OHIO STATE 1, WISCONSIN 0 (SUNDAY) National title slips away in final period
DURHAM, N.H. – The national championship came down to a matter of inches.
A potential breakaway goal for Wisconsin turned into a transition score for Ohio State, the only goal in a 1-0 Buckeyes’ victory in the NCAA women’s hockey title game Sunday in front of 4,378 at Whittemore Center Arena on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.
Freshman Joy Dunne scored the game-winner at the 12-minute 48-second mark of the final period off a pass from senior Hannah Bilka. Senior Cayla Barnes’ steal in the defensive zone set the play in motion.
The moment was a classic example of razor-thin edge that sometimes separates success and failure in sports. Just seconds before the goal, UW senior Britta Curl almost got past Barnes for what would have been a golden opportunity for the Badgers.
“It seemed as the third period went along, it was going to be who could get to one first,” Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said. “Unfortunately for us that wasn’t in the plans as far as giving up a goal. It wasn’t due to lack of effort.”
The championship game was a rematch of the 2023 final and in some ways the contest mirrored its predecessor.
Wisconsin’s Casey O’Brien can’t get her shot past Ohio State goaltender Raygan Kirk during the second period of Sunday’s national championship game. Last year Wisconsin won, 1-0, with a freshman (Kirsten Simms) scoring the only goal and a goaltender (Cami Kronish) winning the Frozen Four most outstanding player award.
This time Dunne did the damage and senior Raygon Kirk, who made 26 saves, who was named the top player of the Frozen Four.
Top-seeded Ohio State (35-4) won its second national championship in three seasons, beat the second-seeded Badgers for the fourth time in six games this season and gained a measure of revenge for a 6-3 loss to UW in the championship game of the WCHA Final Faceoff.
“I was very proud of their defensive side of the game today,” Ohio State coach Nadine Murzerall said of her team. “I was very proud of how they punched back after a tough loss the last time we play against Wisconsin in a conference title (game). I think it showed a lot of character of not letting that get to them on the high stage.”
The loss came despite a strong effort from UW defensively. It held Ohio State to a season-low 28 shots, didn’t commit a penalty and blocked 20 shots. That was the fourth-highest block total for the team this season.
“I’m not sure if it was anything they did much better,” Curl said. “It was just a good back-and-forth hockey game. It’s one of those games where one team gets one bounce and they usually decides it.
“I thought we had opportunities to win. I thought we looked like a really good hockey team for most of the game. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
It was a challenge for Wisconsin to get its offensive going consistently throughout the game.
Junior Lacey Eden led the team with six shots on goal. Top scorers Kirsten Simms and Casey O’Brien have two and three, respectively, with O’Brien missing a chance to convert on a breakaway in the second period.
Ohio State had a few more opportunities, but McNaughton was up to the challenge. She finished the Frozen Four with .963 save percentage (52 saves of 54 shots) and had 27 saves in the final.
On the only goal she allowed, Bilka pushed the puck to the right side of the Ohio State offensive zone and dropped it off to Dunne, who shot from the right circle.
“Ava gave us a chance to win it and that’s all you can ask of your goaltender,” Johnson said. “I thought she looked composed. She looked like she was comfortable. It looked like she liked the challenge. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get any pucks behind their goaltender to give her some support.”
After falling behind Wisconsin got three more shots on goal and another blocked. Johnson pulled McNaughton in favor of an additional attacker with 95 seconds left, a move that helped generate two of those chances.
With the loss, Wisconsin finished 35-6 a year that included a secondplace finish in the WCHA, a conference tournament championship and the program’s 15th Frozen Four berth.
The title game was UW’s 11th and just the fourth time it lost in the final.
“I know I’m going to walk out proud of this group,” Curl said. “That’s sports. Sometimes you lose. I told the girls I’d chose to be in the locker room every time.”