Brett Ludwiczak
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Ohio State and Wisconsin meet again in the women’s hockey NCAA Championship Game
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Not only is this a rematch of last year’s title game, it will also be the sixth time the Buckeyes and Badgers have met this year.
For the second year in a row, the NCAA women’s ice hockey season ends with a battle between Ohio State and Wisconsin in the championship game.
The Buckeyes will be appearing in their third-straight title game, while this marks the third championship game appearance in the last four years for the Badgers. Today’s battle in New Hampshire will be the sixth matchup of the season between the two best teams in the country.
Ohio State took the first three games between the schools, while Wisconsin has responded by wins in the last two meetings, including the WCHA Final Faceoff Championship Game earlier this month.
The Buckeyes earned their spot in the title game with a 4-1 win over Clarkson in Friday’s first semifinal. The Golden Knights actually got on the board first when Anne Cherkowski scored 2:25 into the game. The lead would last a little over 10 minutes before Makenna Webster’s goal at the 13:53 mark tied the score at one.
The teams would remain tied until Sloane Matthews scored the game-winning goal with just over seven minutes to go in the third period. Joy Dunne would add her team-leading 23rd goal of the season with three minutes left in the game, and Hadley Hartmetz scored an empty net goal just over a minute later to push the final score to 4-1.
The win by Ohio State was their 34th victory of the season, which set a program record, eclipsing the 33 wins they recorded last season. This year’s Frozen Four semifinal victory had a similar look to last season when Hartmetz, Matthews, and Webster also each scored in a 3-0 victory over Northeastern to send them to a matchup with Wisconsin in the title game.
Now the Buckeyes hope this year has a different ending than last season, when the Badgers were able to grind out a 1-0 win over the Buckeyes in Minnesota. Kirsten Simms’ goal 13:28 into the first period was the only tally of the game by either team.
Along with reaching this year’s title game, a couple more Ohio State players were honored for their play this season. On Thursday, Joy Dunne was named the Julie Chu Rookie of the Year by the Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association. Dunne is the first Buckeye to win the award since it was established in 2014.
The freshman burst onto the scene and became the first Ohio State rookie to record at least 40 points in a season since 2017-18, and her 23 goals this season are currently the most on the team.
Then on Saturday, graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes was named a CCM/AHCA second team All-American, marking the second time she has earned the honor. Barnes was also named to the second team back in 2021, making her the ninth Buckeye to earn All-American honors.
Barnes leads an Ohio State defense that is one of the best in the country, and she is also a threat on offense, accumulating 11 goals and 34 points so far this year. Following the win over Clarkson on Friday, Barnes was on the ice for two Buckeye goals, raising her +/- on the season to +70.
After Ohio State clinched their spot in Sunday’s game on Friday, Wisconsin and Colgate battled in the day’s second semifinal. The Badgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the first period when Kirsten Simms scored her 33rd goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, Wisconsin doubled their lead when Vivian Jungels scored just over halfway into the game’s final period, and Laila Edwards added an empty net insurance goal after Colgate had pulled one back to make the score 2-1 late in the third period.
The victory on Friday was the 35th NCAA Tournament win for Wisconsin, and their 18th win in the Frozen Four, with both win totals being the most in the country. The Badgers will now be playing in their 11th NCAA Championship Game, and third in the last four seasons. In the previous 10 title game appearances, Wisconsin has lifted the trophy seven times, which is the most by any NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey program.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25351842/2097717547.jpg "2024 NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship")
Photo by Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The leading scorer for Wisconsin this season is Kirsten Simms, who has 33 goals and 42 assists. Sitting just behind Simms when it comes to tallying points is Casey O’Brien, who was credited with an assist in Friday’s game, bringing her total on the season to 50 helpers, which broke a tie with Daryl Watts for most in a season in program history.
Britta Curl, Lacey Eden, and Laila Edwards join Simms and O’Brien as Badgers that have scored at least 20 goals this year, and Cassie Hall sits just one goal shy of that mark.
Look for Wisconsin to start Ava McNaughton between the pipes today. The freshman goaltender earned her 20th win of the season by stopping 25 shots against Colgate on Friday. McNaughton now has a 20-2-0 record this season with five shutouts, a 1.47 goals against average, and a .934 save percentage. Backing up McNaughton is redshirt junior Jane Gervais, who has been just as good as McNaughton this year, posting a 15-3-0 record with six shutouts, a 1.55 goals against average, and a .921 save percentage.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Not only is this a rematch of last year’s title game, it will also be the sixth time the Buckeyes and Badgers have met this year.
