The regular season is in the books so let’s take a look at this season’s Division I women’s conference champions and the history behind these regular season titles.
Atlantic Hockey America: for the fourth season in a row, Penn State ended up on top of the AHA standings; and it wasn’t even close. The Nittany Lions finished the regular season campaign with 68 conference points; 19 more than second place Mercyhurst.
ECAC: co-champions were crowned in the ECAC this season. Two Ivy League schools in Yale and Princeton ended the regular season with 46 conference points apiece. While the schools were technically co-champions, Yale earned the number one seed in the conference tournament due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. It was the second regular season title for the Bulldogs (2023) and first-ever for the Tigers.
Hockey East: Northeastern finished the regular season on top of Hockey East by 12 points. The last time the Huskies finished first in Hockey East was during the 2022-23 season when the team made it to the Frozen Four in Duluth.
NEWHA: Franklin Pierce earned its second-ever regular season title (2022) and snapped LIU’s bid for a four-peat. The Ravens have won the NEWHA regular season title twice in the seven years since joining Division I.
WCHA: Wisconsin secured back-to-back regular seasons titles after barely edging out Ohio State by two points. This is the Badgers 11th regular season title that puts the program in a tie with Minnesota for most-ever in the WCHA.
The Penn State men’s hockey team will be hosting Michigan State this weekend in the first-ever outdoor men’s hockey game at Beaver Stadium. The Penn State men’s hockey team participated in the Frozen Confines series last season at Wrigley Field in Chicago. While that was technically the first outdoor stadium game played by the Penn State Division I men’s hockey team, it wasn’t the first time a men’s hockey team from Penn State played outdoor hockey in a stadium. On January 4, 2012, a season before Penn State launched Division I hockey, the Penn State men’s club hockey team played Neumann University at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as part of the fifth annual Winter Classic.
The 2012 game was officially an exhibition game between the Penn State Icers and the Neumann University Knights, a Division III team from nearby Aston, Pennsylvania. The Knights opened up the scoring with two goals in the first frame. Penn State answered back with a goal early in the second period. Neumann broke it open with a 4-1 score that ultimately proved to be too big of a deficit for Penn State. An announced crowd of 6,800 fans saw Neumann win the game 6-3.
Penn State played its first Division I hockey game just 282 days after this outdoor hockey game. The head coach of that new Division I team, Guy Gadowsky, coached the ACHA DI club team the season beforehand. There were players who participated for both programs as well, but Gadowsky is the one constant throughout all of this. By the time the upcoming outdoor game wraps up at Beaver Stadium, he will have coached three outdoor stadium hockey games for Penn State.
Photo Credit: Screenshots from the Penn State Hockey production.
The four-year streak of a new NCAA men’s hockey team joining Division I was snapped this year. However, one conference expanded. Arizona State found a home in the NCHC during the 2024-25 season after spending nine seasons as a DI independent. The program won its first Division I conference game when the Sun Devils beat Omaha at home 3-2 on November 16, 2024. Later that month, the Sun Devils defeated Denver 3-2 to earn its first win over a top-ranked team in the nation. This win snapped Denver’s 21-game unbeaten streak in the process. Arizona State would later win its first conference playoff game and series after sweeping UMD in the opening round at home. The Sun Devils participated in the Frozen Faceoff and were defeated by Denver 4-2. The Pioneers, in turn, lost the following night when Western Michigan took down Denver in double overtime. Western Michigan won its first Frozen Faceoff title in the final NCHC championship game to take place in Saint Paul. Beginning next season, the entire NCHC playoffs will be played on campus.
The NCHC announced in the off-season that it would add another new member in St. Thomas in 2026-27. With the news of the Tommies’ future exit from its current conference, the CCHA, in turn, announced Augustana would become a full member in 2024-25; a year earlier than scheduled. Due to an unbalanced conference schedule for Augustana compared to the rest of the CCHA, the conference switched to points percentage this season to determine the standings. The Vikings finished second to Minnesota State in the standings. A unique situation occurred during the 2025 CCHA Mason Cup playoffs. When St. Thomas defeated Bowling Green in the semifinals, it ensured that the winner of the other semifinal between Minnesota State and Bemidji State would receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This was because St. Thomas was not eligible for the tournament due to a mandatory four-year waiting period after transitioning from Division III to Division I. In a semifinal with unexpectedly high postseason ramifications, the Mavericks downed the Beavers 4-0 to earn the bid. The Mavericks put an exclamation point on the tournament the following week with a 4-2 win in the championship game, thus regaining the Mason Cup for the third time in four years.
The Lindenwood men’s hockey team defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison October 11, 2024. It was the first program win over a top ten ranked opponent as well as its first win over a Big Ten team. Two weeks later in Indiana, LIU defeated Notre Dame for the program’s first road win over a ranked opponent. LIU finished the season with a record of 20-12-2; the first time the program hit the 20-win plateau in a season.
