Wisconsin
Meet the Frozen Four: Familiar faces from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Northeastern coming to Duluth
DULUTH — No, the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs won’t be enjoying this week within the 2023 NCAA Ladies’s Frozen 4 at Amsoil Enviornment in Duluth.
Nevertheless, native followers will discover 4 acquainted groups taking the ice when play will get underway on Thursday.
The No. 1-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes will tackle the No. 5 Northeastern Huskies at 2 p.m. Friday within the first of two nationwide semifinals, adopted by a border battle between the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers and the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers at 6 p.m.
The winners sq. off at 3 p.m. Sunday for the nationwide championship.
Right here’s an early take a look at the 4 groups coming to Duluth this week.
No. 5 Northeastern (34-2-1)
How did they get right here?
The Huskies received each the Hockey East common and postseason titles to earn an automated bid to the NCAA match. Northeastern upset No. 4 Yale on the street 4-1 Saturday to achieve the Frozen 4 for a third-straight season.
The place do I do know them from?
The Huskies and Bulldogs squared off in every of the final two Frozen Fours within the nationwide semifinals. UMD suffered a controversial extra time loss to the Huskies in 2021 in Erie, Pennsylvania, earlier than beating them the next 12 months in double extra time at Penn State in 2022.
Clint Austin / Duluth Information Tribune
Who’s the participant to observe?
Fifth-year senior ahead Alina Müller is a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award this season, the second time she’s been within the high three in her profession. The opposite was in 2020. She’s been within the high 10 5 instances (2019-23). Her 27 targets and 33 assists put her fourth within the nation in factors and in targets. A local of Switzerland and three-time Olympian, Müller is teammates with former Bulldog Lara Stalder on the Swiss nationwide staff.
Fast-hit scouting report: Northeastern graduated 12 from final 12 months’s Frozen 4 staff, bringing in eight freshmen and two transfers. The Huskies’ two losses this season got here Oct. 22 at Maine and Nov. 15 at Windfall. For the reason that loss to the Friars, Northeastern has received 21 straight video games. The Huskies performed simply three groups from outdoors Hockey East in the course of the common season — Lengthy Island, Princeton and Cornell — with the LIU Sharks being the one NCAA match staff on their schedule. Northeastern hasn’t performed outdoors the Northeast since final 12 months’s Frozen 4.
No. 1 Ohio State (32-5-2)
How did they get right here?
The Buckeyes received their first WCHA common season title this season, however fell to Minnesota within the WCHA postseason championship. The Buckeyes nonetheless earned the No. 1 total seed as an at-large staff. They defeated No. 8 Quinnipiac 5-2 on Saturday to achieve their third-straight Frozen 4.
The place do I do know them from?
One in every of three WCHA rivals on this 12 months’s Frozen 4, the Bulldogs performed the Buckeyes for the nationwide championship final 12 months at Penn State, dropping 3-2.
Clint Austin / Duluth Information Tribune
Who’s the participant to observe?
Fifth-year senior defenseman Sophie Jaques is a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award for the second season in a row. She scored two targets towards Quinnipiac on Saturday to develop into the WCHA’s all-time chief in targets by a defenseman with 61. She has 156 profession factors. Jaques lead the Buckeyes in targets with 24 and is second in factors with 48 this season.
Fast-hit scouting report: The Buckeyes received their first NCAA title final season, changing into simply the fifth college to ever win an NCAA Nationwide Collegiate ladies’s ice hockey championship. OSU had the second-best scoring offense within the nation this 12 months, averaging 4.24 targets per recreation. At 32.3%, OSU’s energy play is one of the best within the nation.
No. 6 Wisconsin (27-10-2)
How did they get right here?
The Badgers completed third within the WCHA in the course of the common season and had been ousted within the league semifinals, however nonetheless earned an at-large berth. Wisconsin beat No. 11 Lengthy Island 9-1 and upset No. 3 Colgate 4-2 to advance to their eighth Frozen 4 in 9 seasons.
The place do I do know them from?
One in every of UMD’s three WCHA rivals on this week’s Frozen 4, the Badgers are in all probability OK with the hosts not making the Frozen 4 this 12 months. Wisconsin misplaced three out of 4 video games this season towards UMD, together with two in Madison.
Clint Austin / Duluth Information Tribune
Who’s the participant to observe?
A uncommon 20-year-old freshman in ladies’s school hockey, freshman defenseman Caroline Harvey was the WCHA Rookie of the Yr this season. She has 12 targets and 26 assists to steer all WCHA rookies in scoring. Harvey’s enrollment was delayed as a result of she spent the 2021-22 season with the U.S. Olympic and nationwide groups.
Fast-hit scouting report: Since making their first Frozen 4 and successful their first nationwide championship in 2006, Wisconsin has been a part of 14 of the final 17 Frozen Fours, lacking in 2010, 2013 and 2022. The Badgers have received two of the final three NCAA title video games. UW’s scoring offense is fourth within the nation at 4.11 targets per recreation and its scoring protection offers up 1.68 targets per recreation on common.
How did they get right here?
After ending second within the WCHA in the course of the common season — lacking out on sharing the league title with Ohio State by two factors — the Gophers beat OSU within the WCHA postseason championship for the league’s automated NCAA match berth. Minnesota beat No. 7 Minnesota Duluth 3-0 within the regional last to advance.
The place do I do know them from?
The Gophers shattered the Bulldogs’ desires of enjoying at house within the Frozen 4 on Saturday, a 12 months after UMD upset the Gophers at Ridder Enviornment to achieve the Frozen 4 at Penn State.
Clint Austin / Duluth Information Tribune
Who’s the participant to observe?
Fifth-year senior defenseman Lizi Norton isn’t the primary identify that involves most minds while you consider the 2022-23 Minnesota Golden Gophers, nevertheless, it’s a really acquainted identify to these in Duluth. Norton performed 4 years at UMD and was planning to return again to be a Bulldog for a fifth season. She entered the switch portal on the deadline, and wound up transferring within the offseason to Minnesota. Norton, who has two targets and 12 assists this 12 months, has probably the most Frozen 4 expertise on her staff, making her third-straight Frozen 4 look.
Fast-hit scouting report: Minnesota’s final journey to the Frozen 4 was in 2019 when it misplaced to Wisconsin within the nationwide championship. Seven Gophers nonetheless stay from that staff. All are fifth-year seniors now and, apart from Norton, are the one Gophers with Frozen 4 expertise. Minnesota’s final NCAA titles had been when it went back-to-back in 2015-16. The Gophers’ scoring offense leads the nation averaging 4.65 targets per recreation. Fifth-year senior ahead Taylor Heise and sophomore ahead Abbey Murphy lead the NCAA in targets with 29 every.