What is the Frozen Four?
The Frozen Four is part of the run-up to the NCAA ice hockey championship, referring to the top four seeds that move on to play for the national title.
The NCAA field is made up of five postseason tournament champions from: Atlantic Hockey America, ECAC Hockey, Hockey East, NEWHA and WCHA, plus six teams based on rankings.
This Year’s Women’s “Four”
- Wisconsin: No. 1 ranked Wisconsin has won seven national titles, more than any other school. This year, the Badgers came into the postseason only having lost one game in regulation to Ohio State – last year’s title winner where the Badgers came in as runners-up.
- Ohio State: Coming in at No. 2, Ohio State is making its fifth straight Frozen Four appearance and has won two of the last three national titles. Last year’s reigning champs bring star power in top scorers like sophomore Jocelyn Amos, ranking fourth best in the NCAA.
- Cornell: No. 3 Cornell is making its 10th NCAA appearance and first Frozen Four appearance since 2019. A stacked roster has proved to be the difference-maker for The Big Red, with sophomore goaltender Annelies Bergmann leading the nation with 10 shutouts.
- Minnesota: Ranking just behind Wisconsin for most national titles, No. 4 Minnesota has won six, with their most recent win in 2016. The Gophers are equipped with some of the nation’s top scorers like Senior Abby Murphy who led the nation last season.
History Repeats Itself
The women’s NCAA ice hockey championship run began in 2001, and has been appearing on ESPN platforms since 2021. Over the years, a few teams have made multiple title-winning runs:
- Wisconsin = 7
- Minnesota Duluth = 6
- Minnesota = 5
Last year’s winner, Ohio State, is aiming for their second straight Championship title while Wisconsin makes their third consecutive title game appearance.
Commentators Calling From Experience
Former athletes turned sports media, AJ Mleczko and Blake Bolden, make up part of commentator team for the Frozen Four semifinal and Championship Game.
Mleczko, a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, played collegiate hockey at Harvard University, helping lead the Crimson to the 1999 Division 1 Women’s National Championship. Mleczko won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award that year for being the top female college hockey ice player in the United States.
Bolden played collegiate hockey at Boston College and made three Frozen Four appearances and earning Hockey East Defensive Player of the Year.
Studio crew includes two former ice hockey players in Angela Ruggerio and Paige Capistran. Ruggerio played alongside Mleczko at Harvard University and Capistran played for Northeastern University.
Friday, March 21 | Frozen Four
5p ET | Cornell-Ohio State | ESPN+
8:30p ET | Minnesota-Wisconsin | ESPN+
Sunday, March 23 | Championship Game
4p ET | ESPNU, ESPN+
Commentators | Jason Ross Jr., AJ Mleczko, Blake Bolden
Studio | Arda Öcal, Angela Ruggerio, Paige Capistran