Denver hosted UNLV for a holiday-season exhibition game on December 28, 2024. UNLV, an ACHA Division I hockey program, shocked the hockey world by defeating the Pioneers in a shootout 7-6. Granted, Denver was without head coach, David Carle, and star defenseman, Zeev Buium, but this was historic. It’s safe to say this was the first time an ACHA (club) team defeated the defending Division I men’s hockey team who also owns the record for most NCAA Division I hockey titles. In April, the Skatin’ Rebels capped its historic season with the school’s first-ever ACHA Division I national hockey championship.
Two Division I men’s conference championship games went to double overtime. This was just the second time this ever happened in the same season; the only other occurrence took place in 2017. In addition to the aforementioned NCHC title game when Western Michigan outlasted Denver, the Michigan State Spartans defeated Ohio State in double overtime by a score of 4-3 to earn its second Big Ten tournament title in a row. Elsewhere, Bentley won the Atlantic Hockey America tournament. The Falcons hoisted the Riley Trophy for the first time, granting the program its first-ever berth in the NCAA hockey tournament. Within Hockey East, Maine won its first Hockey East tournament since 2004 after defeating UConn in the title game. UConn, however, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament; its first time ever participating in the national tournament. Within the ECAC, Quinnipiac won the regular season title for the fifth season in a row. However, the Bobcats lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Quinnipiac has not won any of the five conference tournaments throughout this five-peat run.
During the 2025 NCAA Division I men’s tournament, Denver and Boston College met in the Manchester Regional Final for a rematch of the 2024 title game. Since 1949, there have been seven instances of a title game rematch happening in the following season’s tournament. In all seven instances, the runner up from the season before avenged the loss. History did not repeat itself in 2025 as Denver beat Boston College 3-1 to earn a trip back to the Frozen Four.
The men’s Frozen Four took place in St. Louis for the first time since 2007. Of the four teams that made it, two are considered college hockey blue bloods in Denver and Boston University and two are first-time participants in Western Michigan and Penn State. Western Michigan defeated Denver in double overtime in the early semifinal. It was the second time the Broncos defeated the Pioneers in double overtime in 21 days. Also, the only other time these two teams met in the NCAA tournament, that too ended in double overtime. But Denver was on the winning side of that 2011 first round contest. The late semifinal game saw Boston University defeat Penn State; thus, ending the Cinderella run for the 13th overall seed. Western Michigan defeated Boston University two days later and claimed the program’s first NCAA hockey title. It was the third time in five years that a first-time winner was crowned for the Division I men. The Broncos are also the first champion to win two double overtime games in the NCAA tournament en route to a title. Western Michigan is the first men’s team to pull off the trophy trifecta (conference regular season title, conference tournament title, NCAA title) since Union in 2014. A Michigan-based team has won all three Frozen Fours hosted in the city of St. Louis (Western Michigan in 2025, Michigan State in 2007, and Michigan Tech in 1975).
The women’s Frozen Four was held at Ridder Arena. It was the seventh time it took place on the University of Minnesota campus. Two WCHA powerhouses met in the championship game yet again. In fact, it was the third year in a row that Ohio State and Wisconsin faced off for the championship trophy; the first time that has ever happened in the NC women’s hockey tournament. Wisconsin won two years ago, and Ohio State won the previous season. The two previous title games were decided by one goal and this year wasn’t any different. Wisconsin tied the game on a Kirsten Simms penalty shot with just 19 seconds left in regulation. The Badgers then won the game 4-3 in overtime on another goal by Simms. It was the fourth championship trophy for the Badgers in six seasons. Wisconsin has now won the hockey championship in the last four odd-numbered years. The Badgers increased their lead in the overall title count by adding this eighth trophy. This was also the 22nd women’s hockey championship for the WCHA.
In Division III men’s hockey, Hobart completed a three-peat after defeating Utica 2-1 in overtime during the championship game of the 40th NCAA hockey tournament for Division III. The Statesmen have defeated three different teams in the three consecutive championship games. The last time there was a three-peat in Division III men’s hockey, Middlebury (Vermont) won three in a row from 2004 to 2006.
The longest women’s hockey game in Division III history took place during the MIAC tournament. Augsburg (Minnesota) defeated Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota by a score of 3-2 when Aunna Schulte scored eight minutes and six seconds into the fourth overtime. The field for the NCAA Division III women’s tournament was expanded from 11 to 12 teams this year. For the second year in a row the semifinals and title game were held in River Falls, Wisconsin. It was held there in 2024 because Wisconsin-River Falls was the highest remaining seed. However, it was chosen as a predetermined site prior to this 2024-25 season. But as luck would have it, Wisconsin-River Falls made another tournament run and ended up back in the championship game at home. The Falcons defeated Amherst 3-1 to claim back-to-back titles.
