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On March 7, 2026, at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, The Ohio State University women’s ice hockey program delivered another defining moment in its rise as a national power. Trailing defending NCAA champion Wisconsin midway through the third period, the Buckeyes struck twice in the final 5:30 to earn a 2–1 comeback win, capture the 2026 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff championship, and secure the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA women’s tournament.
The win marked Ohio State’s third WCHA postseason crown and its first since 2022, reinforcing the program’s place among the sport’s elite. Entering the weekend ranked No. 2 nationally, the Buckeyes improved to 34–4–0 and rode the victory into the NCAA field as the No. 1 overall seed.
For two and a half periods, the WCHA championship game looked like a goaltending clinic and a test of patience between two of women’s college hockey’s premier programs. Ohio State and Wisconsin, who have spent the last several seasons trading national titles and high-stakes wins, skated through 40 minutes locked in a scoreless tie.
Ohio State generated the better looks through its aggressive forecheck and transition defense, outshooting Wisconsin 13–11 in the first period and 18–8 in the second to build a 31–19 edge through two frames. Senior goaltender Hailey MacLeod was sharp at the other end, turning away all 19 Badger shots in that span to match her counterpart as the game stayed 0–0.
Wisconsin’s answer came through goaltender Ava McNaughton, who repeatedly bailed out the Badgers with key saves as Ohio State tilted the ice. McNaughton held the Buckeyes off the board for more than 50 minutes, giving her team time to find its breakthrough.
The first crack in the deadlock arrived early in the third period. At 9:58, Wisconsin captain Lacey Eden found space in the slot and hammered home a one-timer to give the Badgers a 1–0 lead. For a moment, it felt like the defending national champions had seized control of yet another postseason showdown.
Eden’s goal briefly flipped the momentum in favor of Wisconsin, one of the most decorated programs in women’s college hockey history. For Ohio State, which had watched Wisconsin edge the Buckeyes 4–3 in overtime in the 2025 NCAA championship game, the situation carried a familiar edge: battle-tested opponent, elite goaltending across the ice, and a trophy hanging in the balance.
Ohio State’s response started with one of the program’s newest faces on a roster packed with international and domestic talent. At 14:30 of the third period, first-year forward Hilda Svensson delivered a crucial equalizer that changed the tone of the night.
On the tying play, senior defender Emma Peschel sent a low shot in from the point. Stationed in front of McNaughton, Svensson flashed her hands and hockey IQ, redirecting the puck past the Wisconsin netminder to tie the game at 1–1. Fellow forward Jocelyn Amos picked up the secondary assist, and the goal rewarded Ohio State’s sustained offensive pressure.
With just over five minutes remaining, the game was suddenly back to even, and the Buckeyes had their belief and momentum restored.
Less than two minutes after Svensson’s equalizer, junior forward Jordan Baxter turned a harmless-looking play into a championship-winning moment.
Carrying the puck down the right wing, Baxter circled behind the Wisconsin net and attempted to feed a pass into the low slot for Peschel, who was driving toward the crease. Instead, the puck glanced off Badgers defender Ava Murphy and slid across the goal line at 16:33 of the third period.
Whether viewed as fortunate or simply the product of pressure and persistence, Baxter’s bank-shot goal stood up as the game-winner. Her performance over the Final Faceoff weekend earned her recognition as the 2026 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff Most Outstanding Player, a fitting honor given her decisive role in the championship tilt.
The final minute underscored how little separated Ohio State and Wisconsin. Still down by one, the Badgers pulled McNaughton for an extra attacker and then gained a late power play, creating a 6-on-4 advantage over the closing 20 seconds.
Ohio State’s penalty-killing unit, anchored by MacLeod, met the moment. Skaters blocked shooting lanes, tied up sticks, and collapsed on loose pucks, while MacLeod turned away a last-second look from Eden to preserve the 2–1 victory.
By the final horn, MacLeod had stopped 28 of 29 shots, outdueling McNaughton’s 38-save effort on 40 Buckeye attempts. The goaltending duel, and especially MacLeod’s composure in the frantic closing seconds, highlighted why Ohio State trusts its senior netminder in the biggest moments.
Though the scoreboard reflected only a one-goal difference, the underlying numbers painted a picture of sustained Buckeye control:
The tournament’s All-Tournament Team further reflected the extent of Ohio State’s impact across the weekend. Baxter was joined by teammates Peschel, Svensson, forward Sloane Matthews, and goaltender Hailey MacLeod, along with Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey and forward Kirsten Simms. That split underscored how heavily the championship game itself weighed on post-tournament honors.
The dramatic comeback over Wisconsin capped a nearly flawless run through the 2026 WCHA postseason for The Ohio State University women’s ice hockey program.
As the No. 2 seed in the WCHA tournament, Ohio State opened play at home in Columbus with a best-of-three quarterfinal against St. Thomas. The Buckeyes left little room for doubt, posting a 5–1 win and a 4–1 win to sweep the series and punch their ticket to Saint Paul.
The combination of balanced scoring, blue line depth, and structured defensive play that defined Ohio State’s season carried over into the postseason. The Buckeyes limited St. Thomas’ time and space, controlled the puck, and showed the kind of depth that makes them difficult to match over a multi-game series.
In the semifinals at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, Ohio State blanked Minnesota 4–0 to advance to the Final Faceoff championship. The victory not only extended the Buckeyes’ run but also showed the defensive ceiling of this group when systems and effort align.
