League Prepares For Third Season
Fiona McLeod and St. Cloud State skate against Regina on Oct. 5 |
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Aug. 7, 2001
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MADISON, Wis. -- The home of the national championship during its first two years of existence, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's league promises more excitement on the ice when Minnesota State begins the third regular season on Oct. 6 and Ohio State and Bemidji State open league contests on Oct. 12.
For the year, 145 contests will take place involving league teams in regular-season action culminating in the WCHA Championship, March 7-9 at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn. The ultimate prize, the NCAA Championship, will be fought for March 22-24 at Whittmore Center in Durham, N.H.
The wait will be short for the battle between the last two national champions. National champion in 2000, Minnesota meets defending NCAA Champion Minnesota-Duluth for a two-game series, Oct. 20-21 in Duluth, Minn. The Bulldogs will also compete in a rematch of the 2001 national title game when it travels to St. Lawrence for a pair on Dec. 8-9.
Other highlights on the slate include two games against the U.S. National Team by Minnesota and a possible Team USA game with Wisconsin. The league will also do its part for the growth of the women's collegiate game when its members face two new programs in Quinnipiac and Connecticut.
Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn., will play host to the third WCHA Championship. A change in format is on the way as five teams qualify for the event in a format similar to the WCHA Final Five. All seven conference members were invited during the first two years of the tournament
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