The Badgers are Division I women's hockey champions once again, as No. 2-seed Wisconsin took down their top-seeded rival Ohio State 3-2 in Sunday's 2026 Frozen Four finale to claim a second straight NCAA title.
The win marks Wisconsin's fifth championship in the last seven seasons and extends their title lead to nine total championships — three more than second-place powerhouse Minnesota.
Winger Kelly Gorbatenko opened scoring for the Badgers just 78 seconds into the game, before fellow junior Laney Potter doubled the lead just six minutes later.
Following a scoreless second period, Ohio State battled back, as freshman Kassidy Carmichael and junior Jocelyn Amos drew the Buckeyes even with two goals in the first five minutes of the third period.
With just over six minutes left, forward Claire Enright played hero, with the Wisconsin third-liner slotting home a stunner of a goal to secure the trophy in her senior season.
In the other net, Badger goaltender Ava McNaughton posted 34 saves against a prolific Ohio State offense, earning the junior this year's Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player honor to go along with her 2026 Olympic gold medal.
With three NCAA hockey titles in tow, Wisconsin is sending its senior class — including fellow Olympic champions Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards, and Kirsten Simms — to the PWHL in style.
"We did enough to get to the finish line," said Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson. "We're excited to bring the trophy back to Madison."
The puck drops on the 2026 Frozen Four on Friday, as three of the top teams in NCAA women's ice hockey chase reigning champion Wisconsin for Sunday's national title.
After upsetting six-time champs No. 4 Minnesota in last Saturday's quarterfinals, the No. 5-seed Northeastern Huskies will open the Frozen Four against top seed Ohio State.
While the Buckeyes are hunting a third title to hang next to their 2022 and 2024 banners, the Huskies are hoping for a break-through first national trophy, with Northeastern's previous best finish coming as 2021 runners-up to Wisconsin.
Then in Friday's second semifinal, Frozen Four debutants No. 3 Penn State will hunt their own upset against the dynasty No. 2 Badgers, whose eight championships outpace all other NCAA women's hockey programs.
Though all four teams will aim to make history this weekend, Ohio State is already looking toward the future, locking in the Buckeyes' title-winning head coach Nadine Muzerall on a five-year contract extension on Thursday.
"There is one person to lead @OhioStateWHKY," tweeted Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork, shouting out Muzerall's record. "She hasn't just coached a team; she's built a powerhouse on & off the ice."
How to watch the 2026 Frozen Four this weekend
The Frozen Four takes the ice on Friday, with No. 1 Ohio State taking on No. 5 Northeastern at 4 PM ET before No. 2 Wisconsin faces off against No. 3 Penn State at 7:30 PM ET.
Both semifinals will air live on ESPN+.
The winners will then vie for the 2026 national championship at 4 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage on ESPNU.
You can tell just from the sound of her voice that Wisconsin hockey superstar Caroline Harvey is tired.
And it makes sense. The Olympic gold medalist is emerging from a whirlwind winter, returning to school mired in both euphoria and fatigue after winning Most Outstanding Player for her part in Team USA's triumphant run.
But Harvey also wouldn't trade this moment for the world, she told JWS earlier this month, as she pivots from Olympic glory to a task much closer to home: winning Wisconsin their second straight national championship in her final few games as a Badger.
"Wisconsin hockey, we have the best fans in the nation," Harvey said, speaking from the school's training facility. "We've got a lot of support, and we have the best team on staff, best teammates. We're firing on all cylinders — no better time than now."
Of course, Harvey's squad is excited to have their on-ice sniper back. Known as "KK" to her teammates, the 23-year-old served as one of just six active NCAA players on the US Olympic squad, joining fellow Badgers Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms, and Ava McNaughton, as well as Ohio State standout Joy Dunne, and Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy.
And there was no rest for the weary. The NCAA season continued while its stars were overseas, leaving the young US core to balance Olympic stardom, schoolwork, and keeping track of the competition back home even as they took care of business in Milan.
From NIL Deals to Championship Goals
Now firmly in the postseason, Harvey and Wisconsin teammate Lacey Eden somehow have even more to balance, fielding NIL opportunities stemming from hockey's growing popularity while carrying the torch for the NCAA's No. 1 team. They recently featured in UScellular's "Better Together" campaign, raising women's college hockey's profile to new heights.
"UScellular took the time to get to know us as people, and formatted this campaign around our interests and how we interact with each other — our playful, fun energy," Eden said. "They really brought this idea of our relationship to life."
"It truly is showcasing our friendship in general, and the connectivity we have," Harvey echoed. "That definitely plays into our honest style of play."
