The University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team (23-9-2, 19-7-2, Big Ten) returned to action last weekend at LaBahn Arena, splitting their series against No. 1 Ohio State (28-4-2, 23-4-1) in their last two games of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association season.
Game One
Redshirt senior Cami Kronish started in game one for the Badgers opposite junior Amanda Thiele in goal for the Buckeyes. The game started slowly, but Kronish kept the game level through the first several minutes.
The Badgers eventually loosened up after their poor start. Freshman Vivian Jungels found junior Casey O’Brien open in front of the net, and O’Brien scored her 16th goal of the season.
Shortly after, Ohio State defender Sophie Jaques took a run at O’Brien, prompting the refs to call a minor penalty. UW forward Britta Curl deflected a shot past Thiele’s pad on the ensuing power play, extending the Badger’s lead to 2-0.
The normally-timid Wisconsin power play stayed hot in the first period. Forward Jesse Compher let loose a rocket to the top corner of the net, ballooning the lead to 3-0. Minutes later, Jungels found Compher on a breakaway, and Compher scored her second of the period. The goal gave the Badgers a 4-0 lead.
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Two minutes into the second, the Buckeyes began to claw their way back. A seemingly harmless Ohio State backhand pinballed through to senior Jennifer Gardiner, who cut the Wisconsin lead to 4-1.
Ohio State continued to outplay the Badgers throughout the rest of the second period. Their dominance paid off when the former Badger Makenna Webster found forward Emma Maltais. She slipped one past Kronish, bringing the Buckeyes within two.
Ohio State’s momentum continued into the third period. Senior Brooke Bink wove through the Badger’s defense then ripped a wrist shot past Kronish’s glove. This brought the Buckeyes within one.
The Badgers needed to come up with a response, and they got one from forward Sophie Shirley. O’Brien fed Shirley in front, and Shirley managed to chip the puck past Thiele. Her score put some breathing room in between the two teams.
A questionable cross-checking call on Badger captain Curl sent the Buckeyes to the power play with eight minutes left in the third. The Buckeyes’ top-ranked power play wasted no time. Gardiner’s wrist shot deflected past Kronish and brought the Buckeyes within one once again.
With two minutes left, Maltais tapped home a rebound for Ohio State, completing the comeback and tying the game at five apiece. The Buckeyes nearly won the game moments later, but Kronish stonewalled forward Gabby Rosenthal on a breakaway and allowed the Badgers to hang on into overtime.
Two minutes into overtime, chaos erupted in front of the Buckeye net. The Badgers nearly managed to jam the puck home. While the Buckeyes managed to keep the puck out of the net, they committed an interference penalty and gift-wrapped freshman Kirsten Simms a penalty shot with a chance to win it for the Badgers.
The center deked past the Buckeye goalie and sent the puck into the roof of the net. LaBahn Arena erupted in pandemonium. Simms’ goal was the storybook ending to an instant classic, and the Badgers prevailed over the defending national champions, 6-5.
Game Two
Kronish got the nod again in goal for the Badgers, dueling off against Thiele of the Buckeyes for the second straight day.
The Badgers started on the front foot, but Curl and Compher failed to convert on big chances to give the Badgers the lead. Thiele continued to stay strong in goal for the Buckeyes. She made 11 saves and kept the game scoreless through the first period of play.
The Badgers and Buckeyes continued to play to a sluggish stalemate in the second period, keeping the match scoreless. Three minutes into the third, the Badgers nearly broke the deadlock, but Shirley could not jam the puck through Thiele.
Forward Laila Edwards finally broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second period. Edwards’ powerful wrist shot just managed to squeak through Thiele’s blocker and gave the Badgers a 1-0 lead.
Shirley gave the Buckeyes a late powerplay chance after committing a hooking infraction. The Buckeyes immediately took advantage — Maltais fired a shot into the roof of the net, tying the game once again.
Wisconsin tried to respond, but two dazzling saves by Thiele kept the Buckeyes tied. Defenseman Madison Bizal then sent a rocket past Kronish’s glove to give the Buckeyes the lead with just under a minute left in the game. Bizal added an insurance goal seconds later, finishing the game and clinching a WCHA regular season title for the Buckeyes.
Looking forward, the Badgers have a home WCHA first-round playoff series against Minnesota State next weekend. Wisconsin will be heavy favorites in the matchup, winners of 38 out of their last 39 matchups against the Mavericks.
