The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team -- that will officially finish the season in third place in the NCAA -- earned its highest final season USCHO.com ranking in over a decade Monday morning.

The Bulldogs sit fourth in the final national poll, pulling up two spots from last week in what is their highest finish since finishing No. 1 2010.  UMD fell to top-seeded Northeastern University last Thursday with just 26 seconds left in overtime in a 3-2 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal thriller.  It was the Bulldogs first NCAA Frozen Four appearance since 2010, and it followed on their first NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal win in 11 years, a 1-0 overtime win over Colgate University at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Penn.

UMD finished the season 12-7 and second in the WCHA regular season -- also the highest league finish in a decade.  The Bulldogs also finish third in the NCAA, as both semifinal teams that do not advance to the championship game have been awarded third place since 2005.