Frozen Four: Ohio State and Wisconsin set to meet in final

The NCAA women’s national title game is set, with defending champion Ohio State looking to make it back-to-back titles against Wisconsin.

On the heels of the first national title in program history in 2022, the top-seeded Buckeyes beat Northeastern 3-0 to advance to the final on Sunday, setting up the chance to repeat. Ohio State will be joined in the final by Wisconsin, another WCHA team. The Badgers outlasted Minnesota in overtime, winning 3-2 on a goal from Caroline Harvey.

The national title game is Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU and the ESPN app.

Subscribe to watch select games of the NCAA women’s hockey tournament, including the Frozen Four.

Below is a look at the final two teams, analysis by women’s college hockey experts Kelly Pannek and Clay Matvick, players to watch and a recap of the regional round.

Frozen Four schedule

All times Eastern

Semifinals, Friday
at Amsoil Arena, Duluth, Minnesota

Ohio State 3, Northeastern 0
Wisconsin 3, Minnesota 2 (OT)

National championship game, Sunday
at Amsoil Arena, Duluth, Minnesota (4 p.m., ESPNU)

Ohio State vs. Minnesota

Teams at a glance

Ohio State (33-5-2)

How they got here: Coming off a loss to Minnesota in the WCHA final, the defending national champs fell behind Quinnipiac 1-0 in their regional before snapping back into form in the second period. Fifth-year senior Gabby Rosenthal scored midway through the period to tie it and Lauren Bernard gave Ohio State the lead at the 16-minute mark. Patty Kazmaier Award finalist Sophie Jaques scored two goals in the third period, including an empty-netter, to secure the 5-2 win, sending the Buckeyes to their third straight Frozen Four.

In the semifinal, Ohio State jumped out to an early lead just 1:16 into the game against Northeastern on a goal by Sloane Matthews. Ohio State would add second-period goals from Makenna Webster and Hadley Hartmetz on the way to the 3-0 win. Goalie Amanda Thiele made 15 saves, recording her fourth shutout of the season.

Key stats: Ohio State finished with 44 shots on goal against Quinnipiac and outshot the Bobcats 24-3 in the second period. … Jaques scored her ninth power-play goal of the season, most in the nation, and set the WCHA record for career goals by a defenseman (61). … In the semifinal, the Buckeyes outshout the Huskies 53-15 … Northeastern didn’t have a shot on goal for the first nine minutes of the game.

Wisconsin (28-10-2)

How they got here: The Badgers had to win twice to make it back to the Frozen Four, following a 9-1 rout of Long Island in the first round with an impressive 4-2 win at No. 3 seed Colgate. In a matchup of two of the best offenses in the country, Wisconsin’s defense stole the show as the Badgers outshot Colgate 35-15.

In the semifinals, Wisconsin outlasted WCHA rival Minnesota, winning 3-2 on an OT goal from freshman Caroline Harvey. Minnesota held an early 1-0 lead before two third-period goals (Laila Edwards and Sophie Shirley) put Wisconsin in front. But Grace Zumwinkle tied the game for the Gophers with just over a minute left, sending it to an extra frame.

Key stats: This will be the fifth meeting of the season between Wisconsin and Ohio State, with the Buckeyes holding a 3-1 edge. Ohio State outscored Wisconsin 15-8 in the four games, with two of them decided in OT. … Two of Wisconsin’s three goals in the semifinal were scored by freshmen (Harvey and Edwards).

Two players to watch in the final

It seems like every team has at least two or three highly skilled players who will stand out to anyone watching, but these five players are key to their team’s success in the tournament.

Ohio State graduate defenseman Sophie Jaques. For the last two years, Jaques has led the nation in scoring by defensemen with numbers that rival those of the top forwards. She was held without a point in her last two games, and as a key to the Buckeyes’ league-leading power play, getting her on the scoresheet means good things for OSU.

