National Quarterfinal Showdowns, Historic Programs and Newcomers: This Week In Women’s Hockey
After three regional semifinals on Thursday evening, the field has been whittled down to eight as the nation’s top programs look to punch their tickets to the Frozen Four. Both national champion participants from a year ago, Wisconsin and Ohio State, are heavy favorites to get back to the biggest stage representing the WCHA but teams from both the Hockey East and AHA look poised to crash the party.
No. 5 Northeastern Looks to Bounce Back in Minnesota
The right to host a national quarterfinal came down to the Hockey East championship before Kyla Josifovic ended Northeastern’s hosting hopes with a goal late into the second overtime period. It was the first time Northeastern walked away from a game completely empty handed since the first week of the new year, reminding an experienced Huskies team of the all-or-nothing nature of the postseason. Despite the championship loss, Northeastern enter the national tournament, winning 12 of their last 15 games and the best record outside of the top three national seeds.
A mix of youth and experience has ignited the Husky offense, with senior Lily Shannon and freshman Stryker Zablocki sharing the team lead with 43 points apiece. Zablocki took home a haul of awards at the conference level after capturing the scoring title after posting 17 goals and 17 assists in 24 Hockey East games. The first year from Saskatchewan was named the Hockey East Co-Rookie of the Year and the recipient of the Cammi Granato Award, given to Hockey East’s most valuable player.
34 POINTS IN 24 GAMES 🫣@GoNUwhockey's Stryker Zablocki is this year's @Servicecu Scoring Champion pic.twitter.com/LRxLElBfhE
— Hockey East (@hockey_east) February 25, 2026
On the opposite side of the matchup, Minnesota limp into the national tournament after failing to regain their footing after their Olympians returned from Milan. The Golden Gophers collapse was highlighted by a six-game winless skid that spanned the final five regular seasons and an upset loss to St. Cloud State to open the WCHA First Round. Minnesota did rebound to take the final two games of the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Ohio State, doing just enough to secure a national top four seed.
If the Golden Gophers want to head to their third Frozen Four in the past four seasons and potentially capture their first national championship in a decade, Abbey Murphy needs to keep up her record-breaking season. The two-time Olympian set the Minnesota program mark with her 141st career goal during the WCHA Opening Round. Murphy leads all scorers nationally with over a goal per game and two points per game and was recently named a Patty Kazmaier Top-Three Finalist.
Road to Frozen Four Could Start and End at Home for No. 3 Penn State
It’s been 13 years since a team took advantage of a home Frozen Four and captured a national championship on home ice. Penn State is hoping that they can find their breakthrough at Pegula Ice Arena as the Nittany Lions look to send the program’s most successful class out with their first Frozen Four appearance and earn the right to play in front of a raucous crowd next weekend in Happy Valley.
Each season this year’s senior class has skated at Penn State has ended with an AHA championship and national tournament disappointment, falling in the regional final three straight years. This season feels different in Pennsylvania as the program’s all-time leading scorer Tessa Janecke is having a season to remember. In addition to capturing a gold medal with Team USA, she has posted 23 goals, 22 assists, and 45 points in just 29 games and ranks in the top-three of Patty Kazmaier voting.
“UCONN WINS THE HOCKEY EAST CHAMPIONSHIP!” 🗣️#NCAAHockey x 🎥 ESPNews / @UConnWHOC
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 8, 2026
pic.twitter.com/l62avzV49P
Janecke and the rest of the Penn State attack will face one of the toughest tests they’ve faced all year with Hockey East goaltender of the year Tia Chan lining up in the opposite crease. Chan has allowed just one goal in each of UConn’s four postseason games so far, including backstopping the Huskies to a Hockey East Tournament Championship with 57 saves in the double overtime victory. Similarly to Penn State, UConn are looking for their first trip to the Frozen Four with a record-breaking senior class that have taken the Huskies to their first two national tournament appearances and first national tournament victory.
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Chris Vogel has spent the last five years in sports media; including as a play-by-play broadcaster for ACC Network Extra and Hockey East on ESPN. He’s a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and in his final year as a graduate student at Boston College, where he serves as the radio voice of Boston College Women’s Hockey on WZBC 90.3; the flagship radio network of Boston College Women’s Athletics. He’s the host of the “All Things Hockey” podcast, and cover women’s college hockey for College Hockey On SI.
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