The Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face CHA champion Penn State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on March 9, as revealed in Sunday’s tournament selection show. 

Despite a 5-1 loss to Colgate in the semifinals of the ECAC Hockey Tournament, the Bobcats’ No. 8 position in the PairWise rankings clinched them an at-large bid to the big dance, following Northeastern’s Hockey East championship victory over Providence. 

Penn State punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its 10-year program history with an overtime victory over Mercyhurst in the CHA title game Saturday. The Nittany Lions went 24-8-2 in the regular season and enter their matchup with the Bobcats riding an 11-game win streak. 

Quinnipiac, on the other hand, has lost four of its last six games dating back to Feb. 17. The Bobcats’ two victories in that stretch came in a ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series with St. Lawrence, requiring overtime to end the Saints’ season in Game 3. 

No. 1 Ohio State, the regional host, awaits the winner of the first round matchup. Quinnipiac was eliminated by the eventual national champion Buckeyes last season in a dramatic double-overtime thriller after the program earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory over Syracuse in the opening round. 

Full bracket:

All eyes on Duluth 🏒🏆

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— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 5, 2023