Wisconsin junior forward Casey O’Brien. On a team with multiple Olympians, players with senior national team experience and a highly touted freshman class, O’Brien has consistently been one of the Badgers’ best players all season. Like so many others on her team, she has a ton of speed and can shoot the puck as well as anyone, but I feel she is at her best when she adds a tenacity and grit that makes her really fun to watch and is critical to her team’s success. — Kelly Pannek

Experts roundtable

Kelly Pannek, who helped Minnesota win two national titles (2015 and 2016), is a two-time Olympian, member of the U.S. national team and a PWHPA All-Star. ESPN’s Clay Matvick will be calling the Frozen Four broadcasts on ESPN+ and ESPNU.

What most impressed you from the regional round?

Kelly Pannek: Northeastern goaltender Gwyneth Philips had an impressive performance against the Yale Bulldogs to lead her team back to the Frozen Four. Phillips made 38 saves, with 17 of those saves coming in the 3rd period. When a goalie can have that type of performance in one of the biggest games of the season, it has to bring so much confidence to her team.

Clay Matvick: The continued defensive excellence of Northeastern. The Huskies haven’t allowed more than one goal in their last seven games. Their goaltending has been absolutely outstanding all season with Gwyneth Philips playing as well, and sometimes better, than her predecessor, Aerin Frankel. For coach Dave Flint, this is the last go-round with Alina Mueller, Chloé Aurard and Maureen Murphy. It’s a great chance for this group to go out in style.

Who is your pick to win the national title?

Pannek: I have to go with Minnesota. It is no secret that defense wins championships and I really like the way they have committed to the defensive side of the game throughout the playoffs. It also doesn’t hurt that they are getting scoring throughout their lineup and not just relying on one or two players to produce.

Matvick: Minnesota seems to be the team playing the most complete hockey right now. Offensively, they have an embarrassment of riches with the reigning Patty Kazmaier Award winner Taylor Heise and U.S. Olympians Abbey Murphy and Grace Zumwinkle, who is third in the country with 61 points. Five of their six defenders are seniors and Skylar Vetter has been a steady and sometimes electric goaltender. With Duluth right up the road from Minneapolis, the Gophers should have a lot of fan support too, so they’ll be very tough to beat.

Who is your pick to win the Patty Kazmaier Award?

Editor’s note: Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques was named the Patty Kaz winner Saturday.

Pannek: Ohio State’s Sophie Jaques. She has shown over the last two years how big of a threat she is, even as a defenseman. She has put up forward-like numbers offensively, while playing a ton of minutes against the opposition’s best players in a really strong league. Frankly, after the past two seasons, if she doesn’t win, I’m not sure what it would take for a defenseman to take home the award.

Matvick: Northeastern’s Alina Mueller has won a lot of awards and she’s accomplished a great deal both as collegiate player and Olympian. However, despite being a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award a record five times, she’s never won it. Mueller is the all-time leading scorer in Hockey East and she’s won the conference player of the year three times while guiding the Huskies to three straight Frozen Fours. After another spectacular year, in which she’s fourth in the country in goals and points, I think it’s her turn to win the Patty Kaz.

Regional results

All times Eastern

Regional semifinals, March 9
Quinnipiac 3, Penn State 2 (3 OT)
Wisconsin 9, Long Island 1
Minnesota Duluth 2, Clarkson 0

Regional finals, March 11
No. 5 Northeastern 4, No. 4 Yale 1
No. 6 Wisconsin 4, No. 3 Colgate 2
No. 2 Minnesota 3, No. 7 Minnesota Duluth 0
No. 1 Ohio State 5, No. 8 Quinnipiac 2

The field

Statistics entering the NCAA tournament

Ohio State

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Minnesota 3-1 in WCHA final)

Numbers to know: The dominant Buckeyes are second in the country in scoring offense (4.39 goals per game) and eighth in scoring defense (1.78). Ohio State’s power play has converted at a .344 clip, best in the NCAA. This is the second straight 30-win season for the defending national champs.

Kelly Pannek’s take: Ohio State has played all season like a team that is ready to defend its national championship. The Buckeyes are a strong, physical team with skill and speed to match. They are coming off a loss in the WCHA tournament championship, but I have no doubt that they will find a way to use that in their favor. They are the team to beat.

