![UMD goaltender Hunter Shepard (32) made a save with his leg pad in the third period. Shepard pitched a shutout on the night. ]](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/BMQFFGIPJOXPZKQONLJNRMXV4U.jpg?&w=712)
(Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
NCHC, WCHA, Big Ten cancel postseason hockey tournaments
The moves were made in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth and the Gophers were to play this weekend.
March 12, 2020 at 5:32PM
College hockey's season sat on the precipice Thursday, as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, Western College Hockey Association and Big Ten announced they were canceling their postseason tournaments.
Those leagues joined the ECAC, Atlantic Hockey and Hockey East in canceling their men's conference tournaments.
Later Thursday afternoon, the NCAA announced it was cancelling all winter and spring sports.
The NCHC was to begin its tournament with four best-of-three quarterfinal series at campus sites, which included Minnesota Duluth playing host to Miami (Ohio), St. Cloud State traveling to Western Michigan, North Dakota hosting Colorado College, and Nebraska Omaha visiting Denver. The league's marquee event, the Frozen Faceoff at Xcel Energy Center on March 20-21, will not go on.
In the WCHA, Bemidji State was to host Bowling Green in a best-of-three semifinal series, while Michigan Tech was to visit Minnesota State.
The Gophers men were scheduled to visit Penn State for a one-game Big Ten semifinal in a game played in front of no spectators.
The Gophers women were scheduled to play Ohio State in an NCAA quarterfinal game on Saturday at Ridder Arena.
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