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.
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+.
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.