In their first season in the league, the Minnesota Whitecaps have won the National Women's Hockey League regular-season title and will enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

Lauren Barnes scored twice for Minnesota on Sunday as the Whitecaps beat host Connecticut 4-1. Goalie Amanda Leveille had 24 saves for Minnesota.

The Whitecaps finished the regular season 12-4 in the league, 20-4 overall — with the postseason still to come.

Minnesota is set to host a playoff game at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at the Tria Rink in downtown St. Paul, against an opponent to be determined — the winner of a play-in game between the Connecticut Whale and the Metropolitan Riveters.

The Whitecaps, which previously operated as an independent team, started skating in 2004. The NWHL is in its fourth season.