This story is part of The Sun’s 2025 NCAA Hockey supplement. To view the rest of the supplement, click here.
After an exciting regular season and set of conference tournaments, the NCAA tournament is finally here. The bracket, which was announced on an ESPN+ selection show Sunday morning, is full of talent. Yet the favorites remain the same from when the season started, almost six months ago.
While Wisconsin and Ohio State are hungry to face each other in the finals for a third season in a row, Cornell, Minnesota, and others are looking to end the rivals streak. With the tournament starting on Thursday, March 13, the Sun’s hockey writers take a look at the field.
Wisconsin Regional:
March 13: Clarkson vs. Boston University, 8 p.m.
March 15: Wisconsin vs. Clarkson/BU, 3 p.m.
The favorites since pre-season, the Badgers have looked unstoppable. The 2023 national champion and 2024 runner-up has just a single loss this year, a 3-2 defeat to Ohio State on Nov. 16. Since then, the Badgers have gone 22-0-2. After dispatching Minnesota Duluth in the semifinals, Wisconsin scored with just 25 seconds remaining in regulation to defeat Minnesota 4-3 and take home the Western Collegiate Hockey Association crown. The Badgers enter the tournament with the nation's best offense, defense and the three highest point-scorers. Those three forwards — Casey O'Brien, Kirsten Simms and Laila Edwards, along with defender Caroline Harvey — make up four of the 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier award.
Hoping to upset the Badgers are Clarkson and Boston University. Fans of Cornell are familiar with the Golden Knights, who took the Red to three overtimes in the ECAC semifinals before losing in heartbreaking fashion. Clarkson has arguably the best defensive pairing in the nation composed of Haley Winn and Nicole Gosling, two ECAC first-teamers. However, the key for Clarkson is in net. While starting just 18 games this season, Holly Gruber came alive in the ECAC playoffs, posting a .953 save percentage in her past three ECAC tournament games. If Gruber can keep up her recent hot streak, Clarkson should be able to get by BU and give Wisconsin a real test.
Hockey East’s sole representative in the tournament, Boston University, is coming off a stressful Cinderella run in its conference’s postseason tournament. After finishing just a single point behind first-place University of Connecticut in the regular season, the Terriers won three straight overtime playoff games to grab Hockey East's auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament. While Clarkson will enter the regional semifinal matchup the favorite, BU’s combination of luck and overtime prowess could be lethal in a close game.
Eli’s Predictions:
Clarkson over Boston University
Wisconsin over Clarkson
Jane’s Predictions:
Boston University over Clarkson
Wisconsin over Boston University
Alexis’ Predictions:
Clarkson over Boston University
Wisconsin over Clarkson
Ohio State Regional:
March 13: Penn State vs. St. Lawrence, 7 p.m.
March 15: Ohio State vs. Penn State/St. Lawrence, 6 p.m.
Ohio State — one of Cornell’s five out-of-conference opponents this season — are set up to be the Red’s Frozen Four matchup should both teams win their respective regions. The defending national champion has the second-best offense in the country behind Wisconsin. On that end of the ice, the Buckeyes are led by sophomore Joy Dunne. Dunne — a Patty Kazmeier finalist — averages nearly 1.5 points per game.
The battle to face the Buckeyes should be one of the best of the tournament’s opening round. St. Lawrence barely made the tournament after falling to Colgate in the ECAC semifinals, grabbing the last at-large bid.
While St. Lawrence lacks some of the star power of higher-ranked schools, it has proven that it can hang with the best in the nation by notching wins over Colgate, Clarkson and Quinnipiac. Led by ECAC second team forward Abby Hustler and ECAC third team goaltender Emma-Sofie Nordström (.935 save percentage), St. Lawrence is a real threat in the tournament despite its shaky credentials.
Rounding out the region is Penn State. While flawed, the Nittany Lions have star forward Tessa Janecke, who has racked up the accolades. The 2025 AHA Player of the Year is the Penn State program record holder (for both men’s and women’s) for points and is a two-time Patty Kazmaier top-10 finalist. However, it’s important to note that the AHA is one of the country’s weaker conferences. By taking on a top team in the strong ECAC, Penn State has a chance to prove that its success this season is not a product of a weak schedule.
Eli’s Predictions:
Penn State over St. Lawrence
Ohio State over Penn State
Jane’s Predictions:
St. Lawrence over Penn State
Ohio State over St. Lawrence
Alexis’ Predictions:
St. Lawrence over Penn State
Ohio State over St. Lawrence
Cornell Regional:
March 13: Minnesota Duluth vs. Sacred Heart University, 7 p.m.
March 15: Cornell vs. Minnesota Duluth/Sacred Heart, 4 p.m.
Read The Sun’s Cornell Playoff Preview here.
Eli’s Predictions:
Minnesota Duluth over Sacred Heart
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Jane’s Predictions:
Minnesota Duluth over Sacred Heart
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Alexis’ Predictions:
Minnesota Duluth over Sacred Heart
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Minnesota Regional:
March 15: Minnesota vs. Colgate, 3 p.m.
After failing to win the ECAC championship for the first time since 2020, Colgate will be hungry to erase the memory of a disappointing end to its conference play. The Raiders certainly have the talent to make a run in March, boasting talented forward and NCAA goals leader Kristýna Kaltounková — an ECAC first teamer and Patty Kazmaier finalist. Kaltountová’s physical, aggressive and offensive style has resulted in the fourth-most goals and penalty minutes in the nation. Kaltounková also tends to heat up in the postseason, having scored a goal in her past three NCAA Tournament games. In net is ECAC second team member Hannah Murphy, who holds a .940 save percentage.
On the other hand, Minnesota head coach Brad Frost is looking for his fifth national title behind the bench, bringing a rock-solid team to the tournament headlined by forward Abbey Murphy. Like Kaltounková, Murphy is a Patty Kazmaier finalist and is often at the top of 2025 Professional Women’s Hockey League mock drafts. The redshirt senior is the highest non-Badger points scorer this season — scoring 12 points in her last six games, including a three-point performance in Minnesota’s upset win over Ohio State in the WCHA semifinals. Minnesota will have one final advantage over Colgate: Ridder Arena. The Raiders are just 11-6-0 on the road (compared to 18-2-0 at home) and seemed to struggle in front of a hostile road crowd in Ithaca.
Eli’s Prediction: Minnesota over Colgate
Jane’s Prediction: Minnesota over Colgate
Alexis’ Prediction: Minnesota over Colgate
Eli Fastiff is a senior editor on the 143rd editorial board and a member of the class of 2026 in the College of Arts and Sciences. You can follow him on X @Eli_Fastiff and reach him at efastiff@cornellsun.com.
