The Bison women's hockey team is the No. 1 seed at the 2018 U SPORTS Championships at Western University in London, ON from March 15-18 and first game at the Nationals will be on Friday, March 16. 

The Bisons (regular season: 19-5-3-1; playoffs: 4-1) seek first national championship in their sixth appearance. Manitoba play the No. 8 seed Queen's Gaels (regular season: 17-3-4; playoffs: 4-2) in the quarter-final game on Friday, March 16 at 3 p.m. CT. Manitoba has not played the 2018 OUA (Ontario University Athletics) finalist this season and have not met them during the national championships. 

Manitoba last earned a nationals berth in 2011 and finished sixth. The Herd had a fourth place finish in 2009. The program best showing is three bronze medal finishes at U SPORTS Nationals. In 2008, Manitoba was third and again was third place in 2007. In the first national appearance for the Herd in 2005, Manitoba also placed third. 

"This team has embraced being one of the top teams all season and we are ready for this championships, stated Bison women's hockey head coach and 2017-18 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Coach of the Year Jon Rempel. "This is what we worked for all year and look forward to starting the Nationals against a tough opponent in Queen's." 

The winner of the Manitoba and Queen's game will then play the winner of the another quarter-final series involving No. 4 Concordia and No. 5 seed StFX. The loser of the Bisons-Gaels match-up will go into the consolation bracket and play against the loser of Concordia and StFX. 

This is the first time the Bisons have been the No. 1 seed at the U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championships in their sixth appearance. Manitoba highest previous seed at the Nationals was third during the last visit in 2011 and also third seed in 2009. Manitoba was the fifth seed in 2007 and 2008 while the sixth seed in first appearance in 2005.

Eight teams compete for the 2018 U SPORTS women's hockey title. There are two representatives from Canada West – No. 1 seed Manitoba and No. 7 seed Saskatchewan; two representatives from OUA – No. 3 seed Western and No. 8 seed Queen's and while two representatives from RSEQ  – No. 4 seed Concordia and No. 6 seed Montreal plus two representatives from AUS  – No. 2 seed Saint Mary's and No. 5 seed StFX.

2018 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championships seeding:
1. Manitoba
2. Saint Mary's
3. Western
4. Concordia
5. StFX
6. Montreal
7. Saskatchewan
8. Queen's

Thursday, March 15 – Quarter-finals (all times are Central Time)
3 p.m. No. 2 Saint Mary's vs. No. 7 Sask.
6 p.m. No. 3 Western vs. No. 6 Montreal 

Friday, March 16 – Quarter-finals (all times are Central Time)
3 p.m. No. 1 Manitoba vs. No. 8 Queen's
6 p.m. No. 4 Concordia vs. No. 5 StFX

Saturday, March 17 (all times are Central Time)
9 a.m. Consolation Semifinal #1
12 p.m. Consolation Semifinal #2
3 p.m. Semifinal #1
6 p.m. Semifinal #2

Sunday, March 18 (all times are Central Time)
9 a.m. Consolation Final
12 p.m. Bronze medal game
3 p.m. Gold medal game 

Bison women's hockey record in U SPORTS Championships (Manitoba with three bronze medal finishes)
Year       Final Results       Played at            Seed
2018      TBD                    Western              1st
2011      6th place              Wilfrid Laurier     3rd
2009      4th place             StFX                    3rd
2008      3rd place            Ottawa                5th
2007      3rd place            Ottawa                6th
2005      3rd place            McGill                 6th