Minnesota Scene: Xcel, Ridder get three Frozen Fours between them

The Xcel Energy Center and Ridder Arena were awarded three Frozen Fours, the NCAA announced on Wednesday afternoon.

The 2018 men's college hockey semifinals and national championship will be held on April 5-7 in St. Paul. Ridder Arena, the on-campus home of the Gophers women's hockey team, will host the 2015 and 2018 women's Frozen Fours, both in mid-March.

"We are extremely excited to be selected to host the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four," Minnesota coach Don Lucia said in a news release. "The Xcel Energy Center, the city of St. Paul and the University of Minnesota have a great history of hosting first-class events and we look forward to continuing that tradition over the next few years."

Xcel Energy Center also will host the West Regional for a fourth time in 2016. This year's West Regional is also there.

Boston's TD Garden was awarded the Frozen Four in 2015, the Tampa Bay Times Forum will host it in 2016, and Chicago's United Center in 2017.

JASON GONZALEZ

• The University of Minnesota also will host one of six women's gymnastics regional meets in 2016 and 2018.

The U.S. women's national team, which includes five players with Minnesota ties, will hold a five-day training camp at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine starting Friday. It will include a scrimmage at 11 a.m. Sunday and an autograph session at 2:15 p.m. that day. There will also be on-ice practices at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Monday, and 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. All those events are open to the public.

• Four games between the U.S. women's national team and Canada this month will be televised. The two games on Dec. 20 in Grand Forks, N.D., and Dec. 28 at the Xcel Energy Center will be aired on NBC Sports Network, and the games on Thursday in Calgary, Alberta, and on Dec. 30 in Toronto will be on Universal Sports Network.

• Four seniors from the Midwest were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Division II All-America first team: Kayla Koenecke and Amanda Konetchy of Concordia (St. Paul), Kate Lange of Minnesota Duluth and Holly Hafemeyer of Augustana.

• Three Gophers women's hockey players earned WCHA weekly honors. Rachael Bona was named co-offensive player of the week, Milica McMillen defensive player of the week and Dani Cameranesi the top rookie.