Simultaneous Success Across NCAA Hockey's Biggest Stages
While Harvey and her teammates navigated the Olympics, they made sure to stay in close contact with their college teammates back in Madison. Wisconsin prides itself on its women's hockey program, having won four of the last six national championships.
Harvey remembers wishing her her fellow Badgers luck via text before games. And she watched NCAA matches on her phone while in the treatment room in Italy alongside Wisconsin trainer Stefanie Arndt.
"[I was] definitely tuned in and cheering them on from afar," Harvey recalled. "I was missing them more than ever, and I'm just so glad and happy to be reunited with everyone."
Eden stepped up in Harvey's absence, having just missed the cut herself to join the US on the Olympic stage. The Annapolis native climbed the scoring leaderboard with 75 points on the year, fueling Wisconsin to the top of the regular-season WCHA standings. Both seniors are expected to be top picks in the PWHL draft, making their final weeks together all the more precious.
"I missed her a lot over the last month. But you knew she'd step up the way she did," Harvey said of Eden. "She already had been having a phenomenal season. But then to elevate it even more — [I'm] just so impressed with her play."
"Her leadership too, that's been a huge thing," she added. "She already was a leader, but even more so now, [after] having to literally put the team on her back."
Between academics with hockey, Eden had a bit of a harder time keeping up with her friend's international breakout. But she made sure to go watch the highlights every time Harvey and Edwards had a good game — a frequent occurrence.
"That's every little hockey player's dream," Eden said, smiling with pride. "To go to the Olympics, win a gold medal, and then on top of it, be the MVP. It's just insane."
"It means a lot for the sport in general," she continued. "And just shows what Wisconsin can produce, and has been producing for many years."
One Last Frozen Four Dream with Wisconsin
The time apart wasn't always easy on the Wisconsin duo. Now, however, they're focused on cultivating their best hockey during this month's NCAA postseason.
"When [Harvey and Edwards] left, that's some of our best players just out of the lineup. It was a lot to navigate," Eden said. "I can't count the number of goals that we've connected on, whether it be KK shooting for a tip for me, or hitting her at the point. It's definitely something really special when you have that dynamic with a teammate."
UScellular tapped into how much fun the two have competing at anything — Eden said that they've had pickleball paddles taken away because things were getting too heated — reflecting their on-ice bond.
"I feel lucky to be out there when she's out there," Harvey said. "She's such a heads-up player, looking for the right play, whether that's passing, shooting or an interchange. It's so exciting."
And they'll need every bit of that creativity at the 2026 Frozen Four, the final two games standing between Wisconsin and another NCAA title. The Badgers fell just short in the conference round, falling 2-1 in the WCHA final against rival Ohio State. But they've got one more shot at raising their level.
A Breakthrough Year for Women's Hockey
No matter how the weekend goes, Eden and Harvey are keenly aware that their NCAA careers are coming to a close. The pros await, with more ways than ever to make a living playing the sport they love. Women's hockey is booming after Team USA's big win in Milan, with off-ice opportunities reaching players at a rapid clip.
"It's so exciting for women's hockey in general, with a lot of eyes and attention being on it," Harvey said. "[I'm] hoping, obviously, it will be sustained and keep growing."
But with Wisconsin hockey entering the heart of the Frozen Four, Harvey and Eden also acknowledge that dreaming about the future can break focus. And they don't want anything messing with their collegiate finale.
"There is a lot of outside noise, and it can be difficult sometimes just to ignore it," Harvey said. "But the best thing to do is just lean on your teammates and stay present, be where you are with them in that moment."
Harvey's star can only rise after this year's Frozen Four. US women's hockey has made a statement, both as Olympic winners and a lightning rod in the polarizing women's sports discourse. And she'll likely need to step up as a national team leader soon, as the veterans inevitably begin to hang up their skates.
"There's going to be opinions, there's going to be people talking, things happening. But what matters is this team," Harvey said.
"It's such a short period of time, but it's going to be so exciting, and we want to be present and enjoy it fully with one another. Because we'll never, ever be the same team again."
College women's ice hockey locked in the 2026 Frozen Four over the weekend, as the national tournament's regional finals delivered just one upset on Saturday.
Despite two goals from Olympic gold medalist Abbey Murphy, No. 4-seed Minnesota fell 4-2 to the No. 5 Northeastern Huskies, ending the Golden Gophers' postseason — and the six-time champions' hopes of returning to the top of the podium for the first time in a decade.
"Every day I just kind of soaked it all in," Murphy said after capping her college career with a program-record 143 goals. "It's crazy it's all over."
Northeastern now moves on to face No. 1-seed Ohio State, after the Buckeyes defeated Yale 6-1 in their own regional final on Saturday.
