2018-19 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE 20 WEEK TWENTY-FOUR (NCAA QUARTERFINALS) / wcha.com YEARS CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE @wcha_whockey @wcha_whockey /WCHAWomensHockey FloHockey.tv CONTACT: TODD BELL / O: 952-681-7668 / C: 972-825-6686 / [email protected] WESTERN COLLEGIATE OPENING FACEOFF HOCKEY ASSOCIATION WCHA Lands Top Two Seeds in NCAA Championship: The Western Collegiate Hockey Association landed the top two • FOUNDED 1999 • seeds in the 2019 NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship, as Wisconsin and Minnesota were seeded No. 1 and No. 2950 Metro Drive, Suite 102 2, respectively, in the eight-team field announced Sunday by the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Committee. The Badgers Bloomington, MN 55425 and Gophers will by seeking the WCHA’s 17th national title in its 20 seasons (including 16 NCAA crowns). 952-681-7947 • Wisconsin (32-4-2), which won its fourth WCHA postseason title in the last five years on Sunday, will host MEMBER TEAMS CHA postseason champion Syracuse (13-21-3) in a quarterfinal at LaBahn Arena on Saturday, March 16 at 2 p.m. CT. The Badgers are back in the national postseason for the sixth-straight campaign and 13th time Bemidji State University overall. Wisconsin has won four national titles under head coach Mark Johnson (2006, 2007, 2009 and University of Minnesota University of Minnesota Duluth 2011). Minnesota State University • Minnesota (30-5-1), the WCHA regular season champion, will also drop the puck on its quarterfinal The Ohio State University matchup on March 16, hosting ECAC foe Princeton (20-7-5) in a 4 p.m. CT contest at Ridder Arena. St. Cloud State University Minnesota has now advanced to the NCAA tournament in each season of head coach Brad Frost’s 12-year University of Wisconsin tenure (and 17 times overall). Minnesota has won seven national titles (including the 2000 AWCHA crown), while hoisting a record six NCAA championship trophies (2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016). 16 National Championships 98 All-Americans About Wisconsin: The Badgers, who have split time as the nation's No. 1 team with Minnesota for the majority of the 100+ Olympians and season, are eying their sixth-straight NCAA Frozen Four appearance, which would extend the longest active streak National Team Members in the NCAA and would match the longest streak in NCAA women’s hockey history. UW is 22-8 in NCAA tournament games and has won its last 11 NCAA quarterfi nal games. The Badgers are 5-0 in their previous NCAA quarterfi nals at LaBahn Arena, outscoring their opponents 24-2 in the process. At 32-4-5, Wisconsin leads the nation in wins, fewest 2019 NCAA QUARTERFINALS losses (four) and winning percentage (.868) among Division I programs. (tournament seed) • Senior Annie Pankowski, who was named a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-Three Finalist on Feb. SATURDAY, MARCH 16 28, leads the WCHA with 45 points this year off 23 goals and 22 assists. Pankowski became only the sixth 1 Syracuse at (1) 4 Wisconsin, 2 p.m. CT Badger in school history to score 200+ points in her career at Wisconsin after scoring the game-winning Princeton at (2) Minnesota, 4 p.m. CT goal in UW’ 3-2 victory over Ohio State on March 9. A two-time All-American, Pankowski ranks in the top-10 3 Cornell at (3) Northeastern, 1 p.m. ET in school history in points (201), goals (91), assists (110), shots on goal (721) and plus/minus (+149). 2 Boston College at (4) Clarkson, 2 p.m. ET • Goaltender Kristen Campbell leads the NCAA with 32 wins this year while her goals-against average of 1.12 2019 NCAA WOMEN'S is also the best in the WCHA. The Brandon, Manitoba, native ranks fi rst in the NCAA with eight shutouts. Campbell’s 32 wins are the second-most in a single season at Wisconsin as a win would move the junior FROZEN FOUR into a tie for fi rst-place. Campbell is the only goaltender in program history to post multiple 30-win seasons March 22-24; People's United Center her 63 career wins rank fi fth in program history. Hamden Conn. About Minnesota: The Gophers are making their 12th-straight and 17th overall appearance in the NCAA postseason. FRIDAY, MARCH 22 The 2019 WCHA regular-season champion Gophers have won four of the last seven national championships, and SEMIFINALS Minnesota has only missed the NCAA Tournament twice in its 19-year history. Overall, the Gophers are 24-11-1 in NCAA Syracuse/Wisconsin vs. Boston College/Clarkson tournament games since 2000-01. Princeton/Minnesota vs. Cornell/Northeastern • The Gophers are 10-3 all-time in NCAA quarterfinal games since the tournament expanded to eight teams