Now that the NCAA regional semifinal games have been played, we look towards the regional finals, where eight teams will fight for a spot to compete in the Frozen Four. Some schools in the tournament are used to being there, but for other schools, the post-season is less familiar. These teams got to this position by having fantastic regular seasons with players who stepped up. Now, the best of the best will give all they have for a chance of glory. What can we expect on Saturday?
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Northeastern
March 14, 3 P.M. EST
Minnesota Gophers
Minnesota enters the NCAA tournament with an overall record of 26-22-1. Bolstered by WCHA Forward of The Year Abbey Murphy — who has a whopping 64 points in 30 games — and other players with the likes of Ava Lindsey, Sydney Morrow and Josefin Bouveng, the Gophers are no stranger to winning.
However, they enter the NCAA tournament on a bit of a slide, losing six of their last ten games, including a shutout by Ohio State in the WCHA Final Faceoff earlier this month. Out of all the teams in the tournament, the Gophers have the lowest scoring defense, letting in an average of just over two goals a game. They’re going to have to rely heavily on their top line of Murphy, Lindsey and Bella Fanale, as well as strong performances from netminder Hannah Clark, who was a semifinalist for HCA Goalie of The Year.
It’s been 10 years since they won the national championship. And only once in those ten years have they been to the final game, which is a bit of a shock considering some of the alumni that have come out of Minnesota, including Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle, to name a few. They’re always in the mix, but haven’t quite won the golden ticket yet.
Northeastern Huskies
For the eighth time in program history, the Huskies are headed to the NCAA tournament. With a record of 28-8-1, they had the best record in Hockey East this year. Though they didn’t capture the conference championship trophy after losing to UConn in double overtime, Northeastern has firepower on all ends of the ice.
Up front, senior captain Lily Shannon and dazzling freshman Stryker Zablocki lead the team in points with 43 points each. But look past those two and Morgan Jackson, Allie Lalonde, Éloïse Caron and Jules Constantinople all have over 20 points. In between the pipes, Lisa Jönsson has posted a .941 save percentage in 27 games played. Out of all the goalies in the tournament, she has the third-best save percentage.
Northeastern is a team that constantly applies pressure, never quite letting off on the gas pedal. With the second best penalty kill in the nation and the offensive firepower spread out between the top two lines, as well as Constantinople anchoring the first defensive pairing, Northeastern is good at a bit of everything. While their wins over their opponents have usually been close—such as their 2-1 win in double overtime over Boston University in the Hockey East quarterfinals and their 3-2 win over UConn last month—they are often able to sustain their effective game for a full 60 minutes.
No. 1 Ohio State vs. Yale
March 14, 6 P.M. EST
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes are seemingly unstoppable. They’ve rightfully earned their #1 ranking with a record of 34-4-0. They may not necessarily have the big names that other schools in the WCHA can boast, but they have five players—Hilda Svensson, Joy Dunne, Jocelyn Amos, Sloane Matthews, and Emma Peschel—who average more than a point per game.
It’s hard to find flaws with this team, and not just because they’re ranked number one. The Buckeyes have the fifth-best powerplay in the nation. Svensson is third in the nation for assists per game with 32 assists in 30 games. Amos is in the top five in the country for faceoff wins. Five of the players on this year’s roster were on the 2024 championship-winning team, bringing valuable experience along with them.
Interestingly, three of their four losses this season have all been against Wisconsin, with one loss against Minnesota. Offense is Ohio State’s best friend—they’ve scored a total of 168 goals so far this season. They’re gunning for their sixth straight Frozen Four appearance and two championships in these six years, and it’s hard to count the Buckeyes out.
Yale Bulldogs
Yale hasn’t been in the NCAA tournament since 2023, and before that, 2022 was the first time in program history they advanced to the tournament. But this year, with a 26-9-0 record, the Bulldogs are seventh in the nation for goals scored, and senior Jordan Ray is fourth in the nation for average assists per game. Yale’s power play has also been on fire, being fourth in the nation.
Yale is the obvious underdog here, but they have the tools for success to make a run. They’re playing with a goalie tandem, with Samson Frey and Anna Phillips splitting duties between the pipes. Frey has the third-lowest goals-against average in the country and is red-hot right now. She just had a career high of 37 saves in the shutout win against Minnesota Duluth on Mar. 12. The Bulldogs are also one of the least penalized teams in the country, averaging just over six penalty minutes a game.
The furthest Yale has ever advanced is to the semifinals, and this is the first time in program history they’ve received an at-large bid to the tournament. It’s a tough road to get to the final prize, but they could easily strike hot and go on a Cinderella run.