For the second year in a row, the NCAA women’s ice hockey season ends with a battle between Ohio State and Wisconsin in the championship game.
The Buckeyes will be appearing in their third-straight title game, while this marks the third championship game appearance in the last four years for the Badgers. Today’s battle in New Hampshire will be the sixth matchup of the season between the two best teams in the country.
Ohio State took the first three games between the schools, while Wisconsin has responded by wins in the last two meetings, including the WCHA Final Faceoff Championship Game earlier this month.
The Buckeyes earned their spot in the title game with a 4-1 win over Clarkson in Friday’s first semifinal. The Golden Knights actually got on the board first when Anne Cherkowski scored 2:25 into the game. The lead would last a little over 10 minutes before Makenna Webster’s goal at the 13:53 mark tied the score at one.
The teams would remain tied until Sloane Matthews scored the game-winning goal with just over seven minutes to go in the third period. Joy Dunne would add her team-leading 23rd goal of the season with three minutes left in the game, and Hadley Hartmetz scored an empty net goal just over a minute later to push the final score to 4-1.
The win by Ohio State was their 34th victory of the season, which set a program record, eclipsing the 33 wins they recorded last season. This year’s Frozen Four semifinal victory had a similar look to last season when Hartmetz, Matthews, and Webster also each scored in a 3-0 victory over Northeastern to send them to a matchup with Wisconsin in the title game.
Now the Buckeyes hope this year has a different ending than last season, when the Badgers were able to grind out a 1-0 win over the Buckeyes in Minnesota. Kirsten Simms’ goal 13:28 into the first period was the only tally of the game by either team.
Along with reaching this year’s title game, a couple more Ohio State players were honored for their play this season. On Thursday, Joy Dunne was named the Julie Chu Rookie of the Year by the Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association. Dunne is the first Buckeye to win the award since it was established in 2014.
The freshman burst onto the scene and became the first Ohio State rookie to record at least 40 points in a season since 2017-18, and her 23 goals this season are currently the most on the team.
.@Cayla_barnes27 is a CCM/AHCA All-American
Congrats to Barnes on earning Second Team honors #GoBucks | https://t.co/1brw6W89FQ pic.twitter.com/2HduDqQQTH
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) March 23, 2024
Then on Saturday, graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes was named a CCM/AHCA second team All-American, marking the second time she has earned the honor. Barnes was also named to the second team back in 2021, making her the ninth Buckeye to earn All-American honors.
Barnes leads an Ohio State defense that is one of the best in the country, and she is also a threat on offense, accumulating 11 goals and 34 points so far this year. Following the win over Clarkson on Friday, Barnes was on the ice for two Buckeye goals, raising her +/- on the season to +70.
After Ohio State clinched their spot in Sunday’s game on Friday, Wisconsin and Colgate battled in the day’s second semifinal. The Badgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the first period when Kirsten Simms scored her 33rd goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, Wisconsin doubled their lead when Vivian Jungels scored just over halfway into the game’s final period, and Laila Edwards added an empty net insurance goal after Colgate had pulled one back to make the score 2-1 late in the third period.
The victory on Friday was the 35th NCAA Tournament win for Wisconsin, and their 18th win in the Frozen Four, with both win totals being the most in the country. The Badgers will now be playing in their 11th NCAA Championship Game, and third in the last four seasons. In the previous 10 title game appearances, Wisconsin has lifted the trophy seven times, which is the most by any NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey program.
The leading scorer for Wisconsin this season is Kirsten Simms, who has 33 goals and 42 assists. Sitting just behind Simms when it comes to tallying points is Casey O’Brien, who was credited with an assist in Friday’s game, bringing her total on the season to 50 helpers, which broke a tie with Daryl Watts for most in a season in program history.
Britta Curl, Lacey Eden, and Laila Edwards join Simms and O’Brien as Badgers that have scored at least 20 goals this year, and Cassie Hall sits just one goal shy of that mark.
Look for Wisconsin to start Ava McNaughton between the pipes today. The freshman goaltender earned her 20th win of the season by stopping 25 shots against Colgate on Friday. McNaughton now has a 20-2-0 record this season with five shutouts, a 1.47 goals against average, and a .934 save percentage. Backing up McNaughton is redshirt junior Jane Gervais, who has been just as good as McNaughton this year, posting a 15-3-0 record with six shutouts, a 1.55 goals against average, and a .921 save percentage.
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Continue reading...