A Primer of the NCAA women’s hockey scene in Boston
NCAA Women’s college hockey is on the rise in the U.S., and in Boston, the popularity of the sport is soaring — so who should you be watching?
Ice hockey is not new to Boston sports; if you’re a native of the area, or even just a casual fan, you’re likely familiar with the NCAA men’s Beanpot Tournaments and the historic rivalries between schools like Boston University and Boston College.
Advertisements for the Boston Bruins pervade downtown, and approaching TD Garden between the months of October and May means you’re likely bombarded with Bruins’ promotional material.
College and professional men’s hockey thrive in New England, and Boston is no exception.
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Women’s hockey isn’t new to Boston either — since the conception of the women’s Beanpot Tournament and the establishment of Division I women’s hockey teams at Boston-area institutes in the NCAA like Boston College, Boston University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University, the women’s hockey scene in Boston has been overflowing with the spirit of competition and the drive of hard-working athletes.
But that’s enough about the history — what’s happening in the NCAA right now?
NCAA
The women’s hockey teams in Boston are concentrated in two different conferences: three in the HEA (Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern), and one in the ECAC (Harvard).
All four teams are consistently nationally ranked, with Boston College currently the only team sitting out of the USCHO Top Ten due to recent performances against conference rivals.
Northeastern currently occupies the No. 3 national spot, while Boston University and Harvard sit at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively. Don’t discount BC, though — at their peak this season, the Eagles were ranked No. 5 in a spot now occupied by the WCHA’s Ohio State. The year isn’t over yet, though, and each team in Boston is desperate to make it to this season’s Frozen Four. Let’s take a look at how hard they’ve worked to get to where they are.