UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For a second straight year, the Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team is the national champion after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 3-2 on Sunday.

It took the high-octane Badgers’ offense just 78 seconds to open the scoring, courtesy of a Kelly Gorbatenko deflection on Czech Olympian Adéla Šapovalivová’s shot. Six minutes later, junior defender Laney Potter scored to make it 2-0 on Wisconsin’s third shot of the game.

Ohio State, the top-ranked team in this year’s NCAA tournament, played well, often pinning the Badgers in their own zone in the first period and matching Wisconsin’s shot totals through the first two periods (23-23). But, Wisconsin starter Ava McNaughton — who won a gold medal as the No. 3 goalie for Team USA at the Olympics last month — was sharp, stopping all 23 shots she faced in the first 40 minutes.

But after Wisconsin failed to score on a fourth power-play opportunity in the third period, Ohio State came alive, scoring two goals in just over two minutes to tie the game, setting up another tense, one-goal finish between two powerhouse programs.

Last year, the Buckeyes were 18.9 seconds away from winning the national championship before the Badgers scored three unanswered goals — including a stunning penalty shot by Kirsten Simms — to complete a historic comeback.

“Hopefully, it’s a similar story with a different ending,” said Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall on Saturday. “We’re excited. We’ve been planning all year since how this season ended last year. Is there a vendetta? Of course there is.”

Muzerall nearly got her wish. But it was Wisconsin forward Claire Enright, an unheralded senior on a roster dotted with superstars, who scored with just over six minutes remaining in regulation to win the Badgers their record ninth national championship.

McNaughton, who made 34 saves in the win, was named the women’s Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player.

Sunday night’s game was the fourth consecutive national championship between Ohio State and Wisconsin, which has become one of the premier rivalries in college hockey.

Since women’s hockey became an NCAA championship sport, only Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Minnesota and Harvard have faced each other in consecutive finals. No two other teams — men’s or women’s — have ever done it four times.

“It may not happen again where two teams face each other four years in a row trying to hoist the trophy,” Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said on Saturday.

The Badgers — a longtime dynasty program — have now won five of the last seven NCAA championships dating back to 2019.

This story will be updated.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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