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Wisconsin Beats Ohio State in National Championship After Late Penalty Shot Forces OT

Karl Rasmussen

Wisconsin's Kristen Simms beats Ohio State's Amanda Thiele with a game-tying penalty shot in the Frozen Four championship game.
Wisconsin's Kristen Simms beats Ohio State's Amanda Thiele with a game-tying penalty shot in the Frozen Four championship game. / Screenshot via ESPN

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.

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.

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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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.

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