NORTHFIELD, Minn. – In the first playoff game in the history of St. Olaf Ice Arena, the fourth-seeded St. Olaf College women's hockey team hosts fifth-seeded Hamline University in the quarterfinals of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs on Friday night.
After clinching its first playoff berth under the five-team format since 2012, St. Olaf (14-9-2) hosts Hamline (9-15-1) in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. The game is the fifth home playoff game in program history for St. Olaf.
Per MIAC policy, admission will be charged for all postseason games. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $2 for students (children five and under are free). The St. Olaf College athletic department will cover the costs of tickets for St. Olaf students (with ID). There is no senior discount and MIAC passes are honored. No other passes are valid. Tickets may be bought by cash or card at the entrance to St. Olaf Ice Arena beginning at 6 p.m. (no advanced or online sales).
Live video and
live stats will also be available.
The winner of Friday night's game will advance to meet top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College in the semifinals on Sunday, Feb. 26 at either 2 p.m. or 4 p.m. The third-seeded College of Saint Benedict and second-seeded Augsburg University will contest Saturday's other semifinal in Minneapolis. The championship game will be played on Saturday, March 4 at the site of the highest remaining seed.
St. Olaf is making its 10th appearance in the MIAC Playoffs and holds a 3-9 all-time record in the tournament. Last season, the Oles dropped their opening-round game to Bethel University when all teams qualified for the tournament. Prior to that, St. Olaf's last playoff game was a 5-4 overtime loss to the Royals in the quarterfinals in 2012. The Oles' last postseason victory was a 3-1 victory at Saint Mary's University in the quarterfinals in 2010. St. Olaf is 1-3 all-time at home in the MIAC Playoffs, with the one win being a 4-2 win over Saint Mary's in 2006.
Hamline is in the postseason for the eighth time in program history and has appeared in each of the last six editions of the MIAC Playoffs dating back to 2017. The Pipers enter Friday night with a 7-6 all-time record in the tournament and advanced to the championship game last season as the No. 2 seed before falling by a 6-1 score to top-seeded Gustavus. Hamline has appeared in the championship game in three of the last four seasons, falling to the University of St. Thomas in 2019 and defeating Gustavus in 2018 for the lone MIAC Playoffs title in program history.
Friday night's game will be the first-ever meeting between the Oles and the Pipers in the MIAC Playoffs. The two teams split their regular-season series, with the road team winning both matchups. On Nov. 18 in St. Paul, St. Olaf extended its best-ever start to a season to 5-1-1 by
shutting out Hamline, 2-0, behind third-period goals from sophomore
Sophie McBane and first year
Molly Terebayza and a 24-save shutout from first year
Hannah Fritz. The next day in Northfield, the Pipers scored three times in each of the final two periods to claim a
6-1 victory and hand St. Olaf its first MIAC loss of the season. The Oles' win on Nov. 18 snapped Hamline's 14-game unbeaten streak (12-0-2) in the series at the time.
