Wisconsin pulls off upset to win NCAA women’s hockey title

The No. 1 Ohio State was taken down in the NCAA’s women’s hockey national championship game, with the University of Wisconsin holding on for the 1-0 win on Sunday.

It marked Wisconsin’s seventh championship victory, the most in women’s college hockey history. They previously sat tied with the University of Minnesota for the most at the Frozen Four. The team previously won in 2019 and 2021, with the 2020 tournament getting cancelled due to COVID-19.

Kirsten Simms’ first-period goal was the only marker, with Cami Kronish, a 23-year-old goalkeeper, grabbing the 31-save shutout. Kronish was named MVP of the tournament after her perfect run when it mattered most. The redshirt senior played just six games between 2019-22, but posted a 20-8-2 record with seven shutouts and a .929 save percentage this season.

The loss marked the first time Ohio State had been shut out all season long.

After losing to the University of Minnesota in the WCHA semifinal, the Badgers needed to win three games in a row against the three best highest-seeded schools. Wisconsin University went on to beat Long Island University, Colgate University (No. 3) and the University of Minnesota (No. 2) to get to the final.

Had Ohio State managed to win, they would have been the fourth consecutive team to win back-to-back tournaments. Wisconsin University was the most recent to do so, with the University of Minnesota (2015-16) and Clarkson University (2017-18) pulling it off before that.