NCAA DIII athletics are so fun because what do you mean the third-leading scorer on this team in the Frozen Four only played 7 games last season because she was studying abroad most of the year?

As a man who nearly died at a High-A minor league game doing this the right way I can honestly say that nothing has ever made me more disgusted than seeing the Giants massacre a great American tradition

Five years ago today I was at Bucky's Locker Room with a friend and noticed that the "Wisconsin women's hockey 5-time national champions" merch was all on clearance because they had just won title #6 That stuff is all vintage now after #9.

After winning three national titles in four seasons, the Wisconsin #Badgers have seemingly perfected the art of celebrating the national championship. Taking you inside the Badgers’ first 24-hours as champs, taking the party to air, land, and sea before sampling Mondays' famous 'water.'

After winning three national titles in four seasons, the Wisconsin #Badgers have seemingly perfected the art of celebrating the national championship. Taking you inside the Badgers’ first 24-hours as champs, taking the party to air, land, and sea before sampling Mondays' famous 'water.'

With this move by the Gophers, the head coaching gig at current #Badgers assistant Nick Oliver's alma mater (St. Cloud) just opened up. Oliver spent four seasons as an assistant at SCSU, including the Huskies' run to the 2021 national title game.

Excuse me

A Bed of Red Azaleas, by Alma Thomas, 1968 (rotated, detail), 📸 by David Stluka

I long had a hunch that there were passionate folks out there looking for more deep-dive analysis, interviews, and insight into the #Badgers women's hockey program. Acting on that hunch was the best thing I ever did. Thanks to all of you for being my people. More TK.

Want to find out everything the #Badgers (and Ohio State Buckeyes) said after Wisconsin won its 9th national title? Here you go.

We put together a pretty great photo reel from yesterday's national championship celebration. Big thanks to Badger Breakaway contributing photographer darrenleephotography.com for absolutely crushing it.

Things are OUT OF CONTROL here for the #Badgers celebrating the national championship. Rachel Gorbatenko has taken the mic from Brian Posick for an impromptu karaoke session.

There is no game being played here at LaBahn until at least September, but #Badgers fans are still lined up (over an hour ahead of schedule) to see the champs in their welcome home event.

“All I remember is being so out of breath, basically having a panic attack.” When you score a game-winning goal in the national title game, with one of your best friends and teammates, after you both nearly retired due to injuries, the emotions can be overwhelming. #Badgers

Just woke up and remembered that the #Badgers are losing Simms, Harvey, Eden, etc... But getting Nela Lopušanová in the fall lmao

“All I remember is being so out of breath, basically having a panic attack.” When you score a game-winning goal in the national title game, with one of your best friends and teammates, after you both nearly retired due to injuries, the emotions can be overwhelming. #Badgers

I just finished talking with one of the stars of tonight’s game, and it sound like she’ll have a surprising announcement soon that will leave a major impact on the Wisconsin #Badgers this fall. Come find out what we’re talking about in the Badger Breakaway subscribers chat.

Just stopped in the hallway to talk to #Badgers three-time national champion Kirsten Simms for a moment and asked her about this quote. Her response: "No itches left!"

"If I'm KK, if I'm Laila, if I'm Ava, I mean, how do you right a better script?" Johnson adds.

Mark Johnson on the #Badgers winning a national championship in an unprecedented college hockey season. "It's sort of surreal. Trying to still process how we got through Friday night's game and then figure out how we got through this afternoon."

#Badgers head coach Mark Johnson on the unlikely source of the game-winner in today's national title game: "I don't think a lot of us, and a lot of you, thought Claire Enright was going to get the game-winning-goal, but that's how it happens."

As far as our research shows, Lacey Eden is the only DI women's ice hockey player to win 4 national championships (H/t @toddmilewski.bsky.social and @kedrickstumbris.bsky.social)

After Wisconsin secured its place in the 2026 Frozen Four, Kirsten Simms, looking ahead to a potential 4th-straight title game against OSU, said her team was “itching for that back-to-back” that the Buckeyes denied the #Badgers in 2024. Itch scratched.