Ohio State's revenge campaign against reigning champions Wisconsin remains intact, as the No. 2 Badgers — and their quartet of Olympic champions — also advanced to the Frozen Four after shutting out Quinnipiac 6-0 on Saturday.
Wisconsin will next take on No. 3 Penn State, with the Nittany Lions booking their trip to the national tournament semifinals with a 3-0 Saturday win over UConn.
How to watch the 2026 Frozen Four
The puck will drop on the 2026 Frozen Four on Friday, with No. 1 Ohio State taking on No. 5 Northeastern at 4 PM ET before No. 2 Wisconsin faces off against No. 3 Penn State at 7:30 PM ET.
Both national women's ice hockey semifinals will air live on ESPN+.
The NCAA hockey season is winding down, with the puck dropping on the first round of the Division I national tournament on Thursday as players start down the road to the 2026 Frozen Four.
Unseeded qualifiers Franklin Pierce, Quinnipiac, Princeton, UConn, Yale, and Minnesota Duluth will open national bracket play in Thursday's regional semifinals.
The winners will then meet either No. 1-seed Ohio State, No. 2 Wisconsin, or No. 3 Penn State in Saturday's regional finals, with No. 4 Minnesota and No. 5 Northeastern readying to make their tournament debuts against each other the same round.
Conference tournament upsets notably shaped this year's field, with the Buckeyes earning the top seed after booking a 2-1 title victory over the formerly top-ranked Badgers in the WCHA Final Faceoff on Saturday.
The perennial titans have owned the national championship over the last six NCAA hockey seasons, with Wisconsin tallying four (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025) and Ohio State taking two (2022, 2024).
"Maybe we'll see them again down the road," Badgers co-captain Caroline Harvey said after Saturday's loss, hinting at a possible Midwestern rivalry rematch in the Frozen Four's national title game. "We'll look forward to that if that's the case."
How to watch the 2026 NCAA women's ice hockey tournament
Division I's best will hit the ice beginning with Yale vs. Minnesota Duluth at 6 PM ET on Thursday.
All tournament games will air live on ESPN+, with the network elevating the March 22nd championship game to ESPNU.
ESPN will exclusively present the 2026 NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship starting March 12th, with most games streaming live on ESPN+. This month's ice hockey tournament features 11 teams competing for the national title, with the championship game set for March 22nd.
Regional semifinals tip off Thursday, March 12th, followed by regional finals Saturday, March 14th., all streaming exclusively across ESPN platforms. The Frozen Four semifinals then take the ice on March 20th and 22nd, closing out the tournament at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.
No. 1 seed Ohio State (34-4-0) opens its regional campaign on Saturday at 6 PM ET on ESPN+. The Buckeyes finished as runners-up last season, going on to earn the No. 1 overall seed after defeating Wisconsin 2-1 at the WCHA championship.
No. 2 seed Wisconsin will defend its eighth national championship this year, after the Badgers won the 2025 title with a 4-3 overtime victory over Ohio State. The programs have alternated national championships over the last five seasons, while meeting in the title game for the last three consecutive years.
Penn State earned the No. 3 seed, after the Nittany Lions claimed their fourth straight Atlantic Hockey America title behind the nation's top-scoring defense at 1.35 goals per game.
Minnesota grabbed the No. 4 seed, while Northeastern rounds out this year's automatic berths. Five conferences earned bids, with six at-large teams set to battle through the tournament's opening round.
How to Watch the 2026 NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament on ESPN+
The tournament starts tonight at 6 PM ET, live on ESPN+, with the championship game airing Sunday, March 22 at 4 PM ET on ESPNU.
All coverage will also stream on the ESPN App via direct-to-consumer or pay TV authentication.
Ohio State women's hockey secured the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA tournament, topping Wisconsin 2-1 in the WCHA Final Faceoff to win the conference championship.
Riding a 34-4-0 record into the national tournament, the Buckeyes next host the Columbus Regional at the OSU Ice Rink starting March 12th, where they'll face the winner of a regional semifinal between Minnesota Duluth and Yale.
This marks the program's eighth NCAA tournament appearance and seventh consecutive year in the field, with Ohio State last holding the top seed in 2024.
The WCHA placed four teams in the 2026 bracket, as Wisconsin earned the No. 2 seed while Minnesota received the fourth. Minnesota Duluth and Yale will battle for the powerhouse conference's final spot.
Ohio State finished the regular season 24-4-0 in WCHA conference play behind goaltender Hailey MacLeod's program-record 23 wins. The senior posted five shutouts during the season on a 23-3-0 record.
The winner of the Columbus Regional advances to the 2026 NCAA Women's Frozen Four. The Frozen Four runs March 20th through 22nd at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.
