After a back and forth 3-2 game, the Wisconsin Badgers won their second consecutive, and ninth all-time NCAA women's hockey National Championship.
After a back-and-forth game, Ohio State wasn’t able to get ahead after six penalty kills. Wisconsin's Claire Enright scored the game-winning goal that took the team to its ninth ever and second consecutive National Championship.
"It's been a challenging year for a lot of different reasons, you know, but [the players] stuck together, put together what we needed most at the last 20 minutes," Mark Johnson said after the game.
To open scoring, Kelly Gorbatenko tipped the puck past MacLeod just 1:18 in, on the team’s first shot on goal. Ava McNaughton withstood eight shots from the Badgers in the initial 10 minutes, leaning on several stick saves to keep them scoreless. A glove save to stop Joy Dunne at 3:28 lit the arena up, which was filled with mostly Badgers fans.
The Buckeyes were further slowed down by three penalties in the first period. Wisconsin holds the No.1 power play in the country at .355, but the Buckeyes managed to escape unscathed on the penalty kill.
“You're trying to kill off half a period and that can get a little tiring, but I thought [Ohio State] persevered and showed some grit and some heart,” Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall said.
On Wisconsin’s fourth shot on goal, Laney Potter took a shot by the crease to MacLeod’s left to lift Wisconsin up 2-0 just seven minutes in.
At 10 minutes, Emma Peschel took a penalty for cross-checking, giving Wisconsin their first power play of the game and more of an opportunity to swarm the net. After the Badgers’ second goal, they doubled the Buckeyes’ total shots 16 to eight.
Ohio State was back on its feet going into the second period, holding Wisconsin to just four shots in the initial 10 minutes, and leading with 12. But two penalties between the teams, one on Ava Murphy and another on Mira Jungaker played in the Badgers’ advantage. By the end of the second period, the Badgers had leveled the Buckeyes’ shots on goal count at 11, and neither had found the back of the net. Ohio State doubled faceoffs 30 to 14 but possession remained back and forth.
Johnson remarked that he was "happy to get through the second period," given its historically Ohio State's most advantageous.
But at 3:31 into the final period, the Buckeyes finally cracked McNaughton. Kassidy Carmichael tipped the puck into the back of the net off an assist from Mira Jungake.
Two minutes later, Jocelyn Amos found the equalizer off a rebound from Emma Peschel.
“I think it speaks a lot for their character when you're down to nothing, and you punch back, and you get two quick goals and get some momentum,” Muzerall said.
"All of a sudden, in two minutes' span, it's two-two. And then it's like, 'Okay, do you have enough juice and enough energy to maybe create some chances?'" Johnson said.
Ohio State's momentum wasn’t quite enough for the championship.
Claire Enright found her way from behind the goal line to take a shot to MacLeod’s upper left, putting Wisconsin on top once again, 3-2, with just six minutes left. Ohio State took 11 total shots following, but just couldn’t catch up. With seconds left, Ohio State was called for delaying the game and hooking, but the clock ran out, and Wisconsin became National Champions once again.
"For the players, it's been challenging. For the coaching staff, it's been challenging. But the end result is they've got a memory. They've got something that they worked together and got rewarded. That's been very, very special," Johnson said.