Laila Edwards and Casey O’Brien each scored twice and the second-ranked Wisconsin women’s hockey team won the WCHA Final Faceoff title by beating top-ranked Ohio State 6-3 on Saturday at Ridder Arena.
Wisconsin beats Ohio State at Ridder Arena for WCHA Final Faceoff title
The second-ranked Badgers got off to a hot start and built a big lead against the top-ranked Buckeyes.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 10, 2024 at 12:59AM
Ava McNaughton stopped 30 shots for the Badgers (33-5), who led 2-0 after their first three shots on goal against the Buckeyes (32-4) on their way to winning their 10th WCHA playoff championship and first since 2021.
“We’re really excited about the way the game went today knowing the challenges that our league presents each game, it’s a tough trophy to win,” longtime Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said. “As I told the team, they were prepared well for the game today and we have an opportunity and we took advantage of that opportunity. It’ll be a nice bus ride home tonight.”
WCHA Player of the Year Kirsten Simms scored on a breakaway just over six minutes into the game, and Edwards soon made it 2-0.
After Ohio State’s Jocelyn Amos scored 77 seconds into the second period, the Badgers soon responded with a power-play goal by Edwards and O’Brien’s first goal 2:30 apart. With 86 seconds left in the period, Britta Curl made it 4-1 by scoring shorthanded.
O’Brien added a power-play goal 1:26 into the third period. Hannah Bilka scored twice late for Ohio State, which also lost to Wisconsin in last year’s national championship game.
Two offensive linemen from Lakeville, Bryce Benhart and Riley Mahlman, are standouts for Big Ten rivals of Minnesota.
