Mark Johnson called the win and the season surreal as Wisconsin claims 9th title

For the fourth consecutive time, the Wisconsin Badgers and the Ohio State Buckeyes met in the NCAA championship. Last season, the Badgers defeated the Buckeyes on a Kirsten Simms’ goal in overtime. This time, the second-ranked Badgers women’s hockey team captured its ninth national championship under Mark Johnson with a 3-2 victory over top-ranked Ohio State on Sunday.

It was an unprecedented season with the Olympics and four of the Badgers leaving the team to compete, only to return to capture the title. Head coach Mark Johnson said, "It's sort of surreal. Trying to still process how we got through Friday night's game and then figure out how we got through this afternoon."

The Wisconsin Badgers repeat as NCAA women’s hockey national champions

The Badgers, who advanced to the championship game thanks to an overtime victory over Penn State last Friday, got on the board in the first period with two goals from Kelly Gorbatenko and Laney Potter. Gorbatenko’s first goal came early at the 1:18 mark off a redirect from Adéla Šapovalivová. After a Wisconsin dump-in behind the Ohio State net, Gorbatenko won the puck from Buckeye defenders to set up Potter’s goal at the 7:34 mark. 

Goalie Ava McNaughton impressed in the first period, stopping 12 Ohio State shots, including a backhand shot attempt by Joy Dunne.

The score remained 2-0 into the third period until Ohio State broke through on a Kassidy Carmichael tip-in from Mira Jungåker at 3:32. The Buckeyes equalized the game after Ohio State fired a shot off a faceoff that McNaughton could not corral. Jocelyn Amos gathered the rebound and snuck it over the goalline to make it 2-2. 

It looked like another NCAA championship overtime was looming, but Claire Enright netted the game-winner at 13:42. 

Sunday’s championship victory marked Wisconsin’s fifth NCAA title since the 2018-19 season, and the first time a program won back-to-back titles since Clarkson University’s titles in 2017 and 2018. Senior Lacey Eden became the first player in program history to win four NCAA titles (2021, 2023, 2025, 2026), while McNaugton earned the NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. It was a well-deserved honor for McNaughton, who stopped 34 of 36 Ohio State shots in the win.