The 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament was a tournament to determine the Division III national champion in women’s ice hockey.  This was the twenty-fifth (twenty-fourth completed) time a national championship tournament at the Division III level had been held and was the twenty-third (twenty-second completed) one sanctioned by the NCAA.

 

Format

Twelve teams qualified for the single elimination tournament. This year’s tournament field expanded by one team from the previous tournament held in 2024. The conference tournament champions of the CNE, MAC, MIAC, NCHA, NEHC, NESCAC, SUNYAC, and UCHC received automatic bids to the tournament. Four at-large bids were also selected. At-large bids and seeding were selected according to a new metric: the NPI (NCAA Power Index). This replaced the Pairwise system, which had been in place since 2019. It still uses a math formula to select teams, but uses different dials and formulas to calculate who participates for the national championship.

For the first time in tournament history, there were no Pool B bids reserved to a non-automatic qualifier conference. (The MASCAC, WIAC, and Independent schools). Any team from either of these conferences would have to earn a bid as an at-large selection. This is the first year in which the MAC earned its own automatic bid, as the pre-existing conference broke away from the UCHC. The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference started sponsoring women’s hockey in the 2024-25 season, but would not be eligible for an automatic bid until the 2027-28 season.

For just the second time in its history, and first since 2013, the Division III women’s Frozen Four will be held at a predetermined site. Typically, the highest available seed to host does so provided they meet hosting requirements and geographical provisions. The first round games will be held at campus sites on March 15. The quarterfinal games were held at campus sites on March 22. The semifinal and final rounds were held March 28 and 30 at Hunt Arena of University of Wisconsin-River Falls, which won the bid to host prior to the season.  Also, this is the first year that the women’s tournament was pushed back a week to mirror the men’s bracket.  This also gave first round participants an extra three days of preparation and rest, while giving teams with byes into the quarterfinals an extra week of rest.

 

Bids

Automatic Bids

At-Large Bids

^^ = Middlebury appeared in the 2 AWCHA tournaments that predated the NCAA tournament

^ = Augsburg & Gustavus each appeared in 1 of 2 AWCHA tournaments that predated the NCAA tournament

 

Misc.

  • Seven of the twelve schools who earned bids appeared in the previous NCAA tournament.
  • This is the 13th of an active 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance streak for Plattsburgh.
  • This is the 6th of an active 7 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance streak for UW-River Falls.
  • This is the 5th of 5 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for Gustavus.
  • This is the 5th of 5 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for Middlebury.
  • This is the 4th of an active 5 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance streak for Nazareth.
  • This is the 3rd of an active 4 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance streak for Amherst.
  • The NESCAC earns multiple bids for the fifth straight tournament.
  • The MIAC earns multiple bids for the first time since 2019.
  • Augsburg makes their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, and first national postseason since the 2000 AWCHA Tournament, the first time a national champion was awarded in Division III women’s hockey.
  • St. Norbert makes their first national postseason appearance since 2013.
  • UWRF becomes the 2nd school to host the Frozen Four as a predetermined site, the prior school also coming from the WIAC (UW-Superior in 2013).
  • Hunt Arena becomes the first rink to host consecutive Frozen Fours since Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena of SUNY Plattsburgh, who hosted three straight, in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
  • This becomes the fifth instance where a school has hosted consecutive Frozen Fours. (Elmira: 2002, 2003; Plattsburgh: 2006, 2007, 2008; RIT: 2011, 2012; Plattsburgh 2014, 2015, 2016)

 

Seeding (Determined by NPI Rankings)

  1. Augsburg (23-3-1)
  2. Amherst (21-5-1)
  3. Middlebury (20-6-1)
  4. UW-River Falls (23-3-2)
  5. Plattsburgh (20-6-1)
  6. Endicott (22-4-1)
  7. Gustavus (21-7-0)
  8. Colby (17-6-2)
  9. St. Norbert (24-4-1)
  10. Wilkes (22-4-1)
  11. Nazareth (20-6-1)
  12. Elmira (20-7-1)

 

Results

First Round

Held at campus sites

-Jack Kelley Rink- Waterville, ME

-Raymond J. Bourque Arena- Beverly, MA

-Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena- Plattsburgh, NY

-Don Roberts Ice Rink- St. Peter, MN

Quarterfinals

Held at campus sites

-Orr Rink- Amherst, MA

-Chip Kenyon ’85 Arena- Middlebury, VT

-Hunt Arena- River Falls, WI

-Ed Saugestad Rink- Minneapolis, MN

Semifinals

Hosted by UW-River Falls: Hunt Arena- River Falls, WI

Championship

Hosted by UW-River Falls: Hunt Arena- River Falls, WI

2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey National Champion Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons

Bracket

Tournament Notes

  • UWRF goes back-to-back for the program’s 2nd consecutive and 2nd overall national championship.
  • UWRF’s repeat becomes the 7th time a program has won consecutive national titles in Division III women’s hockey (6th in NCAA era).
    • The Falcons become the first program to go back-to-back since Plattsburgh’s four-peat from 2014-2017.
  • UWRF wins both titles on home ice, becoming the third program to win back-to-back titles, both on home ice.
    • The Falcons are the first team to accomplish this since Plattsburgh did it from 2014-2016.
  • After 21 consecutive champions from the East region, UWRF brings home the third consecutive national title for the West region, following last year’s UWRF title, and Gustavus in 2023.
  • Amherst finishes as national runner-up for the 2nd time in program history, and 2nd time in 3 seasons.
  • With Hunt Arena hosting, the championship is held in the west region in consecutive years for the first time in history.
  • Augsburg reaches its first Frozen Four in the program’s first-ever NCAA appearance. (The program did play for the AWCHA Championship in 2000, so you can argue this is the program’s 2nd-best finish.
  • Middlebury reaches its 11th NCAA Frozen Four in history, and its 2nd in a row.
  • With UWRF reaching the title game, 7 of the previous 8 national title games have featured 1 west team, after having just one western championship game appearance in the first 14 NCAA title games.

Statistics

Skaters

Top Scorers
PlayerTeamPos.Yr.GPGAP+/-PIMSOG
Bailey OlsonUW-River FallsFSr.32466210
Aunna SchulteAugsburgFFr.2224206
Emily CronkhiteAugsburgFSr.21341010
Bea FlynnAmherstFFr.34043212
Ayla AbbanAmherstFFr.3134304
Amy LaskowskiNazarethFFr.22131011
Megan GoodreauUW-River FallsFJr.32131011
Madison KadrlikUW-River FallsFSo.31236013
Cahlilah LindquistUW-River FallsDSo.3123407

Goaltending

Top Goaltenders (minimum 110 minutes played)
PlayerTeamYr.GPWLSAGAGAASV%SOTOI
Sophia WillMiddleburyJr.2114321.02.9531118:06
Jordan O'KaneUW-River FallsJr.3306041.33.9330179:57
McKinley HoffNazarethGr.2115531.51.9450118:52
Natalie StottAmherstJr.3217651.69.9340177:33
Sara SevcikovaElmiraFr.2118342.00.9521120:00
Keira MarkellSt. NorbertFr.2117952.58.9370116:18
Kayla SimonsonAugsburgFr.2116163.02.9020119:22
Mandy BuskyColbySr.2116073.58.8830117:22

All-Tournament Team

  • F: Madison Kadrlik: UW-River Falls
  • F: Bailey Olson- UW-River Falls (MVP)
  • F: Alyssa Xu- Amherst
  • D: Makenna Aure- UW-River Falls
  • D: Gretchen Dann- Amherst
  • G: Natalie Stott- Amherst