The Ohio State women’s hockey team is WCHA Tournament Champs for the first time in program history, but it sure didn’t come easy.
The Buckeyes have been in position to hoist a trophy before, but after 12 WCHA Final Faceoff appearances and two Championship appearances, they can finally put some hardware in the trophy case.
OSU needed one whale of a game from its netminder as Wisconsin had more shots on goal through 60 minutes of a scoreless contest that had to be settled in overtime. Goalie Andrea Braendli stopped a whopping 40 saves in regulation, a season high. But she wasn’t the only goalie stonewalling opponents.
Wisconsin goalie Kristen Campbell was also fantastic, making 26 saves through regulation, and both teams had to take their chances with sudden-death overtime.
The Badgers controlled large portions of the game, outshooting and outskating OSU for a lot of the contest, but this night would have a familiar hero emerge at an opportune time.
For the second-straight night, Ohio State’s Tatum Skaggs managed to get the game-winner just 4:24 into OT, propelling the Buckeyes to the 1-0 win and title.
Champions. pic.twitter.com/s7CNPP0Miv
— Ohio State Women's Hockey (@OhioStateWHKY) March 8, 2020
Congrats to the lady Buckeyes. They now await their fate in the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament.