MADISON, Wisc. ­ - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association and Associate Commissioner Sara R. Martin today (July 11th) released the 2003-04 women's composite schedule, highlighted by the appearance of the league's annual playoff championship ­ the WCHA Final Five ­ at University of Minnesota's impressive Ridder Arena next March.

"We are excited about the upcoming season," said Martin, "one that will already mark our fifth year of competition. And we're also confident that fans everywhere are in for an even more competitive season than we had a year ago amongst our member schools.

"Watching the development, improvement and growth of this league since our founding (in 1999-2000) has been extremely satisfying. We've (the WCHA) won four national championships in our first four years as a league and are drawing the largest crowds in women's collegiate hockey. Our goal is to continue both of those trends and see all of our member teams regularly competing for championships."

The league's showcase event ­ the WCHA Final Five ­ returns to the State of Minnesota for the fourth time next March 12-14 while marking it's first appearance at 3,400-seat Ridder Arena. The inaugural WCHA tournament, in March of 2000, was held at Bloomington (Minn.) Ice Garden, followed by the 2001 event at Recreation Center in Rochester, Minn., the 2002 Final Five at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn., and the 2003 Final Five at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

"The University of Minnesota was most generous in stepping forward to provide the dates and the venue for us and will do an excellent job in assisting the league in hosting the event," said Martin. "The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is thrilled to have the chance to showcase our championship in both a state-of-the-art arena and a highly-supportive community."

Game times for the 2004 WCHA Final Five have been set with the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams opening play on Friday, March 12 at 4:05 pm CT. On Saturday, March 13, the second and third seeds face off at 1:05 pm CT, followed by the No. 1-seed and regular-season champions facing the winner of Friday's contest. The third-place game will be on Sunday, March 14 at 1:05 pm CT, followed by the championship game at 4:05 pm CT. Ticket pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

The fifth season of Western Collegiate Hockey Association competition launches the weekend of Oct. 10-11, when defending conference and NCAA champion University of Minnesota-Duluth travels to Minnesota State, and concludes the weekend of March 5-7, when Minnesota plays at St. Cloud State, UMD hosts Minnesota State, and Bemidji State travels to Wisconsin. Arch-rivals UMD and Minnesota, who finished 1-2, respectively, in the WCHA race a year ago, will face each other four times ­ on Jan. 9-10 at Duluth and again on Feb. 28-29 in Minneapolis. The Saturday, Feb. 28 game between the host Golden Gophers and the Bulldogs will be played at 10,000-seat Mariucci Arena.

By team, 2003-04 regular season openers are as follows: Bemidji State (Oct. 10-11 vs Wayne State, nc); Minnesota (Oct. 17-18 vs Ohio State); Minnesota-Duluth (Oct. 10-11 at Minnesota State); Minnesota State (Oct. 10-11 at Minnesota-Duluth); Ohio State (Oct. 17-18 at Minnesota); St. Cloud State (Oct. 18-19 at Findlay, nc); and Wisconsin (Oct. 10-11 vs Vermont, nc). Wisconsin, incidentally, will play 14 of it's 16 home games at the 15,237-seat Kohl Center.

Among the non-conference highlights on the schedule are a Nov. 28-29 series featuring 2003 NCAA Women's Frozen Four champion Minnesota-Duluth at Frozen Four qualifier Dartmouth, a Dec. 12-13 series featuring UMD hosting Frozen Four runner-up Harvard, a Jan. 10-11 non-conference series between Wisconsin and Northeastern at Long Beach, Calif., and a Feb. 7-8 series matching Frozen Four participants Minnesota and Dartmouth at Ridder Arena. The 2004 NCAA Women's Frozen Four will be contested March 26 and 28 at Providence, R.I. Future WCHA women's league member University of North Dakota, admitted to the conference for the 2004-05 campaign, will appear on the 2003-04 non-conference schedules of Bemidji State, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State.

Formed in 1999-2000, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's women's league consists currently of Bemidji State University, University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State University, Ohio State University, St. Cloud State University and University of Wisconsin. Minnesota captured the national championship crown in the league's first season of 1999-2000 while Minnesota-Duluth has now won the past three consecutive NCAA Women's Frozen Four titles ­ in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

Among the other OEnational scale' highlights from the 2002-03 campaign were: seeing Minnesota-Duluth become the first conference school to take the regular season, playoff and NCAA titles in the same season; seeing member teams compile a cumulative 40-20-3 record against non-conference opponents; having three league teams ranked in the final USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll with Minnesota-Duluth at No. 1, Minnesota at No. 4 and Wisconsin at No. 6; having the WCHA lead the nation in attendance for the fourth consecutive season with 70,481 fans attending 116 regular season games; having five WCHA players earn Jofa/AHCA All-American honors in first teamers Ronda Curtin (D, Minnesota), Natalie Darwitz (F, Minnesota) and Jenny Potter (F, Minnesota-Duluth) and second teamers Maria Rooth (F, Minnesota-Duluth) and Krissy Wendell (F, Minnesota); having four players named among the 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award (nation's top player) in Bulldog forwards Jenny Potter and Maria Rooth and Golden Gopher forwards Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell; seeing UMD head coach Shannon Miller named as the American Hockey Coaches Association University Division Coach of the Year; and having Bulldog defenseman Caroline Ouellette named as the Most Outstanding Player at the 2004 NCAA Women's Frozen Four.

2003-04 WCHA Women's Composite Schedule

October

Friday, 3rd
Aurora (ON) Panthers @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT (exh)

Saturday, 4th
Aurora (ON) Panthers @ Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT (exh)
University of Manitoba @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT (exh)

Sunday, 5th
Aurora (ON) Panthers @ Minnesota 12:00 pm CT (exh)

Friday, 10th
Minnesota-Duluth @ Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT
Wayne State @ Bemidji State 2:05 pm CT (nc)
Vermont @ Wisconsin 7:05 pm CT (nc)
University of Toronto @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET (exh)
University of Regina @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT (exh)
Minnesota @ Oval X-Treme, Calgary, AB 7:00 pm MT (exh)

Saturday, 11th
Minnesota-Duluth @ Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT
Wayne State @ Bemidji State 2:05 pm CT (nc)
Vermont @ Wisconsin 3:05 pm CT (nc)
University of Toronto @ Ohio State 2:05 pm ET (exh)
University of Regina @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT (exh)
Minnesota @ Oval X-Treme, Calgary, AB 7:00 pm MT (exh)

Friday, 17th
Bemidji State @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ Minnesota 7:05 pm CT
North Dakota @ Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT

Saturday, 18th
Bemidji State @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ Minnesota 7:05 pm CT
St. Cloud State @ Findlay 2:00 pm ET (nc)
North Dakota @ Minnesota State 3:05 pm CT (nc)

Sunday, 19th
St. Cloud State @ Findlay 1:00 pm ET (nc)
Wisconsin @ Maine 2:00 pm ET (nc)

Monday, 20th
Wisconsin @ Maine 2:00 pm ET (nc)

Friday, 24th
Minnesota State @ Bemidji State 2:05 pm CT
Minnesota-Duluth @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET
North Dakota @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Saturday, 25th
Minnesota State @ Bemidji State 2:05 pm CT
Minnesota @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT
Minnesota-Duluth @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET
North Dakota @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Sunday, 26th
Minnesota @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT

Friday, 31st
St. Cloud State @ Minnesota 4:05 pm CT
Mercyhurst @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT (nc)

November

Saturday, 1st
St. Cloud State @ Minnesota 2:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT
St. Lawrence @ Minnesota-Duluth 2:05 pm CT (nc)
Mercyhurst @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT (nc)

Sunday, 2nd
Ohio State @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT
St. Lawrence @ Minnesota-Duluth 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Friday, 7th
Wisconsin @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT

Saturday, 8th
Wisconsin @ Bemidji State 2:05 pm CT
Minnesota State @ North Dakota 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Sunday, 9th
Minnesota State @ North Dakota 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Friday, 14th
Ohio State @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT
Wisconsin at Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT
North Dakota @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT (nc)

Saturday, 15th
Wisconsin @ Minnesota State 3:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT
Minnesota @ Brown 2:05 pm ET (nc)
North Dakota @ Minnesota-Duluth 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Sunday, 16th
Minnesota @ Brown 12:00 pm ET (nc)

Friday, 21st
Bemidji State @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET
St. Cloud State @ Wisconsin 7:05 pm CT^

Saturday, 22nd
Bemidji State @ Ohio State 4:05 pm ET
Minnesota @ Minnesota State 3:05 pm CT
St. Cloud State @ Wisconsin 7:05 pm CT^

Sunday, 23rd
Minnesota @ Minnesota State 3:05 pm CT

Tuesday, 25th
Bemidji State @ Findlay 7:00 pm ET (nc)

Wednesday, 26th
Bemidji State @ Findlay 4:00 pm ET (nc)

Friday, 28th
Mercyhurst @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT (nc)
Minnesota-Duluth @ Dartmouth 7:05 pm ET (nc)

Saturday, 29th
Niagara @ Ohio State 2:05 pm ET (nc)
North Dakota @ Minnesota 2:05 pm CT (nc)
Mercyhurst @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT (nc)
Minnesota-Duluth @ Dartmouth 7:05 pm ET (nc)

Sunday, 30th
Niagara @ Ohio State, 2:05 pm ET (nc)
North Dakota @ Minnesota, 2:05 pm CT (nc)

December

Friday, 5th
Bemidji State @ Minnesota 7:05 pm CT
Minnesota State @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT
Wisconsin @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT

Saturday, 6th
Minnesota State @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT
Bemidji State @ Minnesota 4:05 pm CT
Wisconsin @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT

Friday, 12th
St. Cloud State @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ Northeastern 7:00 pm ET (nc)
Harvard @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT (nc)

Saturday, 13th
St. Cloud State @ Bemidji State 2:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ Northeastern 3:00 pm ET (nc)
Harvard @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT (nc)