Minnesota

How they got in: WCHA tournament champion

Numbers to know: Minnesota has the best offense in the country, scoring nearly five goals (4.71) per game. Taylor Heise, the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner as national player of the year, leads the NCAA with 29 goals and 1.77 points per game and also has a .635 faceoff percentage. The Gophers were 3-1-1 against No. 1 seed Ohio State this season.

Pannek’s take: This feels like a must-win year for the Gophers, with their last national championship coming seven years ago. They have all the firepower up front and just showed they are willing to do the dirty work on defense in winning the WCHA tournament. If Minnesota can continue to back up its potent offense with stingy defense, it will be a tough team to beat.

Colgate (32-5-2)

How they got in: ECAC tournament champion

Numbers to know: Colgate is 2-0 against Yale, handing the Bulldogs their only two regular-season losses. Senior Danielle Serdachny leads the nation with 43 assists and 65 points.

Pannek’s take: With statement wins on its way to clinching the ECAC tournament title, Colgate may be peaking at the right time. The Raiders have played a tough schedule all season and are stronger for it. With Colgate showing great balance on both sides of the puck, and some early postseason success added to the mix, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raiders in Duluth.

Yale (28-3-1)

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Clarkson 4-3 in ECAC semifinal)

Numbers to know: Junior Elle Hartje leads the nation with 1.19 assists per game (37 in 31 games). Sophomore goalie Pia Dukaric is second in the country with a 1.29 GAA and third with a .939 save percentage. Yale is fourth in scoring offense (4.13 goals per game) and second in scoring defense (1.32).

Pannek’s take: Yale has been a top team all year in a strong ECAC conference. People forget that this team was a Frozen Four team last season and the Bulldogs have backed it up with their performance this year. With a semifinal loss to Clarkson in the ECAC tournament, the Bulldogs need to get the momentum back early in the NCAA tournament.

Northeastern

How they got in: Hockey East tournament champion

Numbers to know: Northeastern has allowed only 30 goals in 35 games, with senior goaltender Gwyneth Philips leading the nation in goals-against average (0.83) and save percentage (.960). Graduate student Alina Mueller has a plus-45 plus/minus, and the Huskies are 28-0-0 this season when she scores a point.

Pannek’s take: Making its sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, Northeastern is the team to beat in Hockey East. This group has a strong veteran core, led by three-time Hockey East Player of the Year Alina Mueller. With lots of playoff experience and leaders who are hungry to get the program’s first national championship, this may be the year Northeastern breaks through.

Wisconsin

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Minnesota 4-2 in WCHA semifinal)

Numbers to know: This is Wisconsin’s 10th straight NCAA appearance, the longest active streak in the country. The Badgers were 2-0-2 in the regular season against league champion Minnesota. Wisconsin is top five in the country in both scoring offense (third, 4.17) and scoring defense (fifth, 1.61).

Pannek’s take: Halfway through the season it looked as if Wisconsin may not even make the NCAA tournament, but with a strong finish to the regular season, the Badgers are back to being the type of team we expect to see in Madison. Wisconsin is loaded with talent, and it looks like they may be reaching their fullest potential at the right time to make a strong NCAA run.

Minnesota Duluth (25-9-3)

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Ohio State 2-1 in WCHA semifinal)

Numbers to know: Minnesota Duluth was 1-4 this season against top seed Ohio State, but all five games were decided by one goal (two in overtime). The Bulldogs have 13 shutouts on the season, tops in the country.

Pannek’s take: UMD always makes noise come playoff time, and I anticipate this NCAA tournament to be no different. Graduate Emma Soderberg is one of the best and most experienced goaltenders in the country, and in front of her is a mature team that has made deep tournament runs. With Duluth being the host of this year’s Frozen Four, I have no doubt that the Bulldogs will do everything they can to be there.

