Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Trio of WCHA Teams Make NCAA Tournament
March 10, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MADISON, Wis. - Minnesota Duluth, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's regular season and playoff champion, was awarded the second seed and will host Mercyhurst in the quarterfinals of the women's National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament on Saturday, March 15.
The Bulldogs are one of three WCHA teams to reach the eight-team NCAA field. League runner-up Minnesota and two-time defending national champion Wisconsin also were selected by the NCAA Ice hockey committee Sunday night. The Golden Gophers (27-6-4) will host the Badgers (27-8-3) Saturday, March 15, at 7:00 pm CT at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis while Minnesota Duluth (31-4-1) will play Mercyhurst at 2:00 pm CT at the DECC. The winners of those games advance to NCAA Frozen Four, to be held at the DECC in Duluth March 20-22.
In head-to-head competition this season, Wisconsin holds an edge at 3-1-1, and has not lost at Ridder Arena this year. The Badgers won the first meeting of the season, a 3-0 decision in Madison on Nov. 2. The Gophers responded with a 3-2 victory on Nov. 3 in the second game of that series. Wisconsin took the third meeting, winning 5-1 at Ridder Arena on Feb. 23. The Gophers managed a 2-2 tie in the final game of the regular season. In the most recent meeting, Wisconsin edged Minnesota in the 2008 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF in Duluth last Saturday, winning a 4-3 decision to advance to the title game.
The Badgers fell, 5-4, in overtime to UMD in the championship game of the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF at the DECC on Sunday. That earned UMD its fourth playoff championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The last time the Bulldogs won both WCHA titles was five years ago, when they finished the season with the 2003 national title. In another similarity to the 2002-03 season, Sunday's victory was the team's 31st - tying the program record.
UMD and Mercyhurst have a three-game history. In last year's NCAA quarterfinals, the Bulldogs beat the Lakers of Erie, Pa., 3-2 in overtime. This season, the Lakers gave the Bulldogs their only tie Oct. 20, before a 3-1 UMD victory Oct. 21.
In the rest of the NCAA bracket, Harvard (31-1-0) got the top seed and will host Dartmouth (18-8-6), while No. 3 New Hampshire (32-3-0) hosts St. Lawrence (28-9-1). The winners of the single-elimination first round match-ups will advance to the NCAA Frozen Four, hosted by Minnesota Duluth on March 20 and 22 at the DECC.
This Week's NCAA Tournament Games
Games for Saturday, March 15: Mercyhurst at Minnesota Duluth, 2:00 pm CT (nc); Wisconsin at Minnesota, 7:00 pm CT; St. Lawrence at New Hampshire, 1:00 pm ET; Dartmouth at Harvard, 2:00 pm ET.
Last Week in the WCHA • 2008 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF • DECC, Duluth, MN
Results of Saturday, March 8: St. Cloud State 0 at Minnesota Duluth 9; Wisconsin 4 vs Minnesota 3.
Results of Sunday, March 9: Wisconsin 4 at Minnesota Duluth 5 ot (championship game).
|
|
 |