Last Updated 12:36 AM, March 23, 2026
Torin Smith

Recap: Wisconsin defeats Ohio State to win the 2026 NC women's ice hockey championship

Share
6:17
10:36 pm, March 22, 2026

🏆 Wisconsin defeats Ohio State to win the NC women's hockey championship

The Wisconsin Badgers are back-to-back NC women's hockey national champions, defeating Ohio State for the third time in four years. It's Wisconsin's ninth national title in program history and fifth championship in the past seven seasons.

The Badgers win only their third one-goal game of the year, the second coming in an OT win against Penn State in the Frozen Four semifinal.

Wisconsin opened the game with two early goals from Kelly Gorbatenko and Laney Potter. After back-to-back Ohio State goals to open the third period, Claire Enright scored the game-winning goal for the Badgers with 6:18 to go in regulation. 

Wisconsin goaltender Ava McNaughton was named the Most Outstanding Player after stopping 34 out of 36 shots she faced. She made a series of highlight reel saves throughout the game to hold off the Buckeyes' elite offense and secure another national championship in Madison.

10:29 pm, March 22, 2026

Empty net for Ohio State

Down a goal with 1:41 to go, the Buckeyes have pulled Macleod for the extra attacker.

10:21 pm, March 22, 2026

🫨 Wisconsin takes a late lead

Claire Enright gives the Badgers the lead once again, walking down the goal line and taking it straight to the net, sliding it past Macleod on the far post for her ninth goal of the year.

10:05 pm, March 22, 2026

🪢 We're all tied at 2 in the third!

It felt like if once the Buckeyes scored their first, the second one would shortly follow.

And that was absolutely the case: Buckeyes are rolling in the third period, scoring back-to-back goals in the first 2:03 of the third period. Jocelyn Amos picked up the rebound off a point shot, corralling it and tucking it past McNaughton to knot it up at two apiece.

We've got a tied game folks, and there's still a lot of hockey to be played.

10:01 pm, March 22, 2026

🚨 The Buckeyes get on the board!

Here come the Buckeyes. The comeback is on in PA as Kassidy Carmichael gets the Buckeyes' first tally of the evening on a deflection in front. All those penalty kills paid off, keeping Ohio State within striking distance, and now they're just one goal away from tying this championship game.

9:58 pm, March 22, 2026

❌ Another successful kill for the Buckeyes

Ohio State has not been able to stay out of the box in this game, but the penalty killers, and McLeod, have been bailing the Buckeyes out, now 4/4 on the penalty kill tonight.

Let's see if the Buckeyes can build some momentum off of the latest kill. They'll need to stay aggressive but disciplined in order to come back in this game.

9:31 pm, March 22, 2026

End of Period 2: Wisconsin 2, Ohio State 0

Caroline Harvey in the 2026 NC women's hockey championship

The scoring cooled off in the second period, with neither team finding the back of the net in the second frame. Ohio State led in shots, 11-8, despite having to kill two penalties in the period. The Buckeyes got a chance on the advantage as well, but couldn't put together anything offensively on the PP.

Ava McNaughton continues to be lights-out for Wisconsin in goal, stopping all 23 shots she has faced.

The Buckeyes took another penalty late in the period, so the Badgers will open the third period with 1:30 left to go on the powerplay.

Wisconsin is 34-1-1 on the season when leading after 40 minutes. Ohio State doesn't find itself in this situation very much, but is 2-4-0 on the year when trailing after two periods.

Twenty minutes remain in the national championship game.

9:23 pm, March 22, 2026

🌰 Buckeyes PK stays perfect, powerplay coming up

Wisconsin and Ohio State meet in the 2026 NC women's hockey national championship

After killing their third penalty of the afternoon, the Buckeyes finally get their first look on the advantage, as Ava Murphy heads to the box for interference. Ohio State was tied with Minnesota for the sixth-best powerplay this season with a 26.9% efficiency.

9:18 pm, March 22, 2026

😬 The Buckeyes kill the penalty, but get another

Ohio State is playing with fire in this one. The Buckeyes have kept Wisconsin's top-ranked powerplay off the board in two attempts so far, but a roughing penalty gives the Badgers another shot on the PP.
9:03 pm, March 22, 2026

🔋 Wisconsin is headed back to the powerplay

The Buckeyes opened the second period with two very strong shifts, threatening to score a handful of times, but McNaughton kept them off the board still.

Now Ohio State will head to the penalty kill for the second time as Kassidy Carmichael heads to the box for interference. The first penalty kill was successful, giving the Buckeyes a boost in the first period. We'll see if they can do it again.

8:38 pm, March 22, 2026

End of Period 1: Wisconsin 2, Ohio State 0

Laney Potter scores in the 2026 NC women's hockey championship

The Badgers came out hot in this one. Junior Kelly Gorbatenko scored just 1:18 into the game to give Wisconsin an early lead. A few minutes later, defenseman Laney Potter kept the pressure going, joining the rush and sneaking to the backdoor, where Gorbatenko found her for the Badgers' second of the afternoon.

After killing a crosschecking penalty to Emma Peschel, Ohio State started to pick up the pace, stringing together a few solid shifts and getting a pair of point blank scoring chances. Wisconsin goaltender Ava McNaughton made two outstanding saves, including an outstretched glove grab to keep the Buckeyes off the board.

Shots are even at 12 apiece after the first 20 minutes. Wisconsin is 27-1-0 this season when leading after the first period. Ohio State is 10-4-0 when its opponent scores first.

8:27 pm, March 22, 2026

🚧 The nation's top powerplay is at work

Wisconsin gets a chance to extend its early lead with a powerplay opportunity halfway through the first period. Ohio State's Emma Peschel goes to the box for two minutes for crosschecking, and the 35.5% Wisconsin powerplay gets its first look of the afternoon.
8:23 pm, March 22, 2026

🦡 Laney Potter gets another goal for the Badgers

Wisconsin came to play today. The Badgers came out to a hot start with two goals on three shots.

Laney Potter has the latest, tapping in her 10th goal of the season after a backdoor feed from Kelly Gorbatenko, who has two points already.

8:12 pm, March 22, 2026

🚨 Kelly Gorbatenko gets the Badgers on the board early

Now THAT is how you want to start the title game.

Kelly Gorbatenko gets her 28th goal of the season to give the Badgers the early 1-0 lead. She tipped a point shot from Adéla Šapovalivová past Hailey Macleod.

8:08 pm, March 22, 2026

👉 The puck has dropped in PA

Here we go. Sixty minutes—maybe more—separate these teams from a national championship. It's a packed house at Pegula as the Buckeye and Badger faithful made the trip to support their squads.