wcha women's final face-off
Where: Ridder Arena
Friday's semifinals: Wisconsin (23-9-2) vs. North Dakota (25-10-1) at 4 p.m.; Minnesota (36-0) vs. Ohio State (19-14-3) at 7 p.m.
Saturday's final: 7 p.m.
the teams
Minnesota: Even if their 44-game winning streak is stopped, the Gophers are expected to get the No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament Sunday, and likely will be host of an NCAA quarterfinal game March 16.
Ohio State: After sweeping two games at Minnesota Duluth last weekend in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, the Buckeyes likely need to win this tournament to get into the eight-team NCAA field.
Wisconsin: The Badgers have an eight-game winning streak and are ranked sixth in the latest USCHO.com poll. They own a 37-3-1 all-time edge against North Dakota.
North Dakota: Ranked eighth in the USCHO.com poll, UND is on the NCAA bubble, like Wisconsin. So Friday's semifinal could be pivotal for both teams.
JOE CHRISTENSEN
