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The NCAA women's hockey postseason is here, with the top teams in the country eyeing a trip to the women's Frozen Four.
Eleven schools make the bracket, which will produce a two-week sprint to the national championship from the regionals to the final.
Wisconsin and Ohio State have alternated as champions in the last five tournaments, facing off in the title game in the last three. The Badgers prevailed in an overtime thriller last spring to capture their eighth trophy since the tournament began in 2001, but the Buckeyes enter this tournament as the top seed.
Those two enter the 2026 edition as the favorites, but there are legitimate challengers, led by the school set to host the Frozen Four. Penn State has been bounced in the first round of NCAAs the last three years but has been one of the top teams in the country this season.
Who will emerge from this year's bracket as a champion? Here's everything you need to know to watch.
NCAA women's hockey tournament bracket 2026
Eleven teams make the tournament field, with the top four seeds hosting regionals. The No. 4 seed hosts the No. 5 seed for a berth in the semifinals, while the top three seeds will await the winners of an opening-round game at their arena.
- No. 1 seed: Ohio State
- Yale
Minnesota-Duluth
- No. 2 seed: Wisconsin
- Quinnipiac
Franklin Pierce
- No. 3 seed: Penn State
- UConn
Princeton
- No. 4 seed:
Minnesota - No. 5 seed: Northeastern
Where to watch 2026 NCAA women's hockey tournament
The championship game of the 2026 NCAA women's hockey tournament will be televised by ESPNU and can be streamed live on Fubo, which offers a free trial to new users. That game and every other contest in the tournament can be streamed live on the ESPN app, which includes ESPN+.
Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the new ESPN app.
NCAA women's hockey tournament 2026 schedule, scores
Thursday, March 12: Regional Semifinals
| Yale 1, Minnesota-Duluth 0 | — | — |
| UConn 4, Princeton 1 | — | — |
| Quinnipiac 4, Franklin Pierce 1 | — | — |
Saturday, March 14: Regional Finals
| No. 2 Wisconsin 6, Quinnipiac 0 | — | — |
| No. 3 Penn State 3, UConn 0 | — | — |
| No. 5 Northeastern 4, No. 4 Minnesota 2 | — | — |
| No. 1 Ohio State 6, Yale 1 | — | — |
Friday, March 20: Semifinals
At University Park, Pennsylvania
| No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Northeastern | 4 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 Penn State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
Sunday, March 22: Championship
At University Park, Pennsylvania
| Semifinal winners | 4 p.m. | ESPNU, Fubo, ESPN app |
NCAA women's hockey champions list
Here are the last 10 NCAA women's hockey champions and runners-up:
| 2025 | Wisconsin | Ohio State |
| 2024 | Ohio State | Wisconsin |
| 2023 | Wisconsin | Ohio State |
| 2022 | Ohio State | Minnesota Duluth |
| 2021 | Wisconsin | Northeastern |
| 2019 | Wisconsin | Minnesota |
| 2018 | Clarkson | Colgate |
| 2017 | Clarkson | Wisconsin |
| 2016 | Minnesota | Boston College |
| 2015 | Minnesota | Harvard |
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