Women’s hockey: Gophers grab fourth overall seed for tourney

The Gophers women’s hockey team received the fourth overall seed in the 2026 NCAA tournament. No. 4 Minnesota will face No. 5 Northeastern after the NCAA unveiled the 11-team bracket for the 2026 National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Championship on Sunday.

Minnesota will host Northeastern at Ridder Arena at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Receiving an at-large bid, Minnesota is making its 23rd overall appearance in the NCAA postseason. The Gophers will look to return to the Frozen Four for the 16th time, with their last appearance in the event in 2023.

Quinnipiac (ECAC), Penn State (AHA), Franklin Pierce (NEWHA), UConn (Hockey East), and Ohio State (WCHA) earned the five automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournaments while Minnesota Duluth, Northeastern, Minnesota, Princeton, Wisconsin, Yale and Saint Anslem earned at-large bids.

Quarterfinal competition will take place on the campuses of the four host institutions with the winners advancing to the Frozen Four on March 20 and March 22 at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Penn.