The first women's college hockey national championship was played in 2001 between Minnesota-Duluth and St. Lawrence in Minneapolis. But in its 21 seasons of existence, only five teams have finished the season with "national champions" as their title.
Here are the women's college hockey teams who have the most national championships — and have absolutely dominated the sport.
Ohio State — 1
Championship: 2021
The Buckeyes won their first title — and became the most recent champion — when, as the top seed, they beat Minnesota Duluth. Ohio State finished the season 32-6 and won their last 10 games of the season. In the NCAA tournament, the Buckeyes beat Quinnipiac 4-3, No. 5 Yale 2-1 and then Minnesota Duluth 3-2.
Clarkson — 3
Clarkson has three national championships.
Championships: 2014, 2017, 2018
It's no surprise Clarkson women's hockey entered the 2018-19 season at No. 1 in the rankings. The Golden Knights won the 2018 national championship 2-1 in overtime versus Colgate. They finished the season with an impressive 36-4-1 record. Clarkson also took the title in 2017, topping another women's hockey powerhouse, Wisconsin, 3-0. Their other championship came in a 5-4 win over Minnesota in 2014. Clarkson has been on the rise, and it doesn't look like they're slowing down any time soon.
Minnesota Duluth — 5
Minnesota-Duluth has five national championships.
Championships: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010
Minnesota-Duluth holds five national championships, coming in just behind the state's flagship university. The Bulldogs have participated in — and won — perhaps two of the most nerve-wracking championship games. In 2003, UMD pulled off a 4-3, double overtime win over Harvard in their very own city. The 2010 championship called for three overtimes, with UMD finally topping Cornell 3-2. That game was played in Minneapolis, meaning there were probably a lot of Duluth fans in the house routing for the home team. UMD also claimed the first two national championships ever played, as well as the 2008 title.
Wisconsin — 6
Championships: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019, 2021
Wisconsin's first two national championships were border battles against Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth. In 2009, the Badgers topped Mercyhurst in a high-scoring 5-0 final. The 2011 season brought a 4-1 victory over Boston University. Wisconsin then added No. 5 with a 2-0 blanking of Minnesota. The Badgers added a sixth in 2021 with a thrilling, 2-1 victory in overtime against Northeastern.
Minnesota — 6
Minnesota has more championships than any other program.
Championships: 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
The Minnesota Gophers are the queens of college hockey. They've won six national championships, including the two highest-scoring title games in the history of the sport. In 2004, the Gophers topped Harvard 6-2. Then, in 2013, they knocked off Boston University 6-3 for the title — this is also the only team who has gone undefeated through the national championship, finishing at 41-0-0. The also ended the 2005, 2012, 2015 and 2016 seasons at the top.
Women's college hockey championships from 2001 to today.
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ohio State (32-6-0) | 3-2 | Minnesota Duluth | University Park, PA |
| 2021 | Wisconsin (17-3-1) | 2-1 (OT) | Northeastern | Erie, PA |
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Wisconsin (35-4-2) | 2-0 | Minnesota | Hamden, Conn. |
| 2018 | Clarkson (36-4-1) | 2-1 (OT) | Colgate | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2017 | Clarkson (32-4-5) | 3-0 | Wisconsin | St. Charles, Mo. |
| 2016 | Minnesota (35-4) | 3-1 | Boston College | Durham, N.H. |
| 2015 | Minnesota (34-3-4) | 4-1 | Harvard | Minneapolis |
| 2014 | Clarkson (31-5-5) | 5-4 | Minnesota | Hamden, Conn. |
| 2013 | Minnesota (41-0-0) | 6-3 | Boston University | Minneapolis |
| 2012 | Minnesota (33-5-2) | 4-2 | Wisconsin | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2011 | Wisconsin (37-2-2) | 4-1 | Boston University | Erie, Pa. |
| 2010 | Minnesota-Duluth (31-8-2) | 3-2 (3OT) | Cornell | Minneapolis |
| 2009 | Wisconsin (33-2-5) | 5-0 | Mercyhurst | Boston |
| 2008 | Minnesota-Duluth (34-4-1) | 4-0 | Wisconsin | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2007 | Wisconsin (36-1-4) | 4-1 | Minnesota-Duluth | Lake Placid, N.Y. |
| 2006 | Wisconsin (36-4-1) | 3-0 | Minnesota | Minnesota |
| 2005 | Minnesota (36-2-2) | 4-3 | Harvard | New Hampshire |
| 2004 | Minnesota (30-4-2) | 6-2 | Harvard | Providence |
| 2003 | Minnesota-Duluth (31-3-2) | 4-3 (2OT) | Harvard | Duluth, Minn. |
| 2002 | Minnesota-Duluth (24-6-4) | 3-2 | Brown | Durham, N.H. |
| 2001 | Minnesota-Duluth (28-5-4) | 4-2 | St. Lawrence | Minneapolis |
