UMD women’s hockey returning to Ridder Arena for NCAA tournament

For the first time since the 2010 and 2011 seasons the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) women’s hockey team is going to make back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.

Coming off a finish in the Frozen Four semifinals last season, the majority of the Bulldogs’ roster is now familiar with the national stage. This season they’re even more familiar with the setting of their first round game that will be held at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.

"Every rink is a little bit different. Knowing the locker rooms, there’s just a lot of knowns which is great. We feel really good about the location that we’re playing in," UMD head coach Maura Crowell said.

The Bulldogs have skated at Ridder Arena three times this season, including just last Saturday in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Final Face-off.

They open round one of the NCAA tournament against Harvard University Thursday at 6pm. UMD earned the series sweep visiting the Crimson earlier this season.