How to Watch Ohio State Hockey at the Columbus Regional Tournament
The Columbus Regional semifinal kicks off Thursday, March 12th at 7 PM ET, setting up Saturday's 7 PM ET final. Both matches will air live on ESPN+.
Just like their PWHL counterparts, college hockey's Olympic stars will return to the ice on Friday night, when seven members of Team USA will rejoin their NCAA teams to battle through conference tournaments ahead of the national bracket's Selection Sunday on March 8th.
Hoping to kick off their 2025 NCAA title defense with a conference trophy is No. 1 Wisconsin and their four Team USA gold medalists: goaltender Ava McNaughton, forward Kirsten Simms, and defensemen Laila Edwards and Caroline Harvey — the 2026 Olympic tournament MVP.
"It's just more so getting the whole group back on the same page," Harvey said of Wisconsin's post-Olympic mindset. "There's a lot of excitement around playoffs now, so this is a time especially when we all naturally come together and we're united for a common goal, and we know that's winning a couple championships."
The Badgers, however, have other Olympic teammates standing in their way, with USA forwards Joy Dunne's No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes and Abbey Murphy's No. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers also vying for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) crown.
Meanwhile, the seventh collegiate reigning Olympic gold medalist will be skating toward the 2026 Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) trophy, as forward Tessa Janecke helps her No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions hunt a fourth straight conference tournament title.
College hockey's five Division I conference tournaments — which also include the New England Hockey Alliance, Hockey East Association, and ECAC Hockey — run through next week, with the puck dropping on all five championship games on Friday, March 7th, before the NCAA tournament kicks off on March 12th.
How to watch US Olympic stars on this weekend's NCAA hockey ice
WCHA's best-of-three quarterfinals take center stage this weekend, with No. 2 Ohio State taking on St. Thomas starting at 6 PM ET on Friday before No. 1 Wisconsin faces Bemidji State and No. 4 Minnesota plays St. Cloud State at 7 PM ET.
Elsewhere, after earning a bye through to the best-of-three AHA semifinals, top-seeded No. 3 Penn State will take on Syracuse for this weekend's series, which also begins at 6 PM ET on Friday.
All games featuring the Top 4 teams will air live on B1G+.
Canada women's hockey will have revenge on their minds this week, as the 2025 Rivalry Series between the reigning Olympic champions and Team USA resumes on Wednesday.
After dropping two consecutive results against the US by a combined score of 10-2 to open the sixth annual showdown in November, the series now heads to Canada — with both of this week's games taking the ice in Edmonton, Alberta.
"They had a great start, they have a great team, but so do we," said Canada legend and team captain Marie-Philip Poulin after the first two rivalry tilts. "It's going to be a battle."
With the 2026 Winter Olympics looming less than two months away, both PWHL and NCAA standouts will be using this week's final international window of the year to make their cases for roster spots in Milan, Italy.
With both teams stacked with talent, those who make the final cut are likely to come home with hardware this winter, as five-time champions Canada and the two-time title-winning USA remain the only nations to ever win Olympic gold in women's hockey.
How to watch the 2025 Canada vs. USA Rivalry Series
The puck drops on Game 3 of the annual hockey Rivalry Series on Wednesday before Team USA and Team Canada face-off for the final time in 2025 on Saturday.
Both games will begin at 9 PM ET, with live coverage airing on the NHL Network.
The 2025 PWHL Draft spotlighted the wealth of women's hockey talent currently rising through the ranks, as the league ushered in its third rookie class on Tuesday night.
With the first overall pick, the New York Sirens selected Colgate University alum Kristýna Kaltounková, after the 23-year-old Czech forward finished her college career as the team's all-time leading scorer.
"Coming from such a small town in the Czech Republic, it's a great honor," Kaltounková said after the announcement.
The PWHL's eight teams selected a total of 48 players across the Draft's six rounds, with 43 draftees coming out of the NCAA system.
Ohio State produced the most 2025 prospects with six selected players, after the Buckeyes won two of the last four national titles.
Of the five non-NCAA recruits, four made the leap from international pro leagues in Sweden and Russia, while one player joins the PWHL from the University of British Columbia.
With two of the eight first-round picks, New York played the Draft's most aggressive hand, trading defender Ella Shelton to Toronto in order to receive the Sceptres' third and 27th overall picks.
Due to that deal, the Sirens also snagged 2024/25 NCAA MVP Casey O'Brien, a three-time national champion and the Wisconsin Badgers' all-time leading scorer.
New York also traded top forward Abby Roque to Montréal before the 2025 PWHL Draft, receiving forward Kristin O'Neill and Tuesday's 28th overall pick in return.
With league expansion widening this year's PWHL talent pool, college programs have stepped up to fill the gaps as the professional game grows.