January

Saturday, 3rd
St. Cloud State @ Ohio State 2:05 pm ET
Providence @ Minnesota State 2:05 pm CT
Grant MacEwen vs Minnesota-Duluth 2:05 pm (exh)

Sunday, 4th
St. Cloud State @ Ohio State 2:05 pm ET
Providence @ Minnesota State 2:05 pm CT (nc)
Grant MacEwen vs Minnesota-Duluth 2:05 pm (exh)

Friday, 9th
Minnesota @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT
Bemidji State @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT
Minnesota State @ Connecticut 7:00 pm ET (nc)

Saturday, 10th
Bemidji State @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT
Minnesota @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT
Minnesota State @ Connecticut 3:00 pm ET (nc)
Wisconsin vs Northeastern @ 2:00 pm PT (nc) Long Beach, CA

Sunday, 11th
Wisconsin vs Northeastern @ 2:00 pm PT (nc) Long Beach, CA

Tuesday, 13th
Quinnipiac @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET (nc)

Friday, 16th
Minnesota State @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET
North Dakota @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT (nc)
Mercyhurst @ Minnesota 7:05 pm CT (nc)

Saturday, 17th
Minnesota State @ Ohio State 4:05 pm ET
Minnesota-Duluth @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT
Bemidji State @ North Dakota 2:05 pm CT (nc)
Mercyhurst @ Minnesota 7:05 pm CT (nc)

Sunday, 18th
Minnesota-Duluth @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT
Minnesota State @ Findlay 4:05 pm ET (nc)

Friday, 23rd
Ohio State @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT

Saturday, 24th
Minnesota State @ Minnesota 1:05 pm CT
St. Cloud State @ Minnesota-Duluth 2:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ Bemidji State 4:05 pm CT

Sunday, 25th
Minnesota State @ Minnesota 1:05 pm CT
St. Cloud State @ Minnesota-Duluth 2:05 pm CT

Friday, 30th
Wisconsin @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT

Saturday, 31st
Minnesota @ Bemidji State 2:05 pm CT
Wisconsin @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ Mercyhurst 2:00 pm ET (nc)

February

Sunday, 1st
Minnesota @ Bemidji State 2:05 pm CT

Friday, 6th
Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT
North Dakota @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT (nc)

Saturday, 7th
Minnesota State @ Wisconsin 2:35 pm CT
Ohio State @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT
Dartmouth @ Minnesota 1:05 pm CT (nc)
Bemidji State @ North Dakota 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Sunday, 8th
Minnesota State @ Wisconsin 2:35 pm CT
Dartmouth @ Minnesota 1:05 pm CT (nc)

Friday, 13th
Minnesota-Duluth @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT
Ohio State @ Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT
Wisconsin @ Minnesota 7:05 pm CT

Saturday, 14th
Ohio State @ Minnesota State 4:05 pm CT
Minnesota-Duluth @ Bemidji State 7:05 pm CT
Wisconsin @ Minnesota 7:05 pm CT
St. Cloud State @ North Dakota 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Sunday, 15th
St. Cloud State @ North Dakota 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Friday, 20th
Minnesota @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET
Bemidji State @ Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT
Minnesota-Duluth @ St. Cloud State 7:05 pm CT
Niagara @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Saturday, 21st
Minnesota @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET
Minnesota-Duluth @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT
Bemidji State @ Minnesota State 3:05 pm CT
Niagara @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT (nc)

Friday, 27th
Wisconsin @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET
St. Cloud State @ Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT

Saturday, 28th
Minnesota-Duluth @ Minnesota % 2:05 pm CT
Wisconsin @ Ohio State 7:05 pm ET
St. Cloud State @ Minnesota State 7:05 pm CT

Sunday, 29th
Minnesota-Duluth @ Minnesota 2:05 pm CT

March

Thursday, 4th
Ohio State @ Findlay 7:00 pm ET (nc)

Friday, 5th
Minnesota @ St. Cloud State 4:05 pm CT
Minnesota State @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT

Saturday, 6th
Bemidji State @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT
Minnesota @ St. Cloud State 2:05 pm CT
Minnesota State @ Minnesota-Duluth 7:05 pm CT
Findlay @ Ohio State 2:05 pm ET (nc)

Sunday, 7th
Bemidji State @ Wisconsin 2:05 pm CT

End of Regular Season

2004 WCHA Final Five
@ Ridder Arena, Minneapolis, MN

Friday, 12th
Team #5 vs Team #4 4:05 pm CT

Saturday, 13th
Team #3 vs Team #2 1:05 pm CT
Thursday's Winner vs Team #1 4:05 pm CT

Sunday, 14th
Third Place Game 1:05 pm CT
Championship Game 4:05 pm CT

2004 NCAA Women's Frozen Four
@ Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI

Friday, 26th
TBA ET

Sunday, 28th
TBA ET

Key
(exh) exhibition
(nc) non-conference
^ @ Eagle's Nest, Verona, WI
% @ Mariucci Arena, Minneapolis, MN