women's wcha final faceoff
Saturday: Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Duluth, 2 p.m.; Gophers vs. Ohio State, 5 p.m. Sunday: Championship game, 2 p.m. (TV: FSN)
Loaded field at Ridder
Gophers update: The Gophers (27-5-3) have won six games in a row — their final four regular-season games and a first-round sweep of St. Cloud State (4-2 and 7-3). They are 16-2-1 at Ridder Arena this season. Sarah Potomak leads them with 45 points (19 goals, 26 assists).
Ohio State update: The Buckeyes (22-8-6) swept MSU Mankato (4-2 and 1-0) to reach the semifinals. Junior F Emma Maltais leads the Buckeyes with 58 points (19 goals, 39 assists).
Wisconsin update: The defending national champion Badgers (27-4-3) earned the No. 1 seed by winning the WCHA regular-season title with 56 points and had a first-round playoff bye. Senior F Abby Roque (25 goals, 32 assists) was named the WCHA Player of the Year.
Minnesota Duluth update: The Bulldogs (18-11-6) outlasted Bemidji State in a marathon three-game series. After UMD won in overtime Friday, the teams played four OTs Saturday, the second-longest game in NCAA history. Olympic goalie Maddie Rooney, a senior from Andover, has a 2.11 GAA and .928 save percentage.
Up next: The tournament champion earns an automatic berth in the eight-team women's NCAA tournament, which begins next weekend at campus sites. The selection show will be streamed live on ncaa.com at 8 p.m. Sunday.
joel rippel