Holding a perennial power like Minnesota without a goal on neutral ice is a statement, and it set up the heavyweight showdown the sport expected: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, again, with hardware at stake.
On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded Wisconsin looked every bit like the WCHA regular-season champion. The Badgers rolled past Bemidji State in the quarterfinals and dispatched Minnesota State in the semifinals, setting the stage for a clash with Ohio State that felt like more than just a conference final.
Given their recent history, it was hard not to view the Final Faceoff title game as both a battle for conference supremacy and a potential preview of another NCAA postseason meeting later in March.
To understand the significance of Ohio State’s 2–1 win, it helps to see it in the context of a rivalry that has increasingly defined the national conversation in women’s college hockey.
In recent years, Ohio State and Wisconsin have become regular fixtures deep in the NCAA tournament, regularly appearing in Frozen Fours and national finals. The Buckeyes captured NCAA national championships in 2022 and 2024, while Wisconsin entered the 2026 WCHA tournament as the defending NCAA champion after edging Ohio State 4–3 in overtime in the 2025 national title game.
That history meant the Final Faceoff title game was about more than just a trophy. For Ohio State, it was a chance to reclaim momentum in a rivalry that had swung in Wisconsin’s favor at the national level last spring. For the Badgers, it was an opportunity to reinforce their dominant position while denying Ohio State another piece of postseason hardware.
By rallying with two late third-period goals and then surviving a final 6-on-4 push, Ohio State not only secured the conference title but also sent a clear message ahead of the NCAA tournament: this is still a program built to win in March.
The 2026 WCHA Final Faceoff championship is the latest milestone in a rapid ascent for women’s ice hockey at The Ohio State University. The Buckeyes have now appeared in six WCHA Final Faceoff title games and claimed three tournament crowns, in 2020, 2022, and 2026.
Layered on top of those conference accomplishments are the program’s two NCAA national championships and multiple deep postseason runs. With a 34–4–0 record entering the NCAA tournament and a roster that blends high-end skill, depth, and experience, Ohio State has firmly moved from up-and-comer to established national heavyweight.
The Buckeyes’ ability to recruit internationally, develop players across all classes, and maintain defensive structure while generating offense has helped them keep pace with traditional powers like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and others within the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, which has long been recognized as one of the sport’s premier leagues. For more background on Ohio State as an institution, including academics and campus life, you can reference widely used resources such as Ohio State’s university profile.
The win in Saint Paul carried immediate NCAA tournament implications. By claiming the WCHA’s automatic bid on top of an already elite overall resume, Ohio State secured the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 National Collegiate women’s ice hockey tournament.
The Buckeyes are set to host Minnesota Duluth and Yale in the Columbus Regional at the OSU Ice Rink. That home-ice advantage, combined with their form entering the tournament, makes Ohio State one of the clear favorites to contend for another national championship.
External outlets like NCAA.com have chronicled Ohio State’s prior national titles and rising profile, and the 2026 postseason sets up as another chapter in that story. Once again, the Buckeyes will have to go through a deep field of contenders, potentially including another meeting with Wisconsin, but their WCHA tournament run showed they have the resilience and structure to thrive in tight playoff games.
For prospective women’s ice hockey recruits and families evaluating college programs, games like the 2026 WCHA Final Faceoff are more than just entertainment. They offer a real-time look at culture, coaching, depth, and how teams perform under pressure.
From a recruiting and development perspective, the championship game underlined several traits that define Ohio State’s program:
For athletes hoping to play at this level, it is useful to watch how Ohio State’s forwards track back, how defenders manage gaps, and how special teams respond under pressure. Those details often decide tight postseason games and are central to what coaches evaluate in prospective college players.
If you want a broader view of ice hockey options beyond a single school, Pathley’s Ice Hockey Pathley Hub is a helpful starting point. You can explore college programs across divisions, compare options, and connect what you see on the ice with what you want from a campus and academic experience.
While Ohio State is the headline name in Columbus, the city is also home to other colleges that may fit different academic or athletic profiles, especially for athletes targeting different levels of play or other sports.
Exploring a variety of campuses in one metropolitan area can help recruits compare not just athletic opportunities, but living environments, internship access, and community feel.
Watching Ohio State and Wisconsin clash on a big stage is inspiring, but it also raises an important question for high school players: how do you figure out where you fit in the college landscape?
Pathley was built to make that process clearer and more efficient for athletes, parents, and coaches. Here are a few tools that can help if you are following programs like Ohio State and trying to map out your own path:
Whether you are aiming for a perennial powerhouse like Ohio State or a smaller program where you can make an immediate impact, understanding how top teams win – and using the right tools to evaluate fit – can make your recruiting journey more strategic and less overwhelming.
The 2026 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff championship game had everything that makes women’s college hockey compelling: high speed, structure, star power, and a rivalry layered with history. For The Ohio State University, the 2–1 comeback win over Wisconsin is both a trophy and a statement.
It showed that the Buckeyes can handle adversity in big games, that their depth and balance remain strengths, and that the program’s era of competing for championships is far from over. With the No. 1 overall seed secured and the NCAA tournament ahead, Ohio State’s latest title in Saint Paul is likely just one chapter in a postseason story still being written.
For recruits and families watching from afar, it is also a reminder that the pathway to moments like this involves finding a college that fits your goals, development curve, and learning environment. If you are ready to explore your own options, tools like Pathley’s College Directory and College Fit Snapshot can help you take the next step from fan to future college athlete.
