2003 NCAA National Collegiate women's ice hockey tournament
| Teams | 4 |
|---|---|
| Finals site | |
| Champions | Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (3rd title) |
| Runner-up | Harvard Crimson (1st title game) |
| Semifinalists |
|
| Winning coach | Shannon Miller (3rd title) |
| MOP | Caroline Ouellette (Minnesota Duluth) |
| Attendance | 5,167 |
The 2003 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Tournament involved four schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of women's NCAA Division I college ice hockey. It began on March 21, 2003, and ended with the championship game on March 23. A total of four games were played. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs defeated the Harvard Crimson 4–3 in double overtime for their third straight national championship. As of 2026, they are the only women's hockey team to have won the NCAA tournament in three consecutive years. This was the first women's hockey final to go to overtime and the only one until 2010.
Qualifying teams
WCHA, ECAC
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth Type | Appearance | Last bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 29–3–2 | Tournament champion | 3rd | 2002 |
| 2 | Harvard | ECAC | 30–2–1 | Tournament champion | 2nd | 2001 |
| 3 | Minnesota | WCHA | 27–7–1 | At-large bid | 2nd | 2002 |
| 4 | Dartmouth | ECAC | 26–7–0 | At-large bid | 2nd | 2001 |
NCAA Frozen Four
| National Semifinals March 21 | National Championship March 23 | ||||||||
| 2 | Harvard | 6 | |||||||
| 3 | Minnesota | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Harvard | 3 | |||||||
| 1 | Minnesota Duluth | 4** | |||||||
| 1 | Minnesota Duluth | 5 | |||||||
| 4 | Dartmouth | 2 | Consolation Game | ||||||
| 3 | Minnesota | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Dartmouth | 4 | |||||||
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
The championship game was attended by 5,167. This set a new record for single-game attendance in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey, which would not be surpassed until January 26, 2008 (when 5,377 attended a Wisconsin home game at the Kohl Center against the St. Cloud State).[1]
Notes
- UMD made women's hockey history as the Bulldogs won their third straight NCAA Frozen Four tournament. The Bulldogs defeated Harvard in a double overtime win 4–3.[2] The game was held in Duluth, Minnesota in front of the largest crowd in women's hockey NCAA history (5,167).[3] Nora Tallus scored the game winner 4:19 into the second overtime.[4]
Tournament awards
- G: Amy Ferguson, Dartmouth
- D: Julie Chu, Harvard
- D: Angela Ruggiero, Harvard
- F: Caroline Ouellette*, Minnesota Duluth
- F: Jenny Potter, Minnesota Duluth
- F: Hanne Sikiö, Minnesota Duluth
References
- ^ "Women's Ice Hockey Attendance Records 2023-24 Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
- ^ Borzi, Pat (March 24, 2003). "HOCKEY; Minnesota-Duluth Makes It Three Straight". The New York Times.
- ^ "Memorable Moments". Minnesota Duluth Athletics. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ Borzi, Pat (March 24, 2003). "HOCKEY; Minnesota-Duluth Makes It Three Straight". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 22, 2019.