophers 27-9.
Minnesota went 1-6-1 against Ohio State and Wisconsin this season, but is coming off a really strong showing in the WCHA tournament, with a statement win against Ohio State in the semifinals. Minnesota did well to keep the final game against Wisconsin close and nearly pushed it to overtime before Sarah Wozniewicz’s game-winner with 25 seconds remaining.
Despite their record against the Badgers (0-5), head coach Brad Frost said, “it comes down to 60 minutes on Friday.”
Players to watch
Casey O’Brien (Wisconsin)
O’Brien leads the NCAA in points (85) and assists (60) and was named the WCHA Forward of the Year. She scored three points in the conference championship and her coach, Mark Johnson, called her “the best player in college hockey this year by far.”
O’Brien is an excellent playmaker, strong in the faceoff circle, and has only been held off the scoresheet twice all season. Just last week, she broke the program record for career points for any male or female hockey player at Wisconsin. She heads into the Frozen Four with 271 points as a Badger.
Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin)
Harvey was named the WCHA Defender of the Year for a second straight year and is putting together a historic season at Wisconsin. Her 58 points in 39 games are the most in a single season by any blueliner in school history, and her 132 career points are now a program record.
Harvey is a dynamic offensive defender with elite skating ability, which helps her on the defensive side of the puck. She leads all defenders in the nation in scoring, and is fifth overall. Harvey’s 42 assists rank third among all skaters, and her plus-75 is first.
Laila Edwards (Wisconsin)
Edwards’ 31 goals rank second-best in the NCAA. And her 66 points are third, behind only O’Brien and Simms — another (highly skilled) player to watch, but we can’t just list the entire Badgers roster here.
Edwards scored a goal and an assist in the national semifinal last season to help Wisconsin get to its second-straight national championship game. She should be a big-game player again for the Badgers, especially as a junior coming off a loss in the title last season.
Joy Dunne (Ohio State)
Dunne was the National Rookie of the Year and scored the game-winning goal in the NCAA Championship against Wisconsin last season. She leads the No. 2 Buckeyes in scoring with 58 points in 38 games, and is among the top scorers in the NCAA.
She scored two goals and four points in the regional final against St. Lawrence last weekend, and is riding an eight-game goal streak heading into the national semifinals.
Jocelyn Amos (Ohio State)
Amos is the Buckeyes’ second 50-point player and the team’s top goal scorer. Her 27 goals are fourth in the nation, and third among players in the Frozen Four, only behind Murphy and Edwards.
Amos is highly productive on the power play with 10 goals, more than any other player remaining in the tournament. And she’s one of the top players in the faceoff dot, with 486 wins and a .679 win percentage.
Abbey Murphy (Minnesota)
Nobody in the country has more goals than Murphy (33) this season, and her 65 points — a career-high for the redshirt senior — ranks fourth. Murphy is the kind of player opponents hate to play against, which should help her team in a big test against Wisconsin on Friday.
She’s also just a big-game player. Murphy scored two goals in Minnesota’s upset win against Ohio State in the conference semifinals. She had another two-goal game against Colgate in the regional final last weekend.
Ella Huber (Minnesota)
Huber is Minnesota’s No. 1 center and Murphy’s most consistent linemate. She’s having a career year for the Gophers with 48 points in 41 games. Huber’s 33 assists lead Minnesota and rank fifth in the NCAA, behind a quartet of Badgers (O’Brien, Simms, Harvey and Edwards).
Annelies Bergmann (Cornell)
Bergmann came up big in Cornell’s regional final victory, with 28 saves for her NCAA-leading 10th shutout of the year. The sophomore goalie has proven to be one of the best goalies in the nation with a .945 save percentage and a 1.28 goals-against average.
Bergmann was named the ECAC Goalie of the Year, and was one of three finalists for national Goalie of the Year. If Cornell were to upset Ohio State, it would likely be on the back of a big game from Bergmann.
How to watch
Both Frozen Four semifinal matchups will be available in the U.S. on ESPN+ and in Canada on TSN+.
Sunday’s championship game will stream in the U.S. on ESPN+/ESPNU and on TSN+ in Canada.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
NHL, Sports Betting, Women's Hockey, College Sports
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Continue reading...
