For Gophers, women’s Frozen Four remains special →

HAMDEN, Conn. — There is no Division I women’s hockey team as successful as Minnesota. The Gophers have eight national titles and have made 12 straight NCAA tournaments.

So, in a lot of ways, Minnesota is exactly where it expects to be as they prepare to face Cornell in an NCAA semifinal Friday at 3 p.m. Still, the Gophers know none of this is assured. For nearly half the women on the roster, this will be their first Frozen Four.

Minnesota lost their NCAA quarterfinal game to Wisconsin last year, ending a string of six straight Frozen Four appearances, and senior Kelly Pannek is the only member of this team that has won a national title.