Women’s Frozen Four
The NCAA crowns its women’s national champion at the culmination of the college hockey season, the Frozen Four, each March. The first Frozen Four was hosted by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in 2001 with Minnesota Duluth securing the inaugural trophy. In 2021, the tournament expanded to its current 11-team format. The tournament opens at four regional sites held on the campus of each of the top four seeds, with the winners advancing to the Frozen Four.
In 2025, Wisconsin junior forward Kirsten Simms buried a rebound goal less than three minutes into overtime to give the Badgers a 4-3 win over Ohio State and the program’s eighth NCAA Frozen Four championship.
It was the third straight year these two teams squared off in the national title game and the third straight to be decided by a single goal.
Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania, is set to host the 2026 Women’s Frozen Four. It will be Penn State’s second time hosting the event, following the 2022 tournament.
All-Time Women’s Frozen Four Tournament History
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Third Place | Fourth Place | Site |
| 2001 | Minnesota Duluth (28-5-4) | 4-2 | St. Lawrence | Harvard | St. Lawrence | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2002 | Minnesota Duluth (24-6-4) | 3-2 | Brown | Minnesota | Niagara | Durham, N.H. |
| 2003 | Minnesota Duluth (31-3-2) | 4-3 (2OT) | Harvard | Minnesota | Dartmouth | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2004 | Minnesota (30-4-2) | 6-2 | Harvard | St. Lawrence | Dartmouth | Providence |
| 2005 | Minnesota (36-2-2) | 4-3 | Harvard | St. Lawrence | Dartmouth | Durham, N.H. |
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Other Semifinalists | Site | |
| 2006 | Wisconsin (36-4-1) | 3-0 | Minnesota | New Hampshire | St. Lawrence | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2007 | Wisconsin (36-1-4) | 4-1 | Minnesota Duluth | St. Lawrence | Boston College | Lake Placid, N.Y. |
| 2008 | Minnesota Duluth (34-4-1) | 4-0 | Wisconsin | Harvard | New Hampshire | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2009 | Wisconsin (33-2-5) | 5-0 | Mercyhurst | Minnesota | Minnesota Duluth | Boston, Mass. |
| 2010 | Minnesota Duluth (31-8-2) | 3-2 (3OT) | Cornell | Mercyhurst | Minnesota Duluth | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2011 | Wisconsin (37-2-2) | 4-1 | Boston University | Cornell | Boston College | Erie, Pa. |
| 2012 | Minnesota (33-5-2) | 4-2 | Wisconsin | Cornell | Boston College | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2013 | Minnesota (41-0-0) | 6-3 | Boston University | Mercyhurst | Boston College | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2014 | Clarkson (31-5-5) | 5-4 | Minnesota | Mercyhurst | Wisconsin | Hamden, Conn. |
| 2015 | Minnesota (34-3-4) | 4-1 | Harvard | Boston College | Wisconsin | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2016 | Minnesota (35-4) | 3-1 | Boston College | Wisconsin | Clarkson | Durham, N.H. |
| 2017 | Clarkson (32-4-5) | 3-0 | Wisconsin | Minnesota | Boston College | St. Charles, Mo. |
| 2018 | Clarkson (36-4-1) | 2-1 (OT) | Colgate | Wisconsin | Ohio State | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2019 | Wisconsin (35-4-2) | 2-0 | Minnesota | Cornell | Clarkson | Hamden, Conn. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | |||||
| 2021 | Wisconsin (17-3-1) | 2-1 (OT) | Northeastern | Ohio State | Minnesota Duluth | Erie, Pa. |
| 2022 | Ohio State (32-6-0) | 3-2 | Minnesota Duluth | Northeastern | Yale | University Park, Pa. |
| 2023 | Wisconsin (29-10-2) | 1-0 | Ohio State | Minnesota | Northeastern | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2024 | Ohio State (35-4) | 1-0 | Wisconsin | Colgate | Clarkson | Durham, N.H. |
| 2025 | Wisconsin (38-1-2) | 4-3 (OT) | Ohio State | Cornell | Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. |