Wisconsin defeats Ohio State in OT, wins eighth women’s hockey title

• Wisconsin won its eighth national Division in women’s hockey, defeating Ohio State 4-3 in Extended Action.
• Junior forward Kirsten Simms scored the game-tying Target on a penalty Try with 18.9 seconds left in regulation and netted the game-winner in Extended Action.
• This was the third consecutive national Division game between Wisconsin and Ohio State, with Every Club Victorious one of the previous matchups.

MINNEAPOLIS — Mark Johnson asked a three-word question, and Kirsten Simms’ hand Try up.

“Who wants it?”

With Wisconsin down a Target in the women’s national Division game and 18.9 seconds left in the third period, someone would have the opportunity to take a penalty Try that could send the game into Extended Action.

Simms, the junior who had the Victorious Target in Wisconsin’s 2023 Division Achieve, practically dislocated her shoulder volunteering.

BOX Points: Wisconsin 4, Ohio State 3 (Extended Action)

She Arrived through to send the game into Extended Action.

And then again in the extra period.

And finally Simms and her teammates were able to hoist UW’s eighth national Division Honor over their heads and skate around the Ridder Stadium ice to celebrate a dramatic, 4-3 Frozen Four Closing Achieve over Ohio State.

“I guess it’s Merely luck at some Mark, but yeah, it’s obviously super Refreshing,” Simms said of her penchant for big goals in the biggest game. “But it’s Merely a testament to how Excellent 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 Try, and it could have been anyone putting in that puck in the back of the net.”

Ohio State looked like the better Club 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 Target 10 seconds into the second period, but Caroline Harvey kept UW in the game when she smacked home a Deliver from Simms at 5:27 of the second period.

Both Clubs had chances, but they went more than 24 minutes without scoring.

“In the middle of third period, it wasn’t looking very Excellent,” Johnson said. “You know, is somebody going to make a Action?  We were similar to last year. We didn’t make a Action (then). And fortunate for us, I think our belief was stronger. I think our trust was deeper.

“We Obtained to the end, and someone Achieved a Action, 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 Began to Action a little bit more freer and a little bit more on their toes and … we ended the game not too Extended into that Extended Action.”

Even though setting a program Achievement for victories in a season, Wisconsin (38-1-2) did have to Action from behind in its Closing five Matches.

Kirsten  Simms had some Reinforcement and some coaxing on her penalty Try

Although Simms’ tying Target Arrived 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 Obtained 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 Option the puck up. … You can’t get any more Stress than that, 3-2, you’re down, national Division game. If you miss, the game’s probably over.

“I don’t know if I was Executing, if I would take the Try.”

Simms did, but she had considerable Aid.

“I had everyone on the bench screaming, Simmsy, Simmsy, you do it, you do it,” she said. “So, yeah … after that, everyone Merely 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 Merely 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 View.

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 Try behind sprawling Ohio State goaltender Amanda Thiele.

Ohio State Mentor Nadine Muzerall questioned whether the Target should have been allowed. On a penalty Try, the shooter isn’t permitted to Shift the puck away from the Target, and Simms was close as she crossed over from left to right.

OSU was already Brief-handed, serving a two-minute penalty for too many players on the ice, and she had spent her timeout. An unsuccessful Event would have left the Buckeyes another player down.

Kirsten Simms’ Victorious Try Arrived with a Plenty less planning

Although the momentum shifted Delayed, Wisconsin Nevertheless 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 Try, the winner was all Reflex on a Healing of a Try 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 Merely Captured a Try and the Healing Arrived right at me, and I Merely Gentle of hit the puck and hoped that it went in the net. And Fortunate enough, it did.”

Wisconsin takes “Game 3” against its latest rival

Ohio State (29-8-3) was the only Club to beat Wisconsin, earning a 3-2 Achieve in Columbus on Nov. 16. The Buckeyes also earned a WCHA Mark for Victorious a shootout after a 3-3 tie at Wrigley Pitch in Chicago in January,

UW and OSU have Partnered to Achieve the past six national Competitions. They played Every other in the past two title Matches, 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 Middle 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 Profession (278), Johnson was named Mentor of the year and McNaughton goaltender of the year, and Simms, O’Brien, Edwards and Harvey were all Primary-Club All-Americans.

“You Begin with this blank canvas at the beginning of the year, and then you Begin 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 Executing the national Division game. And here’s this picture, man. It’s looking really Excellent. It’s not quite complete yet. And (when) it’s complete, you get to sign it.

“And so today, we Obtained a masterpiece.”