Junior Kirsten Simms scored the game-equalizing penalty shot with 18.9 seconds left in regulation and then the overtime game-winner to lead the Wisconsin women’s hockey team to a 4-3 win over Ohio State to secure the program’s eighth national championship.
Wisconsin (38-1-2) trailed 1-0 in the first period and 3-1 in the second period before rallying to win its fourth NCAA title in the last seven years.
The two powerhouses traded special team goals in the middle of the first period. OSU (29-7-3) got on the board first with a short-handed goal before Laila Edwards scored her fourth of the weekend on the same power play to even things at 1-1.
OSU grabbed a goal late in the first to take a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
The Buckeyes took a 3-1 lead with a goal 10 seconds into the second, but UW wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Harvey scored her second of the tournament to bring UW within a goal. Simms tracked down her own rebound and sent a pass from one knee to Caroline Harvey who snapped the puck into the net. The second period ended with a 3-2 OSU lead.
Wisconsin pushed in the third period and received a power play with 1:50 remaining regulation. It pulled its netminder and got a promising look with the puck trickling through the crease. After a Wisconsin challenge, video review determined that an Ohio State skater closed their hand on the puck in the crease, resulting in a Wisconsin penalty shot. The Badgers elected for Simms to take it and the junior deked out OSU netminder Amanda Thiele and tucked it in past her left pad to tie the game at 3-3 with 18.9 seconds left to send it to overtime.
The Badgers secured the victory 2:39 into extra time. Eden took a shot that Thiele saved but the rebound bounced onto the stick of Simms who nutmegged a Buckeye to put the puck in the back of the net and seal the come-from-behind national championship win.
“It still hasn’t really totally set in with me and at the end of the day I’m just super happy that we’re bringing that trophy back to Madison,” Sims said. “No matter how the job got done, it got done and we’re taking that trophy home with us. This is such an incredible group and that’s all I can think about is how talented this group has been from day one and that we were able to get the job done today.”
Ava McNaughton stopped 18 of 21 shots to secure her 36th win of the season, the most of any Wisconsin netminder in school history.
“I would say I think there’s obviously a lot that goes into having such an incredible season, but I think it really does come down to consistency,” McNaughton said. “It’s such a long season, and to be able to win that many games and then win these big games at the end of the season, time and time again, is something that takes consistency, and even if it’s not necessarily the most consistent game, we’re still able to know that we’re gonna be able to fall back on our consistent effort, and then eventually we’ll be able to get things going.”
It was the eighth national title for the Badgers, the most of any school.
Edwards, the 365 Leadership Athlete of the Year for 2023, capped off her junior campaign with 35 goals, becoming the first Badger to reach 35 goals in a season since Brianna Decker had 37 during the 2011-12 season.
Wisconsin will host a welcome home event tonight at LaBahn Arena. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the program will start at 6:30 p.m. The event is free, and spots within LaBahn Arena will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. Lots 46, 48, 87, and 91 will be available to park in for $5, based on availability. Lots 46 and 48 will open at 4 p.m., with Lots 87 and 91 opening at 5 p.m.
