Ohio State will take on Wisconsin in the teams' fourth consecutive NCAA women’s hockey National Championship game.
Ohio State and Wisconsin will meet for the fourth consecutive NCAA Championship March 22. The teams know each other better than anyone, but with a championship on the line, all bets are off.
"There's no better rivalry, there's no better game than what people are going to see tomorrow, and it's going to be back and forth, it's going to be gritty, and both teams want it bad," Laila Edwards said in a press conference March 21.
In the three consecutive years the teams appeared in the game, the Buckeyes took home the trophy in 2024, and the Badgers in 2023 and 2025. In the five games they've played in the regular season, Wisconsin won three, but their last matchup was in the WCHA championship March 7, which Ohio State won 2-1.
"Hopefully, we have learned from that game, knowing that, you know, they're gonna play strong, they're gonna play physical. We just need to up the ante," Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson said.
With some of the biggest stars in college hockey, including Caroline Harvey and Edwards, playing their final game, the stakes are even higher.
"I think there's no better way to go out than winning it. But personally, I think I can speak for the rest of the classes. I love winning, but I hate losing even more," Edwards said.
The long-time rivalry in the championship game has taught the seniors how to handle pressure, Emma Peschel said. Both teams know what it's like to win and to lose at the highest NCAA level.
"I think after playing in three of them, you kind of know how to handle it. You know how to handle the pressure," Peschel said.
Conditioning will also be a sticking point for this Ohio State team, Jocelyn Amos said.
"We condition all year. I think our legs are a big factor with us and we stick to our systems and what works. Don't stray away from it, and that's really been working for us," Amos said.
"When your backs against the wall, all ages are coming in and showing up," Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall added. Each of Ohio State's five goals against Northeastern March 20 were scored by different players.
With back-and-forth victories for the past four seasons, the game will be tight no matter what.
"It really comes down to whose goalie is hot. We know each other's systems...I know my team is going to show up tomorrow," Muzerall said.
One thing Muzerall is certain of is that "it's going to be a really good game."