INSIDE WOMEN���S HOCKEY
BY ROSS LA DUE
@BadgerWHockey
SCHEDULE (19-9-2, 15-9-2)
Last Week
Feb. 16 Minn. Duluth
W, 3-1
Feb. 17 Minn. Duluth W, 3-2 (OT)
This Week
Friday
at Bemidji State
Saturday at Bemidji State
Next Five
March 1
March 2
March 3
March 8
March 9
Postseason picture
starting to take shape
Road to NCAA leads through North Dakota
T
he Badgers secured
home ice for the first
round of WCHA playoffs this
past weekend, but even bigger was securing at least a
third-place finish in the conference.
Getting the third seed
gives Wisconsin the advantage of not needing to play
No. 1 Minnesota until the
54 �� VARSITY
FEB R UA RY 21, 2013
championship game of the
Final Face-Off.
Obviously, the Badgers
can���t focus that far ahead
quite yet, and there are a
variety of other things that
could happen until then. But
one thing is looking fairly
certain as we approach the
end of the regular season;
the Badgers��� quest for an
7 p.m.
4 p.m.
WCHA Playoffs
7 p.m.
WCHA Playoffs
7 p.m.
WCHA Playoffs
4 p.m.
WCHA Final Face-Off TBA
WCHA Final Face-Off TBA
eighth NCAA tournament appearance leads through North Dakota.
Looking ahead to the WCHA Final Face-Off, barring any upsets in
the first round of playoffs, Wisconsin
and North Dakota are set to meet in
the semifinals, as the two teams have
claimed the second and third seeds.
Additionally, if Minnesota were to
get knocked out early, it still seems
likely that either Wisconsin or North
Dakota will be selected for the NCAA
tournament, even if a third team
wins the Final Face-Off title to earn
the automatic bid.
However, the one thing we have
learned is that it is almost impossible
to predict outcomes in the WCHA
this season.
Minnesota State, Bemidji State
and St. Cloud State are all potential first-round opponents that both
North Dakota and Wisconsin need to
focus on getting past before worrying
about playing each other.
But if that game happens, don���t be
surprised if the winner gets selected
for the NCAA tournament.
