Wisconsin women’s hockey played a game for the ages in Duluth, Minnesota, against Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. It was the Badgers’ fifth game against the Buckeyes this season, but this game had national title implications. Ohio State came in as the preseason favorite to repeat as champs, earned the number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament, and challenged the Badgers the entire way, but it was not enough. Wisconsin defeated Ohio State 1-0.

After a five-game skid earlier this season, the NCAA Tournament was not a guarantee for the Badgers. Badgers’ fans defining memories from this season will not be that losing skid, however. What will be remembered are the contributions from an incredible freshman class, defeating the defending national champions, and securing the program’s seventh national championship.

Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Secures Early Lead

A pair of freshmen got the Badgers on the board early. Wisconsin has relied on their freshman to generate scoring throughout the season and Kirsten Simms answered the call with 6:32 remaining in the opening frame. Fellow freshman Claire Enright fought to keep the puck in the offensive zone and found Simms open in the high slot. Simms got a wrist shot off around one defender and scored high blocker side.

WHO ELSE BUT KIRSTEN SIMMS?! BADGERS ARE ON THE BOARD.

📺 ESPNU #WFrozenFour x @BadgerWHockey pic.twitter.com/VBNYcJGleE

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 19, 2023

The Buckeyes outshot the Badgers 16-5 in the first period. Badgers senior goaltender Cami Kronish held OSU scoreless, stopping all 16 shots. Wisconsin skaters added another 7 blocked shot attempts by Ohio State – including three by captain Britta Curl.

Although no goals were scored in the second period, there was plenty of action on both ends of the ice. Wisconsin led the Buckeyes in shots on goal 11-6 in the second. The Badgers controlled possession at the end of the period in the Ohio State defensive zone to close the period – peppering a total of nine shot attempts toward the OSU goal in the final 1:50.

Third Period Blitz for the Buckeyes

Enright tried to get her name on the scoresheet again early in the third period. After finding herself alone on a breakaway, the Farmington, Minnesota native tried to go to her backhand to beat Ohio State goaltender Amanda Thiele, but could not get around her right leg.

After killing a roughing penalty committed by defender Riley Brengman, Ohio State brought pressure to its offensive zone. Kronish made an impressive toe save after sliding from her right to left across the crease to stop a shot attempt by Buckeyes winger Paetyn Levis with 12:43 remaining. It was the first of three saves by Kronish in a mere 49 seconds.

After both teams were held scoreless down the stretch, Ohio State attempted to pull Thiele for an extra skater but had the play blown dead after making an early substitution. Eventually, Thiele was successfully pulled, but it was too late. The Badgers won 1-0, shutting out Ohio State for the first time all season.

FINAL IN DULUTH#Badgers 1
Buckeyes 0

WE ARE SEVEN TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS pic.twitter.com/9TTKN41P1J

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 19, 2023

Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Record-Breaking National Championship

With the victory, Wisconsin broke its tie with the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the most NCAA Division 1 Women’s Hockey national championships. It is another feather in the cap of head coach Mark Johnson – the all-time winningest coach in women’s college hockey.

Kronish was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She made 31 saves in the championship game, including 16 in the first period. The 2022-23 season was Kronish’s first as the Badgers’ starting goaltender.

CHAMPIONS!!! WISCONSIN WINS THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!! BADGERS WIN!!

📺 ESPNU #WFrozenFour x @BadgerWHockey pic.twitter.com/PfXcLxY9YJ

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 19, 2023

Four other Badgers joined Kronish with individual accolades. Kronish, Natalie Buchbinder, Curl, Nicole LaMantia, and Sophie Shirley won their third national championship. That group of five joins only seven other UW players to ever win three national titles.

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Wisconsin women’s hockey learned its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday morning. The Badgers (25-10-2, 19-7-2 WCHA) had to wait and see if they would earn an at-large berth to the tournament after falling in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals to rival Minnesota. Fortunately for UW, it found it has secured its place in a tenth-straight NCAA Tournament.

💃Back in the Dance!💃

For the 10th-straight season the #Badgers have heard their name called on Selection Sunday!#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/u4j6vMAhvL

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 5, 2023

Wisconsin finished third in the WCHA this season, a position typically disappointing for such a dominant program. Beyond the final placement, however, is a more complex story. Minnesota, the conference’s second-place team, did not defeat the Badgers in regulation or overtime in their four tries in the regular season. Although Wisconsin went only 1-2-1 against Ohio State (including one loss in overtime and another decided with 55 seconds remaining in regulation), the Buckeyes entered the season as the reigning national champion and finished the regular season as the WCHA Champion.

Not to mention, those two teams Wisconsin fell just short of in the regular season? They earned the top two overall seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

All eyes on Duluth 🏒🏆

➡️ https://t.co/MEEy2Z5nsB#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/rGJQfuof2G

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 5, 2023

Wisconsin will now play Long Island University on Thursday at 5 PM Central in Hamilton, NY. The LIU Sharks received an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAAs by winning the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance tournament. This is the first year a team from the NEWHA will be in the NCAA Tournament.

Longtime Wisconsin women’s hockey fans will be familiar with Sharks head coach Kelly Nash. Nash played at Wisconsin 2007-2011, bringing two national championships to Madison during her time with the Badgers. Nash recorded 22 goals and 47 assists at UW, including a career-high four points in the Culver’s Camp Randall Hockey Classic.

The #Badgers will face LIU on Thursday night in Hamilton, New York with the winner to face Colgate on Saturday pic.twitter.com/0AT1yh4Yv2

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 5, 2023

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Madison, WI- It is time to Pack the Kohl again! Badger fans did a great job last Friday for the Women, with 14,430 fans in attendance at the Fill the Bowl game vs. St. Cloud State. However, it is time to do it again but this time for the Men’s team. The Wisconsin Men’s Hockey team will face the NUMBER ONE RANKED Golden Gophers. 

Friday, February 10th

The Wisconsin Men’s Hockey team is hosting a stripe-out at the Kohl Center. Red and White are the colors, with each section alternating colors. Red vs. White sections will also participate in games with chances to win a souvenir puck after the game.

It's Red 🔴 vs. White ⚪️ on Friday at the Kohl Center

Seven games.

Winning color takes home a souvenir puck pic.twitter.com/tu9bgl5A69

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) February 6, 2023

Saturday, February 11th

The Badgers will be honoring the 50th anniversary of the 1973 National Championship team. The 1973 team was the first Badger team to win an NCAA Division 1 Men’s Ice Hockey championship. The Wisconsin Men’s Hockey team defeated Denver 4-2 in the title game that year.

A little history lesson

The last time the Wisconsin Men’s Hockey team played the #1 ranked team at the Kohl Center was on February 6th and 7th of 2014 against the top-ranked Gophers. The Badgers would win 2-1 on both nights.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Jake Maier on Twitter. @JakeJMaier.

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