OSU Wins 2024 NCAA Women's Hockey Title

Joy Dunne's goal with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation was all Ohio State needed in a 1-0 victory today over Wisconsin in the 2024 NCAA Division I women's hockey national title game at the Whittemore Center in Durham, N.H. The Buckeyes avenged last year's loss to the Badgers by the same score in the national championship game, along with a 6-3 loss to Wisconsin on March 9 in the 2004 WCHA championship contest.

Boston College transfers Hanna Bilka and Cayla Barnes assisted on the goal by Barnes, the WCHA Rookie of the Year, her 24th score of the 2023-24 season. Raygan Kirk stopped all 26 shots she faced for Ohio State (35-4-0 overall), while Ava McNaughton made 27 stops for Wisconsin (35-6-0). 

It was the second national title in three years for OSU, both under head coach Nadine Muzerall. The Buckeyes also defeated Minnesota-Duluth and Clarkson University in the NCAAs this month, before winning their rematch on Sunday against the Badgers.

OSU outshot Wisconsin, 28-26, on the afternoon, while also winning 34 of 63 faceoffs. There were no penalties called, and no power plays in the game. Next year's NCAA Frozen Four will be held at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, where the Buckeyes will look to make the national semifinals for the fifth straight season.

Northeastern Claims Both 2023 Beanpot Crowns

Northeastern University is both king and queen of the Beanpot tournament for 2023.

The Northeastern men defeated Harvard University, 3-2, in a shootout on Monday night at a sold-out TD Garden in Boston, the first shootout in Beanpot history, although for NCAA tournament purposes the game is officially a tie contest. The Huskies still secured their fourth Beanpot title in the last five years following a 30-season drought. It was also the first time the Huskies and Crimson had met in the final in the tournament's 70-year history.

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine scored the opening and tying goals in regulation for 16th-ranked NU, sandwiching his scores around a pair by Harvard's Matthew Coronato. Aidan McDonough notched the decisive goal in the shootout for NU. Devon Levi, who stopped the two shots he faced in the shootout, made 32 saves for Northeastern (14-10-5 overall), and earned the Beanpot MVP award plus the Eberly Trophy as the tournament's top goaltender. Mitchell Gibson finished with 27 stops for the No. 9 Crimson (17-6-2).

The Northeastern women followed suit a day later with a 2-1 win over host Boston College in the 44th women's final, held at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill. A second-period goal by tournament MVP Maureen Murphy stood up as the game-winner, after Mia Brown had staked the No. 5 Huskies to a 1-0 lead in the opening stanza. BC's Hannah Bilka made it a one-goal game late in the third period with an extra-attacker tally.

Gwyneth Philips stopped 27 shots for NU (28-2-1), earning her the the Bertagna Award as the tournament's most outstanding goaltender, while Abigail Levy made 34 saves for the Eagles (18-13-1).