Wisconsin women blank Ohio State, win 7th NCAA hockey title

DULUTH, Minn. — Kirsten Simms scored a objective and Cami Kronish had 31 saves to assist Wisconsin beat top-seeded and defending NCAA champion Ohio State 1-0 Sunday, incomes the Badgers their document seventh nationwide title.

Simms, who hid behind Ohio State’s Lauren Bernard in entrance of the online, flicked a wrister into the objective to present Wisconsin the lead at 13:28 of the primary interval.

Wisconsin (29-10-2), which misplaced 5 consecutive video games at one level in January, has gained three of the final 4 nationwide championships (2019, ’21 and ’23 — 2020 was canceled on account of COVID-19). The Badgers have appeared in an NCAA-leading 14 of the final 17 Frozen Fours.

Kronish, who had 37 saves within the Badgers’ 3-2 additional time win over No. 2 seed Minnesota within the semifinals, was named the Frozen 4’s most excellent participant.

“I give numerous credit score to Cami, our goaltender,” Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson stated. “I imply, she got here up large.

“She took the torch this yr. She has labored exhausting for 5 years and that is the primary yr she actually obtained a chance to play,” he continued. “She wished the baton, she took us to the tip and right now she was the distinction within the sport.”

Kronish, a fifth-year senior who got here into this season with 82 profession saves and no shutouts, stopped 16 first-period photographs and completed along with her eighth shutout of the season.

Ohio State (33-6-2), which entered play having scored not less than two targets in each sport however one this season, was shut out for the primary time within the final 57 matches, relationship to a 1-0 loss to Minnesota-Duluth — which the Buckeyes later beat within the 2022 nationwide championship sport — on Jan. 21, 2022. Ohio State completed the season tied with the Badgers for second within the nation with 169 targets, seven fewer than Minnesota.

“I assumed within the final month we have been in a great house and in a great place, enjoying very nicely,” Johnson stated. “You take a look at our physique of labor during the last three video games, at (No. 3 seed) Colgate, (second-seeded) Minnesota after which Ohio State, three of one of the best groups within the nation and we had been in a position to get by them.”

Wisconsin improved to 27-1-1 this season when main after two intervals.

The Buckeyes gained three of 4 video games in opposition to the Badgers within the common season by a mixed rating of 15-8, with their lone loss coming 6-5 in additional time at Wisconsin on Feb. 18.