Sacred Heart draws Minnesota Duluth in NCAA Opener
Release courtesy of Sacred Heart Athletic Communications
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The NEWHA champion Sacred Heart women's hockey team was up early Sunday to learn its destination for the NCAA championship. The Pioneers gathered at Martire Family Arena to watch the selection show on ESPNU, and it didn't take long to learn that SHU is headed to Ithaca, N.Y., to face Minnesota Duluth on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Cornell's Lynah Rink.
The winner advances to face the site host Big Red, the tournament's No. 3 seed, on Saturday at Lynah.
Sacred Heart, which earned the NEWHA's automatic bid by defeating LIU 4-2 in the league championship game on Saturday night, is making its first NCAA appearance.
The Pioneers (21-14-3) breezed through the NEWHA Tournament, sweeping a best-of-three quarterfinal series from Assumption before knocking off Saint Anselm 3-0 in the semifinal. Sacred Heart outscored its opponents 14-4 in the four tournament games.
Goalie Carly Greene was named the tournament most valuable player. She stopped 145 shots in the four games, including 50 in the semifinal win over Saint Anselm and 31 in the championship game win over LIU. Greene leads the nation in save percentage (.959) and is second in goals against average (1.27).
Isabella Chaput, Grayson Limke and Savannah Popick joined Greene on the NEWHA all-tournament team.
Minnesota Duluth (21-13-2) is making its fifth consecutive and 16th overall NCAA appearance. The Bulldogs received an at-large berth to the 11-team field after falling to the University of Minnesota in the WCHA Final Face Off.
The Sacred Heart-Minnesota-Duluth game will be streamed on ESPN+