Quinnipiac (29-9-0)

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Colgate 5-1 in ECAC semifinal)

Numbers to know: Quinnipiac is fourth in the nation in scoring defense (1.51) and fourth in team faceoff percentage (.559). The Bobcats are 6-6 over their last 12 games.

Pannek’s take: Quinnipiac has turned its program around in the past few years and is making its second straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Bobcats started the season off strong with a 10-game win streak, but haven’t shown the same consistency in the second half. One thing that is crucial to Quinnipiac’s tournament success is its penalty kill, which is second in the country at 92%.

Penn State (27-8-2)

How they got in: CHA tournament champion

Numbers to know: Kiara Zanon is tied for fourth in the country with 25 goals and has an NCAA-best five short-handed goals. This is Penn State coach Jeff Kampersal’s third NCAA appearance (Princeton, 2006, 2016).

Pannek’s take: Penn State is making its NCAA tournament debut after promising regular-season showings the past couple of years. The Nittany Lions are led by highly talented forwards junior Kiara Zanon and freshman Tessa Janecke, and junior goalie Josie Bothun can steal games. The Nittany Lions may have a tough road to the Frozen Four, but they have a chance to solidify themselves as a perennial challenger.

Clarkson (29-10-2)

How they got in: At-large bid (lost to Colgate 8-2 in ECAC final)

Numbers to know: Clarkson goalie Michelle Pasiechnyk is fourth in the country with a 1.45 GAA. The Golden Knights scored two big late-season wins, beating Quinnipiac to end the regular season and knocking off Yale in double overtime in the ECAC tournament.

Pannek’s take: Although it has been a few years since their last trip to the Frozen Four, the Golden Knights are no stranger to postseason success (11 NCAA appearances). In comparison to other teams in the field, Clarkson is toward the bottom for both offensive and defensive statistics, so to make a push, it will need to be firing on all cylinders — as the Knights were in beating Yale in the ECAC tournament.

Long Island (20-13-3)

How they got in: NEWHA tournament champion

Numbers to know: In its fourth season of competition, Long Island posted its first 20-win season. Goalie Tindra Holm has the fifth-best save percentage in the country at .937.

Pannek’s take: As the team representing the newest league in Division I women’s hockey, Long Island will have its work cut out for it here. The Sharks will need an extraordinary performance between the pipes from sophomore Holm and capitalize on any opportunities they get in the offensive end if they want to keep their run going.

Players to watch

It seems like every team has at least two or three highly skilled players who will stand out to anyone watching, but these five players are key to their team’s success in the tournament.

Minnesota sophomore goalie Skylar Vetter. Vetter has shown stretches of dominance this season on her way to being a top-three finalist for WCHA goalie of the year. On a team with the highest scoring offense in the tournament but one of the worst goals against per game average, Vetter has the opportunity to set the defensive tone for her team.

Ohio State graduate defenseman Sophie Jaques. For the last two years, Jaques has led the nation in scoring by defensemen with numbers that rival those of the top forwards. She was held without a point in her last two games, and as a key to the Buckeyes’ league-leading power play, getting her on the scoresheet means good things for OSU.

Colgate senior forward Danielle Serdachny. The leading scorer in the country, Serdachny is coming off an outstanding ECAC tournament performance where she recorded four goals and five assists in five games. A well-rounded center with a ton of skill, Serdachny is a player you expect to see shine in big moments.

Northeastern graduate forward Maureen Murphy. Playing on a line with Alina Mueller, Murphy doesn’t always get the recognition she deserves as a key piece to her team’s success. Murphy is a gritty forward who skates well and can finish. She has scored some big goals for Northeastern in past seasons, and I’m sure she’s ready to add more.

Wisconsin junior forward Casey O’Brien. On a team with multiple Olympians, players with senior national team experience and a highly touted freshman class, O’Brien has consistently been one of the Badgers’ best players all season. Like so many others on her team, she has a ton of speed and can shoot the puck as well as anyone, but I feel she is at her best when she adds a tenacity and grit that makes her really fun to watch and is critical to her team’s success. — Kelly Pannek