Wisconsin won its eighth national championship in women’s hockey, defeating Ohio State 4-3 in overtime.
Junior forward Kirsten Simms scored the game-tying goal on a penalty shot with 18.9 seconds left in regulation and netted the game-winner in overtime.
This was the third consecutive national championship game between Wisconsin and Ohio State, with each team winning one of the previous matchups.
MINNEAPOLIS — Mark Johnson asked a three-word question, and Kirsten Simms’ hand shot up.
“Who wants it?”
With Wisconsin down a goal in the women’s national championship game and 18.9 seconds left in the third period, someone would have the opportunity to take a penalty shot that could send the game into overtime.
Simms, the junior who had the winning goal in Wisconsin’s 2023 championship victory, practically dislocated her shoulder volunteering.
She came through to send the game into overtime.
And then again in the extra period.
And finally Simms and her teammates were able to hoist UW’s eighth national championship trophy over their heads and skate around the Ridder Arena ice to celebrate a dramatic, 4-3 Frozen Four final victory over Ohio State.
“I guess it’s just luck at some point, but yeah, it’s obviously super cool,” Simms said of her penchant for big goals in the biggest game. “But it’s just a testament to how great this group is as a whole. … We stuck through it all, all the way till the end here.
“It could have been anybody. It could have been on anybody’s stick. We have trust with everybody in this group, that could have honestly been anyone on the penalty shot, and it could have been anyone putting in that puck in the back of the net.”
Ohio State looked like the better team for much of the night
Wisconsin went 62 minutes and 48 seconds without leading until Simms’ winner.
Ohio State built a 3-1 lead on defender Emma Peschel’s goal 10 seconds into the second period, but Caroline Harvey kept UW in the game when she smacked home a pass from Simms at 5:27 of the second period.
Both teams had chances, but they went more than 24 minutes without scoring.
“In the middle of third period, it wasn’t looking very good,” Johnson said. “You know, is somebody going to make a play? We were similar to last year. We didn’t make a play (then). And fortunate for us, I think our belief was stronger. I think our trust was deeper.
“We got to the end, and someone made a play, and then I liked the excitement that we created in the last 18 seconds and in the intermission.
“We went out on the ice, and we started to play a little bit more freer and a little bit more on their toes and … we ended the game not too far into that overtime.”
Despite setting a program record for victories in a season, Wisconsin (38-1-2) did have to play from behind in its final five games.
Kirsten Simms had some help and some coaxing on her penalty shot
Although Simms’ tying goal came in a one-on-one situation, she can credit Edwards with an assist.
Edwards pointed out to the UW coaching staff that an Ohio State skater had covered the puck with her hand while in the crease.
UW asked for a review and got the call it needed, and Johnson asked who’d step up.
“I wanted to see who wanted to step up and own it and who felt comfortable in this setting,” Johnson said. “Because you can’t have one ounce of negativity in your mind as you pick the puck up. … You can’t get any more pressure than that, 3-2, you’re down, national championship game. If you miss, the game’s probably over.
“I don’t know if I was playing, if I would take the shot.”
Simms did, but she had considerable encouragement.
“I had everyone on the bench screaming, Simmsy, Simmsy, you do it, you do it,” she said. “So, yeah … after that, everyone just really instilled confidence within me.
“And I actually have to thank all my teammates for that, because I was super nervous going into that moment, but they all calmed me down and reminded me to just be confident in what I do and what I decided to do, and it worked out for us.”
Johnson and goaltender Ava McNaughton, who’d gone to the bench, turned away. They were too nervous to watch.
Simms looped in from the right, faked repeatedly with her backand and then crossed over to her right hand at the last second and put the shot behind sprawling Ohio State goaltender Amanda Thiele.
Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall questioned whether the goal should have been allowed. On a penalty shot, the shooter isn’t permitted to move the puck away from the goal, and Simms was close as she crossed over from left to right.
OSU was already short-handed, serving a two-minute penalty for too many players on the ice, and she had spent her timeout. An unsuccessful challenge would have left the Buckeyes another player down.
Kirsten Simms’ winning shot came with a lot less planning
Although the momentum shifted late, Wisconsin still had to find a way to get one more puck across the line after watching Thiele stop 31 of their shots and plenty deflected by other Buckeyes.
Whereas Simms had plenty of time to ponder her penalty shot, the winner was all reaction on a rebound of a shot by junior left wing Lacey Eden.
“I couldn’t even tell you (what happened),” Simms said. “I haven’t seen (a replay) and don’t really remember it. I know Lacey just took a shot and the rebound came right at me, and I just kind of hit the puck and hoped that it went in the net. And lucky enough, it did.”
Wisconsin takes “Game 3” against its latest rival
Ohio State (29-8-3) was the only team to beat Wisconsin, earning a 3-2 victory in Columbus on Nov. 16. The Buckeyes also earned a WCHA point for winning a shootout after a 3-3 tie at Wrigley Field in Chicago in January,
UW and OSU have combined to win the past six national championships. They played each other in the past two title games, splitting 1-0 decisions, so Johnson considered this the rubber game in a best-of-three.
The outcome was a fitting cap to a season Badgers graduate student center Casey O’Brien suggested a day earlier – after she’d been awarded the Patty Kazmaier Award as the player of the year – might have been the best in the history of women’s college hockey.
UW set program highs for wins and goals (221) in a season, individually O’Brien broke scoring records for points in a season (88) and career (278), Johnson was named coach of the year and McNaughton goaltender of the year, and Simms, O’Brien, Edwards and Harvey were all first-team All-Americans.
“You start with this blank canvas at the beginning of the year, and then you start to paint this picture, what the year is going to look like and what’s going to transpire,” Johnson said. “And then we get to the end, and you’re playing the national championship game. And here’s this picture, man. It’s looking really good. It’s not quite complete yet. And (when) it’s complete, you get to sign it.
“And so today, we got a masterpiece.”