According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of dรฉjร vu is as follows: a feeling that one has seen or heard something before.
The phrase came up a lot recently as Wisconsin and Ohio State met for the fourth consecutive meeting in the national championship.
It is the same two teams and it is the same result this time around too. But this game was a rollercoaster. The two final teams played very well against each other but also exposed flaws in the otherโs game. They had players who were putting together great performances and others that stepped up at the perfect time.
And the dรฉjร vu was strong especially in the final minute of this game.
Letโs take a look at all the good, the bad, and the awesome from the national championship game.
First Period Fire
These two teams last met on Feb. 7 in the WCHA conference title game. The Buckeyes won that night and handed the Badgers another loss this season.
Wisconsin came out firing from all cylinders. It didnโt take long for them to get on the board. Kelly Gorbatenko redirected a shot for the opening goal a little over a minute into the game.
The Badgers had everything going for them at this point which led to a Laney Potter goal to double the lead.
A Goalie Showing Up and Showing Out
But one of the biggest assets for Wisconsin was goaltender Ava McNaughton. She was lights out in the first period making save after save on big names including her Olympics teammate and now opponent, Joy Dunne. The score remained 2-0 after the first period.
McNaughton continued her incredible goaltending into the second period. Within the first four minutes, she made two big saves to keep the Buckeyes off the board. Much of Wisconsinโs talent is credited to players such as Patty Kaz Award winner Caroline โKKโ Harvey, gold medalist Laila Edwards, and Lacey Eden. But McNaughton played well in the tournament. She recorded a shutout against Quinnipiac then remained strong against Penn State on Friday to help keep the game close in the final minutes before heading into overtime. In the championship game she was playing at her best.
The Badgers did not record a single shot on goal in the first 10 and a half minutes of the second stanza and McNaughton made sure that didnโt bite them as the period went on. Their defense aside from McNaughton was fantastic, they recorded 14 blocks in the first two periods. The penalty kill also did its job and prevented the Buckeyes from scoring a goal.
One flaw for the Badgers throughout this game was their power play. The nationโs best power play struggled a lot and werenโt able to find the back of the net. OSUโs penalty kill unit stopped them every chance.
The Buckeyes Storm Back
Ohio Stateโs penalty kill was spotless throughout this entire game but their faceoff percentage shined the brightest. Through two periods they had won 70% of the faceoffs. That proved vital because those wins led to puck possession and kept Wisconsin from being able to score any more goals.
While the Badgers tried to get on the board again early in the third period, OSUโs Hailey MacLeod was able to stop those chances.
Less than four minutes into the period, Ohio State took control and Kassidy Carmichael was able to solve McNaughtonโs great goaltending and found the back of the net. WCHA Rookie of the Year Hilda Svensson set up the play by drawing some of the Wisconsin players to her leaving Carmichael all alone. That cut the lead in half.
Remember when we mentioned the faceoff wins earlier? That came into play a minute and a half later when Jocelyn Amos won the faceoff for OSU. McNaughton stopped Emma Peschel’s initial shot. Then Amos drove to the net and scored on the rebound. That tied the game at two with 14 minutes left in regulation.
The Emotional Rollercoaster
The game remained locked at two. It was MacLeodโs turn to shine in net and she did. She made huge stops with seven minutes left on Adรฉla ล apovalivovรก and Harvey. MacLeod had left an opening for Harvey but she was able to get back in time to stop her.
The Badgersโ Claire Enright finally broke the hot streak MacLeod was on and scored the go-ahead goal with six minutes left in the game. After a replay, it looked like MacLeod’s stick got stuck and preventing her from being able to make a save.
An Almost Helping of Dรฉjร Vu
Last yearโs game ended in an interesting fashion. Ohio State was called for covering the puck illegally with a hand. That led to a Badgersโ penalty shot which Kirsten Simms took and she tied the game. That game then went into overtime where Simms won it all for Wisconsin.
That almost happened again this year.
While OSU continued generating chances, they could not get anything to go. They brought on the extra attacker with a minute to go. Almost every player is in the crease with McNaughton either trying to save or score. When the whistle finally blew, the Buckeyes challenged for the puck being covered by a hand. The replay showed that didnโt actually happen and well, we avoided chaos here this time.
The Wisconsin Badgers went on to win 3-2 for their ninth national championship in 13 appearances. According to The Victory Pressโ Nicole Haase, Eden is believed to be the first four-time national champion in womenโs Division I hockey.
The Frozen Four All-Tournament team was announced after the game. McNaughton was rewarded for her stellar play with the Most Outstanding Player award.
The now back-to-back national champions only won two one goal games all season that was Fridayโs Frozen Four matchup against Penn State and the title game against OSU on Sunday.
Talk about clutch.
Thanks for following along here at The Ice Garden this season. Thatโs a wrap. Weโll see you in the fall!
