The Wisconsin Badgers are national champions.
The Badgers took down Ohio State, 4–3, in the women's college hockey Frozen Four championship match on Sunday at Minneapolis's Ridder Arena, clinching the program's record eighth national championship.
Trailing 3–2 with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game, Wisconsin was awarded a penalty shot while on the power play. Kirsten Simms stepped up to the challenge and beat Ohio State goaltender Amanda Thiele with a sensational penalty shot, tying the game at 3–3.
KIRSTEN SIMMS TIES UP THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH 18.9 SECONDS REMAINING 😱
— ESPN (@espn) March 23, 2025
OVERTIME ON ESPNU NOW 🍿 pic.twitter.com/jwxx3Lx4Et
Calm, cool and collected from the junior, who was completely unfazed by the bright lights of the moment.
Less than three minutes into the overtime period, Simms struck again, collecting a rebound off a shot from Lacey Eden and burying it into the net to secure the 4–3 victory.
Simms scores the OT winner on a rebound and the Badgers win the natty pic.twitter.com/PHZFwBYZjt
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) March 23, 2025
The overtime goal clinched the Badgers' fourth Frozen Four championship since 2019, having exacted revenge on the Buckeyes after their 1–0 defeat in the title game last season.
Sunday's championship bout was the third season in a row that Ohio State and Wisconsin squared off in the final. Wisconsin has now gotten the edge over their rivals in two of those three years, thanks to the late heroics from Simms.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wisconsin Beats Ohio State in National Championship After Late Penalty Shot Forces OT.
