Wisconsin women's hockey opens NCAA Tournament vs. first-time qualifier Long Island
MADISON – The road to the Frozen Four will take the Wisconsin women’s hockey team through New York.
The Badgers received their 10th straight berth in the 11-team NCAA Tournament field, which was announced Sunday morning. They will face Long Island University in a first-round game at 5 p.m. Thursday at Colgate’s Class of 1965 Arena.
A victory would pit UW, which was ranked sixth nationally last week, against the host Raiders, who are ranked fourth and own 35-5-2 record.
Long Island earned its first tournament berth as the champion of the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance. The team is 20-13 and is coached by Kelly Nash, who played at Wisconsin from 2007-11. The Sharks have three common opponents with UW: Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State and Penn State.
More:Wisconsin women's hockey falls to Minnesota at WCHA Final Faceoff; NCAA tournament up next
LIU was swept by each of those teams. UW went 1-1 against Penn State, 1-3 against Duluth and 6-0 against Minnesota State.
The Badgers (25-10-2) are one of four WCHA teams in the field.
Defending national champion Ohio State received the No. 1 seed and Minnesota received the No. 2 seed. Those teams received a first-round bye. Duluth, the national runner-up last season, is also in the field.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin women's hockey opens NCAA Tournament vs. Long Island
