Championship loss deals big blow to Wisconsin women's hockey.

DURHAM, N.H. — Amidst the pain, a fire began to burn.

Ohio State University experienced this problem in 2023. The University of Wisconsin women's hockey team was struggling with this issue Sunday after losing the Frozen championship game.

“A lot of guys on our team don't go through these types of injuries, when you get this close and you don't get it,” Badgers senior Casey O'Brien said. .

The 1-0 loss to the Buckeyes was a brutal result for the Badgers, who had to pack up and head home Sunday night for the season. But the comeback was fair play. Ohio State had to do the same thing a year ago, thinking of all the things that could have been different in a one-goal, one-game championship.

“This is something none of us want to go through again,” O'Brien previously said, intending to use his remaining year of eligibility with the Badgers. “So next year, the group that is there, whoever comes back, is going to be fired up and going to do everything they can to win.”

The top two scoring teams in NCAA women's hockey engaged in a defensive battle that kept a scoreless tie from breaking for more than 52 minutes.

The University of Wisconsin finished with the nation's top three scorers in Kirsten Sims, O'Brien, and Britta Karl, but it was their second shutout loss this season. The other case was by Ohio State University in November.

There were moments when the Badgers looked like they could break through, but they fumbled the puck, were stopped by Buckeyes defenders, and were stopped by goaltender Raegan Kirk.

“I think our efforts were a little inconsistent,” O’Brien said. “There were times when it looked like our heads weren't in the game, but you can't do that in a national championship game.”

What else could the Badgers have done to prevent the outcome they had to stew for six months? Those were occasional pitfalls for a team full of skilled forwards.

“At the end of the day, we need to get the puck to the net, we need to get bodies in the dirty areas, and we just weren't doing that,” O'Brien said. “We had a lot of turnovers on both sides of the blue line. We didn't take advantage of our chances and they took advantage of their opportunities. Overall, we need to be better.”

O'Brien barely missed a beat before taking exception to goaltender Ava McNaughton. Goaltender Eva McNaughton stopped all but one shot by Joy Dunn over his right shoulder in the third period.

“There was nothing more she could have done for us,” O'Brien said.

The 2023-24 season had no shortage of highlights. The Badgers won 35 games, captured the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Playoff Championship, and O'Brien and Sims earned two of the three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award. Coach Mark Johnson became the first NCAA women's hockey player to reach 600 wins.

The final goal did not materialize.

“Anytime you're in this position and you work with a group of players all season and you're so close to winning a trophy and you're still so far away, you feel that sting,” Johnson said. . “That's as it should be. These kids put in a lot of time and put a lot of energy into it. They commit to themselves and they go through adversity.”

A new cycle will begin soon, and the Badgers will probably be carrying the chip on their shoulders to end the season with a disappointing loss. Although the college careers of Carl and defensemen Chayla Edwards and Anna Wilgren are over, the Badgers will regain most of their scoring potential with the addition of a talented recruiting class.

“I think it's going to hurt for a little while,” Sims said. “Next time we see them, we're going to be ready. Obviously, it's going to be a long time coming. It's bad right now and it's going to be bad for a little while, but that's what we're going to do.” I think it will help energize me for next year. ”