Gophers and Huskies Set to Clash in NCAA Women’s Hockey Tournament

Minneapolis, MN – The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s hockey team will host Northeastern University in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 14th, at Ridder Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. CT.

Tournament Matchup

Minnesota, earning an at-large bid, is making its 23rd appearance in the NCAA postseason. They will face Northeastern, who also secured a bid to the tournament. This marks the Gophers’ attempt to reach the Frozen Four for the 16th time, having last appeared in 2023. Source

Conference Performance

Both teams experienced defeat in their respective conference championship games. Minnesota lost to Ohio State 4-0 in the WCHA Final Faceoff on March 5th, while Northeastern fell to UConn 2-1 in overtime in the Hockey East championship game on March 7th. Source

Key Players

Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy, a recent Olympic gold medalist, led the Gophers in scoring with 38 goals this season. Northeastern’s leading scorer is senior forward and captain Lily Shannon. Defensively, Northeastern’s Jules Constantinople recorded 82 blocks, surpassing Minnesota’s Molly Jordan who had 61. Source

Tournament Bracket

The NCAA tournament bracket features 11 teams. Other first-round matchups include:

• No. 1 Ohio State hosts Yale/Minnesota Duluth
• No. 2 Wisconsin hosts Quinnipiac/Franklin Pierce
• No. 3 Penn State hosts UConn/Princeton

Quarterfinal winners will advance to the 2026 Women’s Frozen Four, scheduled for March 20th and 22nd at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania. Source, Source

Gophers Season Overview

Minnesota concluded the season with a 26-11-1 overall record and a third-place finish in the WCHA. Source