NCAA Women’s Frozen Four Preview: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Colgate and Clarkson battle for the national championship

Just four teams remain in the 2024 NCAA Women’s Hockey Tournament all have their sights set on college hockey immortality.

This year’s Women’s Frozen Four features a couple of the usual suspects. The Wisconsin Badgers and Ohio State Buckeyes – the two combatants in last year’s national championship game – are the two highest seeds, while ECAC staples, the Colgate Raiders and Clarkson Golden Knights, look to rain on the WCHA’s parade in Durham.

Since the NCAA began sanctioning women’s hockey in 1999, the WCHA has dominated the national tournament, winning 19 of the 22 championships. The only school outside the conference to be crowned champions is Clarkson, who has done it three times, though the Golden Knights have not won it all in six years.

(4) Clarkson Golden Knights vs. (1) Ohio State Buckeyes

So it would make sense to have Clarkson face the number one team in the country to open the Frozen Four.

It certainly was not an easy path for the Golden Knights to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2019. After losing in the ECAC Championship Game, Clarkson met a high-powered Minnesota team in the quarterfinals and ended up playing in the second-longest game in tournament history. Senior Dominique Petrie’s goal in the fourth overtime punched the Golden Knights’ ticket to New Hampshire.

Matt Desrosiers’ team has shown that they have an offensive touch with players like Nicole Gosling and Hayley Winn. The three-time national champions are looking to make it to the final game for the fourth time in program history, and the first time since 2018.

Since Nadzine Muzerall took over the reins in 2016, the Buckeyes have quickly turned into a national power, advancing to the tournament in five of the last seven seasons (the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID). It led to Ohio State winning its first national title in 2022 before losing in the championship game last year.

This year’s team is stacked with future pro talent, including fifth-year forward Hannah Bilka and freshman forward Jocelyn Amos, who combined for five points in the Buckeyes’ 9-0 victory over Minnesota-Duluth in the quarterfinals.

The Buckeyes’ depth will make the difference in this game, as it has for much of the season. Both Ohio State’s Raygan Kirk and Clarkson’s Michelle Pasiechnyk are stellar between the pipes, which is why whichever team comes up with the most pressure in this semifinal will win.

The only time these programs have met in the tournament was in 2018 when Clarkson defeated Ohio State in overtime in the semifinals.

The Golden Knights and Buckeyes will meet on Friday at 4 p.m. ET.

(3) Colgate Raiders vs. (2) Wisconsin Badgers

The reigning national champions are positioning themselves for an 11th trip to the national title game. Led by Patty Kazmaier Award finalists Kristen Simms and Casey O’Brien, along with potent scorers such as Laila Edwards and Britta Curl, Wisconsin won its first WCHA Championship in three seasons, beating Ohio State in the process.

Wisconsin had no real issues with another ECAC foe in its first game of the tournament, making easy work of St. Lawrence in a 4-0 quarterfinal victory. Edwards registered two goals and an assist for the Badgers.

Despite having won the ECAC title in each of the last four seasons, Colgate has not advanced to the Frozen Four since they made it to the 2018 National Championship Game, ultimately losing to conference rival Clarkson. With Patty Kaz nominee Danielle Serdachny leading the way, the Raiders have a veteran team ready to step up in New Hampshire.

It was a team effort that led to Colgate’s 3-1 win over rival Cornell in the quarterfinals. While Elysaa Biederman put up three points, the Raiders held the Big Red to just 20 shots on goal.

With Wisconsin’s gifted offense, the key for the Raiders will be senior netminder Kayle Osborne. I know it sounds cliche, but for Colgate to have its best chance to win, she will have to stand on her head. Osborne has not had heavy workloads this season, having only faced over 30 shots thrice.

This will be the third time the Raiders and Badgers have met in the national tournament. Wisconsin beat Colgate, 4-2, in last year’s quarters en route to the program’s seventh national championship, while the Raiders won their 2018 semifinal matchup against the Badgers in overtime.

Colgate and Wisconsin will face off in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday.

All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the United States, with the national title game also televised on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU.