Wisconsin Women's Hockey Completes Greatest-Ever Season

When Ohio State's Jordyn Petrie went to the penalty box for cross-checking Kirsten Simms after the whistle, Wisconsin had a prime opportunity to take the first lead. The Badgers' power play is the best in the country, converting on nearly 35% of its opportunities.

Instead, the Buckeyes came out with a 1-0 lead. To begin its penalty kill, OSU won the faceoff in its own defensive end. Ohio State's leading scorer then picked up the puck behind the goal line and managed to skate from end to end all on her own. No Badgers defender managed to reach her, and the same player that gave Ohio State a decisive 1-0 lead in the title game in 2024 had put her team in front.

If you blinked, you might have missed it, but Wisconsin capitalized on the power play anyway. Badgers forward Laila Edwards, who had a hat trick in the semifinal against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, corralled the puck sent along the boards by UW winger Lacey Eden in the neutral zone after a center-ice faceoff. The First-Team All-American carried the puck into the offensive zone, danced around a defender, and used a fake in front of the net to force OSU goaltender Amanda Thiele out of position.

Just 12 seconds after Ohio State scored, Wisconsin tied it - ensuring there would not be a third-straight 1-0 national title game.

It was one of two incredibly consequential plays by Edwards in the first twenty periods. However, the second was a play she will undoubtedly want back.

After Wisconsin was unable to maintain possession past the Ohio State blue line, the Patty Kazmaier Award top-three finalist skated the puck back into the neutral zone. OSU's Sloane Matthews raced to steal the puck from Edwards and successfully poke-checked it away.

The Buckeyes winger raced toward the Wisconsin net on a two-on-one through the neutral zone. Badgers defender Laney Potter defended the odd-skater rush well, laying out her body to take away Matthews' potential passing lane. The Plymouth, Michigan native scored an impressive goal regardless, firing a wrist shot past Ava McNaughton at the top right corner for a 2-1 lead that Ohio State took into the locker room at the first intermission.

Ohio State and Wisconsin Women's Hockey Trade Second Period Goals

If any fans inside Ridder Arena were still away from their seats at the beginning of the second period, they missed some early action. After Ohio State center Jocelyn Amos took the faceoff, the Buckeyes pushed the puck deep into the offensive zone.

The puck bounded around the back of the net, causing chaos in front of McNaughton. Quickly, Emma Peschel skated off the blue line to the top of the left faceoff circle. The All-WCHA First-Team defender slammed a slapshot past McNaughton high glove-side to double her team's lead to 3-1 a mere ten seconds into the second period.

The Badgers did manage to cut their deficit back in half after an impressive individual effort by Simms. The nation's second-leading scorer earned her 47th assist by patiently waiting for a prime scoring chance. She delayed her initial shot, letting an Ohio State defender whizz past her. Simms did not bury the initial shot, but the Plymouth, Michigan native corralled her own rebound.

Rather than shoot herself, Simms found her fellow First-Team All-American Caroline Harvey open in the high slot. Harvey put the puck past Thiele, tying the Badgers' program record for goals in a season and making the score 3-2.

A Penalty Shot at History

Playing against Wisconsin's offense is no easy task. The Badgers entered Sunday scoring 5.42 goals per game - by far the most in the country, ahead of #2 Ohio State's 3.9 Ohio State Women's Hockey 

Playing against Wisconsin's offense is no easy task. The Badgers entered Sunday scoring 5.42 goals per game - by far the most in the country, ahead of #2 Ohio State's 3.9 

In a contentious third period, the OSU defense stood tall. By crowding the net, the Buckeyes brought Wisconsin to the brink. Wisconsin peppered the net, outshooting Ohio State 12-3 in the third period. The Buckeyes blocked six shots in the final 20 minutes of regulation after only blocking two through the first 40 minutes.

With 1:50 left on the clock, the Buckeyes bench was assessed a minor penalty for having too many skaters on the ice. The unforced error put the Badgers' dangerous power play back on the ice in the closing moments of a one-goal game. 

Wisconsin did not technically convert on the advantage, but it did score before the penalty expired. 

Wisconsin enjoyed a six-on-four advantage after UW head coach Mark Johnson pulled McNaughton for the extra attacker with a minute left. A Badgers' offensive barrage appeared that it was going to fall just short as a whistle blew with 18.9 seconds remaining on the clock, but destiny called for Simms. 

Johnson challenged the play on the ice shortly before the whistle blew. It appeared that former Wisconsin forward Maddi Wheeler, who joined the Buckeyes this season, closed her hand on the puck in her team's crease. After review, the officials gave Johnson a choice: send another Ohio State skater to the box for a six-on-three advantage or take one penalty shot to try and tie the game in the closing seconds. 

The all-time winningest coach in Division I women's ice hockey history opted for the penalty shot. Simms skated to center ice with the season's fate on the line: a season-wins record, an eighth national title, and the rubber match with Ohio State. 

Simms curled wide to the right after picking up the puck. Veering back to her left, the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Award top-three finalist deked, sending Thiele out of position. Carefully keeping the puck on her stick, the junior curled back to the right and stretched her arms to put the game-tying goal, despite Thiele's efforts, sprawling across the crease. 

Kirsten Simms Secures  Wisconsin Women's Hockey Eighth National Title

Wisconsin carried the final ten seconds of the too-many-skaters penalty into overtime. UW did not convert, but it did not take long for the game to end. 

The Badgers had four shots on goal to the Buckeyes one in OT, controlling the pace of play from the moment the puck dropped in the extra period. The fourth shot, by Simms, clinched the championship. 

After a shot by Eden resulted in a rebound, Simms secured a bouncing puck on her stick. With a wrister, she scored her second goal in 188 seconds for an end to a storybook season.