OSU, Wisconsin to Meet Again for NCAA Women's Hockey Title

For the third year in a row, the NCAA Division I women's ice hockey national title game will pit Ohio State against Wisconsin.

Defending national champion and second-ranked OSU advanced to Sunday's title game (3 p.m., ET, ESPNU) with a 4-2 win over Cornell today in the first NCAA semifinal at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. Joy Dunne scored the only two goals of the third period for the Buckeyes, who also got a goal and two assists from Makenna Webster. 

No. 1 Wisconsin (37-1-2 overall) punched its ticket to Sunday with a 6-2 victory over host Minnesota in tonight's nightcap. Laila Edwards scored three goals for the Badgers, while Caroline Harvey tallied one goal and set up three others. Both Edwards and Harvey, along with teammate Casey O'Brien, are finalists for the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the nation's top women's player, with the winner to be announced tomorrow (NHL Network, 12:30 p.m. ET).

OSU (29-7-3) advanced to this year's Frozen Four by routing St. Lawrence in the quarterfinal round, while Wisconsin bested Clarkson. The Badgers also won this year's WCHA tournament, while the Buckeyes were eliminated by Minnesota in the conference semifinals. Wisconsin won this year's head-to-head WCHA regular-season series with OSU with two wins, one loss and one tie (shootout win by OSU).

The Buckeyes beat the Badgers in last year's national title game in Durham, N.H, while Wisconsin edged OSU in the 2023 championship in Duluth, Minn., with both games decided by 1-0 scores. OSU is seeking its third national title ever, and third in four years, while Wisconsin is vying for a record eighth NCAA crown overall, and fourth in the last six seasons.

Wisconsin Wins 2021 NCAA Women's Hockey National Title

A former Boston College player ruined Northeastern's night—and season.

Daryl Watts banked home a shot off a defender from behind the net just 3:16 into overtime to lift Wisconsin to a 2-1 victory in last night's NCAA Division I women's hockey championship game in Erie, Pa. It was the sixth national title for the WCHA champion Badgers, who also claimed the NCAA crown in 2019 before COVID wiped out last year’s tournament. It was the first-ever championship game appearance for Hockey East champion Northeastern, and the first loss for the Huskies since January.

Following two scoreless periods of play, Makenna Webster converted a rebound with nine minutes remaining in regulation to put the Badgers ahead. The Huskies responded just 39 seconds later on a one-timer from the left circle by Chloé Aurard to knot matters, setting the stage for Watts' extra-session heroics.

Mercyhurst transfer Kennedy Blair stopped 24 shots for Wisconsin, while Aerin Frankel made 35 saves for Northeastern. The Badgers outshot the Huskies, 37-25, on the night, and also snuffed out all four Northeastern power plays.

Watts, who spent her first two seasons at Boston College before transferring to Wisconsin, now has 21 points in 11 career games against Northeastern. In her two years at BC, she tallied 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in nine meetings with the Huskies, and also won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the nation's top player in 2017-18 following her 42-goal, 82-point freshman campaign with the Eagles. She now has 108-132—240 points in 134 career NCAA outings over four seasons.