For the first time in three seasons, the No. 7 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will not finish its season in an NCAA Frozen Four.

The No. 2 University of Minnesota defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 Saturday afternoon at Ridder Arena in the NCAA Regional Final, and in the process, denied UMD a chance to play at AMSOIL Arena in the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four.

"It's tough because I love those kids," said UMD head coach Maura Crowell when asked about her graduating class that helped the program to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and two back-to-back Frozen Fours. "Those kids, those eight that have been with us for five, six years, have given us everything they have. They came into a program that wasn't anywhere near an NCAA Tournament. What they have done for our program the past three years is beyond words and I think they have set us up really well to continue this trajectory."

An airtight first period set the pace of the game, with the Bulldogs and Gophers trading scoring attempts but neither side giving a defensive inch.  Minnesota finally found that inch at 10:39 of the second period, when Madeline Wethington had a shot tipped past Emma Soderberg for the game's first goal and a 1-0 Gopher lead. 

UMD held it to a one goal deficit until the Gophers scored at 3:22, and then on a breakaway at 10:18 of the third period. But despite outshooting Minnesota 14-8 in the final frame and an empty net for almost four minutes, the Bulldogs were unable to solve Gopher netminder Skylar Vetter, who turned away all 30 shots she faced.

Soderberg was every bit as brilliant in her final game in a UMD sweater with 27 saves. The graduate goaltender ends her career with 189 saves in the NCAA Tournament, the eighth most by any goaltender over an NCAA Tournament career. Soderberg ends the season with a 1.38 goals against average – the second lowest by a UMD goaltender in program history for a goaltender that has played 1,000 or more minutes in a season.

"There are a lot of wins and losses in a season, and I think a big win is just the group that coach put together this year," said junior Mannon McMahon. "I mean getting to learn from everyone in that locker room every single day is a win in itself and on and off the ice I've been able to grow as a person and a player. We are just so fortunate to get to wear this jersey and be Bulldogs and we're just so grateful for this experience."