Duluth's Amsoil Arena prepped, ready for women's NCAA Frozen Four

DULUTH — At Amsoil Arena, the red lines have been painted redder, the blues bluer and at center-ice the freshly added NCAA Frozen Four women's college hockey logo is surrounded by those of the four teams competing for this year's title: Minnesota, Ohio State, Northeastern and Wisconsin.

It has to look good on TV, said arena maintenance foreman Jake Magdzas. It won't be long before ESPN's production trailer rolls into town to broadcast the games on ESPN+ and ESPNU.

The Frozen Four returns to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) for the fourth time — and the first in 11 years — since the women's tournament was first sanctioned by the NCAA in 2001. Friday's semifinal matchups are between the defending champions from Ohio State and Northeastern at 2:30 p.m., followed by familiar Western Collegiate Hockey Association foes Minnesota and Wisconsin at 6 p.m. Winners face off in the championship at 3 p.m. Sunday.

University of Minnesota Duluth was upended by Minnesota in last week's quarterfinals and missed its shot at playing in front of hometown fans. The Gophers haven't played in the Frozen Four since 2019 — but this ice was good to them during the 2012 tournament. Minnesota topped Wisconsin 4-2 and dominated the all-tournament team the last time Amsoil Arena was the site of the women's national championship.

Magdzas' to-do list started months ago and continues into the tournament weekend, where he will be on-hand with the arena's ice crew. In the meantime, all signs of the University of Minnesota Duluth hockey team have been erased — including gear. Bulldog athletes were expected to clear the locker rooms earlier this week. Local advertisements are out, NCAA logos are in.

Abbey Strong, UMD's assistant athletic director for compliance, was on the NCAA championship committee when the Bulldogs were picked to host this year's finale. It considered location and the potential for ticket sales, she said.

UMD's women's hockey team has the third-highest attendance numbers in the country — averaging 1,100 fans per game. The Badgers and Gophers top that list.

"We have a proven record that our fans will come out for hockey," Strong said .

There have been steady ticket sales this week, according to DECC spokeswoman Lucie Amundsen. They are expecting a two-day total of 6,000-7,000 people.

DECC officials reported a total of more than 4,000 advance tickets have sold between the two days of games. Strong wants to at least fill the lower bowl at the arena — 3,700 fans per game — which she described as "do-able." The arena can hold more than 6,700.

Strong has added Duluth touches to the tournament, including an opening reception for players at the Great Lakes Aquarium where scuba divers will don team uniforms. Young fans will create a stick tunnel to greet the athletes before the games. And there is an open skate on Saturday morning at Amsoil Arena followed by the Patty Kazmaier Award ceremony — a free event honoring the top college women's hockey player held in the Ice Cube atrium at Amsoil Arena.

Women's hockey fan Megan Kress will be at Friday's games with no loyalties. She became a fan by watching the Bulldogs' early years under coach Shannon Miller, who built a roster with players from the United States, Finland, Sweden, Canada and beyond. These international connections have given Kress a wide fan base — and a lot of teams to root for.

"You will always win when you are supporting women doing what was not an option when you were growing up, regardless of team," Kress said.

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson, self-described as a big college sports fan because of athletes' heart, passion, focus and drive, will also be in attendance.

"Having the Frozen Four back in Duluth keeps us relevant nationally," she said. "It's going to be a perfect wintry weekend to showcase our hockey heritage and dedication to fair, competitive play."

When hosting the tournament at the DECC, UMD won twice (2003, 2008) and once didn't advance (2012). Still, Bulldog representation is embedded deep in the rink at Amsoil Arena — beneath the recently added tournament logos.

"If we were to shave this down and peel it away, we'd be down to Bulldogs' ice again," Magdzas said.