For more than five decades, if a hockey prospect played in one of the Major Junior leagues in Canada or even signed a contract with one of the teams, it rendered a player automatically ineligible from NCAA hockey. In fact, NCAA hockey did not accept players who had even played in a game against a professional player. However, this changed November 7, 2024, when a vote was passed that allowed NCAA Division I teams to recruit prospects who participated in Major Junior hockey or professional teams. The caveat was that the players must never have received payments more than the actual and necessary expenses as part of their participation on the team. Players who accepted additional expenses or gifts, or signed NHL contracts are still deemed ineligible in the eyes of the NCAA. It was determined that eligible players would be able to begin play within the 2025-26 season. Division III was excluded from this ruling. Braxton Whitehead was the first Canadian Hockey League player to commit to an NCAA team. Whitehead, an alternate captain for the Regina Pats of the WHL, verbally committed to Arizona State on September 13, 2024. He did so due to a class action suit filed against the NCAA to allow CHL players to be deemed eligible. The NCAA voted less than two months later to allow it. The fact that NCAA players currently earn scholarships and money from name, image, and likeness (NIL) helped fuel this change.
The 2025 Men’s Frozen Four begins Thursday. Both games have the same storyline of newcomer versus veteran. The Western Michigan Broncos will play the Denver Pioneers in the early game in an NCHC Championship Game rematch. The nightcap will be Penn State Nittany Lions versus Boston University Terriers in the first-ever meeting between these two teams.
With two NCHC teams playing one another, the NCHC is guaranteed it’ll be represented in the title game. This will be a staggering eighth time in the last nine years that an NCHC team will play in the NCAA Division I men’s championship game. The most recent time this happened is when Hockey East had at least one team in eight of nine championship games between 1993 and 2001.
On the other side of the bracket, a Big Ten or Hockey East team will advance. Hockey East is looking for its first champion since UMass won in 2021. The Nittany Lions are looking to win a hockey championship for the first time in school and conference history.
Western Michigan hosted Denver for the first time Nov. 25, 1983. Photo courtesy of the Western Herald.
All-Time Series: Denver leads 27-15-2
First meeting: Nov. 26, 1982 – Denver won 5-1
The first series between these teams took place in Denver in November 1982. The Pioneers swept the Broncos. The following season, the Broncos hosted the Pioneers in November 1983. Western Michigan earned its first win against Denver (pictured above) as well as its first sweep over the Pioneers. The teams didn’t play again until the opening round of the 2011 NCAA tournament.
This is the first-ever Frozen Four for Western Michigan. This is the 20th Frozen Four in program history for Denver and sixth time in the last nine seasons.
The Broncos won the program’s first-ever regular season title and Frozen Faceoff this year. The team is looking to pull off the trifecta this year with the NCAA trophy. The Pioneers did exactly that in 2005; however, with a share of the WCHA title with Colorado College.
Western Michigan is currently ranked #1 in the nation right now (USA Hockey Poll) for the first time in program history. The Broncos are also currently sitting at a program-record 32 wins on the season.
Denver is looking to win back-to-back hockey championships for the first time since 2004-2005 and fourth time overall.
The Pioneers are looking to be the first team to win three titles in four years since their own program did so in 1958, 1960, 1961.
This will be the third time a Big Ten and Hockey East school will face off in the Frozen Four (Boston University vs Minnesota in 2023 semifinal, Boston College vs Michigan in 2024 semifinal).
This is the first-ever Frozen Four for Penn State. This is the 25th Frozen Four in program history for Boston University and third in a row.
The last NCAA champion to come out of Hockey East did so by defeating an NCHC team in the title game (UMass over St. Cloud State). If the Terriers advance, the team would be guaranteed a game against an NCHC opponent.
The last time Penn State faced a Hockey East opponent was November 30, 2019, against UMass Lowell in a holiday tournament.
Jay Pandolfo, Boston University Head Coach, is the third Division I men’s hockey coach to reach the Frozen Four in each of his first three seasons as head coach (Doug Woog, Dave Hakstol).
In its last six NCAA tournaments, Boston University’s seasons were ended by either an NCHC (4) or Big Ten (2) team.
The last time Boston University played in St. Louis, the Terriers won the 2010 Ice Breaker Tournament, defeating Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
We can throw all the statistics in the world at you but there’s only one question that remains: will there be a champion crowned for the first time or will a team add to its storied history?
The debut of Big Ten Hockey in 2013 and the reason behind it has been well documented throughout the college hockey world – including this site. The announcement from Penn State in 2010 to create a Division I hockey program kick started the conference and changed the landscape of men’s hockey at the time. Penn State and Ohio State were two of the original six Big Ten Hockey teams. The first conference game between the two schools occurred January 31, 2014, in Columbus when the Buckeyes defeated the visitors. But that was not the first Division I hockey game between these two teams.
That initial game occurred the season beforehand on neutral ice. Penn State was an independent program in the first year of playing Division I hockey while Ohio State was in the last year of the original CCHA. The two teams participated in an inaugural four-team holiday tournament at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh called the Three Rivers Classic. Robert Morris and Miami rounded out the rest of the field. Penn State and Ohio State faced one another in the consolation game in the second day of the in-season tournament on December 29, 2012. Penn State defeated the Buckeyes by a score of 5-4. Ohio State jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but Penn State scored three unanswered goals. A hat trick from sophomore Ryan Dzingel wasn’t enough for Ohio State and the Nittany Lions held on in the third period.
The two teams will play games 52 and 53 in the all-time series this week in Columbus. This series has had its share of Big Ten regular season and tournament games in the past decade but only one is considered to be a non-conference game: the very first one.