Unsuccessful challenge by OSU, they are assessed a penalty.

The parallels are tremendous

OSU is challenging the play on the ice for a scrum in front of the net. Muzerall already used her timeout, so if it's unsuccessful, Wisconsin gets to put OSU on the PK (or take a penalty shot with 42.3 seconds remaining). 3-2 UW lead in the national title game.

Net is empty. Extra attacker is on.

Claire Enright's first goal since Valentine's Day.

The Wisconsin #Badgers lead with 6:18 to play. Claire Enright.

Cassie Hall is having a ROUGH day at the dot. She's 4 of 17 on the draw.

We head to the first media timeout of the third period with a brand new building. OSU's fans have been quiet all day while the #Badgers contingent has dominated. Not anymore. The Buckeyes have life while Wisconsin is looking for answers.

An icing call, a lost faceoff, a loose puck. Tie game with 14:25 to go.

The lead is down to one. Kassidy Carmichael gets the Buckeyes halfway back with 16:29 to go in regulation.

Ohio State opens the 3rd period by killing the remaining 90 seconds of its penalty. Wisconsin struggling to maintain possession in a lot of instances, like that one, as OSU is dominating at the dot. Buckeyes have won 30 draws to the Badgers' 16.

Nevermind I guess

Wisconsin will have 90 seconds of a power play to start the final 20 minutes of regulation, whether or not that means anything to an OSU team that has stymied UW's PP all night is another question. Still, the #Badgers maintain a 2-0 lead. SOGs are, again, tied at the end of the period.

Ohio State will get a chance to cut the deficit in half. Ava Murphy heads to the box for an interference call as this one begins getting chippy. 7:28 to play in the 2nd. 2-0 UW lead.

It's another penalty against Ohio State, the Buckeyes' third of the day. Mira Jungaker heads to the box for roughing, giving the #Badgers a third chance to cash in on the advantage. 11:28 to play in the 2nd. 2-0 UW lead.

6:20 into the second, OSU is outshooting UW 4-0 in the middle frame despite Wisconsin having the only power play of the period.

Wisconsin is going back to the power-play 4:10 into the 2nd. OSU's Kassidy Carmichael takes down UW's Cassie Hall in transtition. Carmichael will serve 2 for interference. UW up 2-0 still.

Call the cops.

A back-and-forth period in which both teams recorded 12 shots on goal ends with a 2-0 lead for the #Badgers over the Buckeyes. Goals by Gorbatenko and Potter.

Ava McNaughton, after an up-and-down performance in the national semifinal, has been unreal today. "Ava, Ava, Ava" chants from the #Badgers contingent.

Gorbatenko's goal is the second-fastest game-opening goal in championship game history, trailing only Minnesota forward Sarah Potomak's game-opening strike just 13 seconds into the 2016 title game.

Only one team has ever overcome a multi-goal deficit in the national championship game. It was Wisconsin, last year, against Ohio State. Hold your tables #Badgers fans....

And now the nation's most-effective power play is headed onto the ice hoping to make it 3-0. Buckeye captain Emma Peschel cross-checks UW rookie Charlotte Pieckenhagen.

Laney Potter has doubled the lead less than eight minutes in. That's another assist from Adéla Šapovalivová on the one-timer in front of the net. It's rookie Šapovalivová's fifth point of the Frozen Four. Oh my.

Kelly Gorbatenko gets the #Badgers on the board just 78 seconds in. Big goal for Wisconsin. Ohio State is 23-0 this season when scoring first. 1-0 UW over OSU.

Okay fine I will coach the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's hockey program

The #Badgers men's hockey team is shipping up to, uh, Worcester. It will be Wisconsin and the Dartmouth Big Green in the regional semifinal. Winner faces Michigan State/UConn for a spot in the Frozen Four. Puck drops at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m CT on ESPNU this Thursday, March 26.