SUNDAY, MARCH 24 in 2005. A year ago, Minnesota fell to Wisconsin in the NCAA quarterfinal round. This season, Minnesota CHAMPIONSHIP GAME looks to secure the program’s 14th overall appearance at the Frozen Four and the team’s first since the Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner, 1:30 p.m. CT 2016-17 season. • Minnesota has the WCHA’s top-scoring offense averaging 4.25 goals per game while allowing just 1.81 1 - College Hockey America champion goals per game. Minnesota’s 153 goals for this season is the best in the NCAA. 2 - ECAC Hockey champion • The Gophers rank second in the NCAA with a .253 power-play percentage (25-for-99). Meanwhile, the 3 - Hockey East Association champion Gophers are third in the WCHA with a penalty kill percentage of .857 (72-for-84). 4 - Western Collegiate Hockey Association champion • Kelly Pannek is Minnesota’s active career scoring leader ranked 10th among all-time Gophers with 183 points (71g-112a). She chases Gigi Marvin in ninth place (87g-108a). Pannek’s 112 career assists are tied for 20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE sixth in program history as well. She recorded her 100th career assist in Minnesota’s season opener. The Women's League of the Western Collegiate 2018-19 WCHA STANDINGS Hockey Association (WCHA) is celebrating its 20th Anniversary season in 2018-19, honoring Conference- Final Overall 20 Years of Excellence as the nation's premier Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA women's college hockey conference. 1 (2/2) Minnesota 58 24 19 4 1 0 .813 95 48 36 30 5 1 .847 153 65 2 (1/1) Wisconsin 56 24 18 4 2 0 .792 78 26 38 32 4 2 .868 144 43 Home to a record 16 national championships, seven Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award 3 (9/9) Ohio State 40 24 12 10 2 2 .542 57 58 35 20 13 2 .600 96 82 winners, numerous Olympic and national team 4 Minnesota Duluth 35 24 9 11 4 4 .458 63 69 35 15 16 4 .486 92 99 heroes, and countless young women inspired, 5 Bemidji State 32 24 10 12 2 0 .458 49 67 36 13 21 2 .389 75 103 the WCHA is proud to honor yesterday's 6 Minnesota State 16 24 3 16 5 2 .229 41 71 35 9 19 7 .357 64 91 heroes, today's teammates and tomorrow's 7 St. Cloud State 15 24 5 19 0 0 .208 38 82 37 10 25 2 .297 66 119 legends. We are Leaders and Champions. We are the WCHA. (shootout win = 1 additional point; rankings listed by USCHO.com fi rst, followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) HOME OF A RECORD 16 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 •2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2015 • 2016 #WEAREWCHA #LEADERSANDCHAMPIONS #20YEARSOFEXCELLENCE NCAA HISTORY #WEAREWCHA ALL-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AWCHA Division 1 National Championship Year Champion League Record Coach 1998 New Hampshire 1999 Harvard 2000 Minnesota WCHA 32-6-1 Laura Halldorson NCAA Division 1 Women’s National Championship (Frozen Four) Year Champion League Record Coach 2001 Minnesota Duluth WCHA 28-5-4 Shannon Miller 2002 Minnesota Duluth WCHA 24-6-4 Shannon Miller 2003 Minnesota Duluth WCHA 31-3-2 Shannon Miller 2004 Minnesota WCHA 30-4-2 Laura Halldorson 2005 Minnesota WCHA 36-2-2 Laura Halldorson Minnesota Duluth captured the WCHA's fi rst NCAA title in 2001 2006 Wisconsin WCHA 36-4-1 Mark Johnson 2007 Wisconsin WCHA 36-1-4 Mark Johnson 2003 2008 Minnesota Duluth WCHA 34-4-1 Shannon Miller 2009 Wisconsin WCHA 34-2-5 Mark Johnson NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP 2010 Minnesota Duluth WCHA 31-8-2 Shannon Miller NCAA WOMEN’S FROZEN FOUR 2011 Wisconsin WCHA 37-2-2 Mark Johnson DULUTH ENTERTAINMENT & CONVENTION CENTER, DULUTH, MINN. 2012 Minnesota WCHA 34-5-2 Brad Frost March 21: Harvard 6, Minnesota 1; Minnesota Duluth 5, Dartmouth 2. 2013 Minnesota WCHA 41-0-0 Brad Frost March 23: Third Place – Dartmouth 4 vs Minnesota 2. 2014 Clarkson ECAC Hockey 31-5-5 Matt Desrosiers Championship Game – Minnesota Duluth 4 vs Harvard 3 (2 OT). 2015 Minnesota WCHA 34-3-4 Brad Frost All-Tournament Team: G - Amy Ferguson, Dartmouth; D - Angela Ruggiero, Harvard; 2016 Minnesota WCHA 35-4-1 Brad Frost F - Jenny Schmidgall-Potter, Minnesota Duluth; F - Hanne Sikio, Minnesota Duluth; 2017 Clarkson ECAC Hockey 32-4-5 Matt Desrosiers F - Julie Chu, Harvard; F - Caroline Ouellette, Minnesota Duluth. 2018 Clarkson ECAC Hockey 36-4-1 Matt Desrosiers MOP: Caroline Ouellette, F, Minnesota Duluth. Attendance: 9,968. National Champion: Minnesota Duluth. ALL-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS 1998 2004 AWCHA CHAMPIONSHIP NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FLEET CENTER, BOSTON, MASS. NCAA WOMEN’S FROZEN FOUR New Hampshire 4 vs Brown 1.