FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TICKETS TO THE INAUGURAL ‘ CUP’ ON-SALE NOW WCHA Women’s League schools Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State to meet Jan. 5-6, 2019 at in

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Aug. 30, 2018 – As part of its 20th Anniversary season in 2018-19, the WCHA Women’s League is proud to introduce the inaugural “Minnesota Cup” tournament, to be played at the ’s Ridder Arena on Jan. 5-6. Tickets for the two-day, four-team event, which in 2019 features Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, St. Cloud State and the host Gophers, are on sale now directly through the Gopher Sales & Service Department, in-person at (during regular office hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday-Friday), via phone at 612-624-8080 or online here (certain fees may apply).

The 2019 Minnesota Cup opens with a pair of semifinal games Sat., Jan. 5, beginning at 1:07 p.m. CT when Minnesota State faces St. Cloud State. The Saturday nightcap, Minnesota against Minnesota Duluth, is set for 4:07 p.m. CT. Regardless of Saturday’s outcomes, the Gophers will play the 4:07 p.m. CT game on Sunday, Jan. 6: If Minnesota wins Saturday’s game, they will face the Mavericks-Huskies winner for the tournament championship; if they lose, they will play in the consolation game (with UMD’s 1:07 p.m. CT contest serving as the title game).

Event: 2019 Minnesota Cup

Date: Saturday, Jan. 5 • Game 1 at 1:07 p.m. CT: Minnesota State (MSU) vs. St. Cloud State (SCSU) • Game 2 at 4:07 p.m. CT: Minnesota (UMN) vs. Minnesota Duluth (UMD)

Sunday, Jan. 6 • Game 1 at 1:07 p.m. CT: UMD vs. MSU/SCSU (consolation or championship) • Game 2 at 4:07 p.m. CT: UMN vs. MSU/SCSU (consolation or championship)

Ticket Prices: All-Session (Ticket for Sat. AND Sun.) Single-Session (Ticket for Sat. OR Sun.) $25 – Reserved Chairback $15 – Reserved Chairback $20 – General Admission (Adult) $12 – General Admission (Adult) $15 – General Admission (Youth/Senior) $8 – General Admission (Youth/Senior/Group)

Details: Ticket packages for the 2019 Minnesota Cup are available for purchase directly through the Gopher Sales & Service Department; in-person at 3M Arena at Mariucci (during regular office hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday-Friday) or during all Gopher Women’s Hockey games, via phone at 612-624-8080 (Option 2) or online here. Certain fees may apply.

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“The inaugural Minnesota Cup launches what we believe will quickly become a fun and exciting, in- season tournament tradition for the WCHA and -based member institutions,” said WCHA Vice President and Women’s League Commissioner Katie Million. “What better way to return from the holiday break and get the second half rolling than with the opportunity to win a trophy, especially among your in-state peers? We thank the University of Minnesota for hosting the 2019 event and look forward to being at Ridder Arena in January!”

"We're looking forward to hosting the inaugural Minnesota Cup at Ridder Arena in January," University of Minnesota head coach said. "The tournament format allows us to play for a trophy to start off the second half of the season, and it's a great opportunity to celebrate the WCHA's in-state rivalries in the state of Minnesota."

As currently scheduled, future Minnesota Cup hosts include: Minnesota Duluth (2020), Minnesota State (2021), St. Cloud State (2022) and Bemidji State (2023), with the WCHA’s five Minnesota-based member schools rotating in participation each season.

About Ridder Arena The first-ever facility built specifically for women’s hockey in the country, Ridder Arena is home to the seven-time national champion University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Women’s Hockey Program. Since its opening in 2002, Ridder Arena has been a regular host of WCHA Championships (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018), NCAA Regionals and Frozen Fours (2010, 2013, 2015 and 2018).

About the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) The Women’s League of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association is celebrating 20 Years of Excellence during 2018-19 anniversary season. The nation’s premier women’s hockey conference, WCHA member institutions have won a record 16 national championships since the league’s inception in 1999 (including 15 of a possible 18 NCAA titles), while producing seven Patty Kazmaier Award winners, 98 All-Americans and numerous Olympic and national team members. The seven-team, NCAA Division 1 conference consists of: (Beavers), the University of Minnesota (Golden Gophers), the University of Minnesota Duluth (Bulldogs), Minnesota State University (Mavericks), (Buckeyes), St. Cloud State University (Huskies) and the University of Wisconsin (Badgers). For more information, visit www.wcha.com.

MEDIA CONTACT MORE INFORMATION Matt Hodson Website: wcha.com Assoc. Commissioner, Marketing & Communications Twitter: @wcha_whockey E: [email protected] Instagram: @wcha_whockey O: 952.681.7668 Facebook: facebook.com/wchawomenshockey M: 612.801.2808 Watch the WCHA on FloHockey.tv

– WCHA –

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