Joy Dunne scores first. The Buckeyes take an early lead with a shorthanded goal in the 2025 national championship game—a good start to their title defense. Twelve seconds later: Laila Edwards evens the score with a powerplay goal.
Battle some more. Eventually, Sloane Matthews beats Ava McNaughton. Not many teams score on McNaughton twice in a period, let alone in one game. A 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission—this is a good start for the Buckeyes.
Ten seconds into the second period: Emma Peschel gets another one for Ohio State. A two-goal lead on the Badgers? Things couldn’t be better.
Five minutes later: Caroline Harvey gets one back for Wisconsin. That’s alright. A two-goal lead is the worst lead in hockey, anyway. Tighten up the defense and defend the lead in the third period.
It’s a 3-2 lead for Ohio State, 20 minutes separate the Buckeyes and back-to-back championships. Fifteen shots for the Badgers? Good thing Amanda Thiele is in net. One minute to go: McNaughton heads to the bench. Can the Buckeyes survive just one more minute?
A flurry of Wisconsin shots, four to be exact. Somehow, the puck stays out.
Oh no. Maddi Wheeler covered the puck in the crease. Delay of game penalty, and it will be a penalty shot with 18 seconds to go. Can Thiele stand tall one more time?
Look over at the Wisconsin bench. Coach Mark Johnson asks who wants it, and Kirsten Simms’ hand shoots right up. She’s not one to shy away from the big moments; she scored the lone goal in the 2023 championship against the Buckeyes. Of course, it had to be her.
One on one: Simms on Thiele. Simms moves in fast down the right side before cutting to the hashmarks. She fakes to the backhand, shakes it back to the forehand, then backhand again, before pulling it back across the crease to the forehand, reaching around Thiele into the open cage. Tie game. Clutch.
On to OT. Do the Buckeyes have any more magic left in them? Ohio State gets a quick flurry off the opening draw, but the Badgers respond with two strong shifts. The first two minutes fly by.
There’s Simms again, back on the ice for the offensive zone draw. The Buckeyes win the faceoff and clear it. Take a breath, they’re coming right back.
Lacey Eden comes flying down the right wing. She’s got speed. She fires it, save made by Thiele. But the rebound pops way out.
It’s Simms.
She buries it. Of course she does.
Wisconsin is back on top of the hockey world. Heartbreak for the Buckeyes.
