WCHA women’s conference to start play weekend of Nov. 20-22

Gracie Ostertag and Minnesota will kick off the 2020-21 season two weekends from now (photo: Brad Rempel/Minnesota Athletics).

The WCHA women’s conference will start the 2020-21 schedule the weekend of Nov. 20-22.

WCHA schools will play eight league games from November 20 to December 19 before breaking for the holidays. League play will resume as early as Jan. 1. The post-holiday schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

“We look forward to dropping the puck on our season later this month,” WCHA commissioner Jennifer Flowers said in a statement. “One of our primary goals throughout our return to competition discussions has been to provide our student-athletes the opportunity to compete safely in a meaningful season. We are pleased to have determined a path that allows that to happen. We continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape and remain committed to playing as complete a schedule as possible.”

WCHA officials and member institution administrators are finalizing return to competition protocols that will be implemented upon approval. The protocols, along with state, local and university safety guidelines, will be in force at all WCHA arenas throughout the 2020-21 season.

“I want to commend our administrators, coaches and league staff for the work they’ve put in to building our return to competition plan,” Flowers said. “We’ve engaged in several months of in-depth discussions as we worked through the challenges presented by the pandemic to craft a plan that addresses the health and safety of all.”