Road To The Frozen Four: Meet The Field

Head Coach Mark Johnson and the Wisconsin Badgers return to the Frozen Four for the third consecutive season. In 2022-23, the Badgers capped off its run with seventh championship in program history with its 1-0 victory over the top-ranked defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Wisconsin returned to the title game in 2023-24, only to be avenged by the Ohio State Buckeyes 1-0.

The 36-1-2 Badgers are studded with talent throughout its roster. The top-three Patty Kazmaier Award finalists, Laila Edwards, Casey O'Brien, and Caroline Harvey, are all Wisconsin Badgers. In goal, Ava McNaughton was named a CHA Goaltender of The Year Finalist. The 36-1-2 Badgers enter the tournament as the top seed, and certainly the squad with a target on its back.

Notable Accomplishments:

• WCHA Regular Season Champions
• WCHA Tournament Champions
• Top-Ranked Scoring Offense
• Top-Ranked Penalty-Kill
• Top-Ranked Winning Percentage
• Top-Ranked Goals and Assists
• Top-Ranked Scoring Defense
• Top-Ranked Power-Play

The Ohio State Buckeyes return to the Frozen Four for the fifth consecutive season. The Buckeyes claimed two National Championships in that time span, including the program's first in 2021-22. Buckeyes Head Coach Nadine Muzzerall will return to her alma mater as the 28-7-3 Ohio State Buckeyes will look to defend their national title this week in Minneapolis.

The high-octane Buckeyes are led in scoring by Joy Dunne, who was named at Patty Kazmaier Award top-10. Jocelyn Amos and Jenna Buglioni are next in line, bolstering the scoring-ability of the defending National Champions.

Notable Accomplishments:

• Regional Champions
• Second-Ranked Scoring Offense
• Eighth-Ranked Power-Play

The Cornell Big Red earned itself a trip to the Frozen Four for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Since, the Big Red were slated to be the top-seed during the 2019-20 NCAA Tournament before the tournament was cancelled due to COVID 19.

The Big Red began the season with a 1-3-1 record through the first five games of the year. Since the slow start, Cornell has a 24-1-4 record and has laid claim to the Ivy League, ECAC Hockey Regular Season, ECAC Hockey Tournament, and Regional Championships. The Big Red are a balanced team with the ability to produce scoring from top-to-bottom.

The difference-maker has been the defense and goaltending. Annelies Bergmann has proven to be a top goalie in the country with her consistent play between the pipes. Bergmann leads the country in shutouts with 10.

Notable Accomplishments:

• Ivy League Champions
• ECAC Hockey Regular Season Champions
• ECAC Hockey Tournament Champions
• Regional Champions
• Seventh-Ranked Penalty-Kill
• Third-Ranked Winning Percentage
• Second-Ranked Scoring Defense
• Sixth-Ranked Power-Play

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are the lowest-seed at the tournament, but will have the luxury of hosting the Frozen Four at its state-of-the-arc Ridder Arena. Head Coach Brad Frost and The Gophers return to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2022-23.

Abbey Murphy, a Patty Kazmaier Award Top-10, continues to be a force for the Gophers, leading them to one of the top scoring-offenses and power-plays in the nation. 

Notable Accomplishments:

• Regional Champions
• Third-Ranked Scoring Offense
• Third-Ranked Power-Play