Simms' overtime winner lifts Wisconsin over Penn State, 4-3, to advance to fourth consecutive national championship

Wisconsin Badgers goaltender Ava McNaughton (30) makes a save against the Penn State Nittany Lions in a semifinal matchup Friday night at Pegula Ice Arena. — Ed Major II / PHC

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Wisconsin Badgers are headed back to the National Championship after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 4-3 Friday night in overtime at Pegula Ice Arena, courtesy of Kirsten Simms’ overtime winner. 

The winning goal was indicative of the entire game. A power play goal just 50 seconds into the extra frame and eight seconds into the boarding minor to Penn State defender Kendall Butze, Simms silenced the Nittany Lions student section right behind the goal.

That student section had just gotten loud, after Tessa Janecke tied the game 3-3 for Penn State on a backhand shot on a breakaway with just under 5 minutes to play in the third period. Penn State seemed to have home ice advantage locked up, and not just because they were already on their home ice.

Wisconsin goaltender Ava McNaughton, a local out of Seven Fields/Cranberry, would not have described the environment as friendly, though. But despite the noise from the student section behind her in the third period, she stood tall. With a one goal lead, she turned away several high-danger chances from Penn State, including three saves in a row just four minutes in and another a few minutes later. So when the game was tied 3-3, there wasn’t a single look of panic on the Wisconsin bench. The Badgers stayed calm, held strong, forced overtime, and eventually took the win.

And just as in overtime, special teams was the name of the game for most of it. Janecke opened the scoring at 1:52 of the first period to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead just seconds into a power play. After Laila Edwards tied the game for Wisconsin at 4:31, Abby Stonehouse scored another Penn State power play goal at 7:53 to retake the lead, 2-1. 

But if the first period was mostly Penn State, the second was all Wisconsin. The Badgers got on the power play goal bandwagon when Laila Edwards notched her second of the game at 8:11 of the period. Adéla Šapovalivová then gave Wisconsin its first lead of the game with just under four minutes left in the period to give the Badgers a 3-2 lead headed into the second intermission. 

The third period was another flip, as Penn State tried to turn up the heat. But with McNaughton standing tall, the Janecke tying goal was all the remaining offense the Nittany Lions could muster.

Penn State goaltender Katie Desa made 31 saves on 35 shots, while McNaughton made 22 saves on 25 shots.

The Wisconsin Badgers will face the Ohio State Buckeyes for the fourth year in a row for the National Championship on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Pegula Ice Arena. The Badgers won 4-3 in overtime last season, and 1-0 in 2023. Ohio State took the championship in 2024, 1-0.