Badger of Honor
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The epic Mark Johnson and Kirsten Simms exchange sealed the Wisconsin National Title

ByMark Knight|
Wisconsin right wing Kirsten Simms (27) is mobbed by teammates after scoring on a penalty shot with 18.9 seconds left to tie the NCAA women's hockey Frozen Four championship game Sunday, March 23, 2025, at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Wisconsin right wing Kirsten Simms (27) is mobbed by teammates after scoring on a penalty shot with 18.9 seconds left to tie the NCAA women's hockey Frozen Four championship game Sunday, March 23, 2025, at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The final moments of the NCAA D1 Women's Hockey National Championship were stressful for any Wisconsin fan. It looked like Wisconsin was going to fall just short to the Ohio State Buckeyes, and then with 18 seconds to go, a miracle happened. It was while the Badgers were on the power play, and a non-goalie Ohio State Buckeye covered up the puck in the grease with her glove. That's a penalty. The option for Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson was a major penalty or a penalty shot on goal.

With only 18 seconds left in the game and down one (3-2), the penalty shot was probably the only option that could keep the hope of the Badgers alive. Then maybe the most epic moment happened in the entire history of the program. It's not even an exaggeration; it feels like a Disney script or something. Johnson turned to his players and said, "Who wants it?" and the hand that shot up was Kirsten Simms. ESPNU caught the moment on camera:

Kirsten Simms scores the tying goal and the overtime to give the Wisconsin Badgers the National Title

She then went and delivered. Called her own shot and delivered. It was an incredible moment and an incredible penalty shot on goal. She tied the game, and the two teams were dead-locked a three a piece. It went to overtime, and guess who came through again: Simms. See both goals in the clip below:

The Wisconsin Badgers' national championship came down to Mark Johnson looking at his all-star bench and saying, "Who wants it?" Then Simms said, "I do." This led to her actually delivering in the crunch with the title on the line and no time left to make it happen. Epic.

When asked about it later by Kedrick Stumbris, she said that her teammates were all pressuring her to take the shot and that it was not "initially my choice. I had everyone on the bench screaming, 'Simms! Simms! You do it!' and so, I was like, 'whatever.'"

The greatest assembled NCAA women's hockey team finished in the highest moment thanks to a simple question: "Who wants it?" and a simple answer: "Sure, whatever."

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