University of North Dakota loses three varsity sports due to deep budget cuts

A day after the U.S. women’s national hockey team secured a landmark agreement with USA Hockey, the school two of the team’s star players attended eliminated its hockey program.

The University of North Dakota will cut its women’s hockey team -- one of 35 NCAA Division I programs nationally --- due to budget cuts. The school told USA TODAY Sports it will also cut its men's and women's swimming and diving programs.

Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, twins who play for Team USA, played hockey at the University of North Dakota. The sisters will face another former UND hockey player, Halli Krzyzaniak, as Team USA opens Worlds play against Canada on Friday.

UND created its Division I hockey program in 2002 and the Fighting Hawks finished .500 this season, ending with a loss to Wisconsin in the WCHA tournament on Mach 4.