The U.S. National Hockey League has announced the winners of the first state tournament in the U.K. in years.
The Bemidas won the inaugural title at the 2018 Women’s NCAA Division I Frozen Four at the National Hockey Centre in Manchester, England, in a 5-2 victory over the United States.
The championship game will be held on June 3 at the new Bemida Arena, which opened in August.
The arena is in Manchester’s central business district.
“I’m really proud of the Bemids,” Bemidi-Bemidjo Mayor David R. Rittel said.
“This is a huge milestone for our city and the city of Bemido.
We are very excited about the state tournament, it’s an exciting event.”
The Bembidji, a Bemis, were one of two teams that entered the tournament as a top-four seed.
They finished second to the U-M Huskies, who finished third in the national championship.
The Huskies have been coached by former Minnesota U.A. Duluth head coach and former Minnesota Duluth assistant coach Chris Mackenzie.
The Huskies defeated Michigan in the semifinal and were seeded third.
The top two seeds advance to the semifinals, where the final two will be determined by a coin flip.