whky semifinal graphic 3.17.25

Women's Hockey Ian Wilder

Five things to know: Badgers face Border Battle in Frozen Four

Wisconsin faces Minnesota Friday at 7:30 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. – The No.1 Wisconsin women's hockey team will face the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 2025 NCAA Women's Hockey Frozen Four at 7:30 p.m. CT at Ridder Arena Friday. 

Should the Badgers win that game, they'll advance to the NCAA Championship which will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. CT at Ridder Arena.

Tickets are sold out. Fans who can't make the game can stream the semifinal game on ESPN+, while the championship game will be televised on ESPNU. Fans can also listen to Paul Braun, Mark Greenhalgh and Zach Sielaff on The Game 1070.  

In between the games, the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be handed out on Saturday, March 22, at the McNamara Alumni Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The ceremony, which will begin at 11:30 a.m. CT, will air live on NHL Network.

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Wisconsin at the 2025 NCAA Women's Hockey Frozen Four

Wisconsin women’s hockey versus Clarkson in the NCAA D1 Regional Final in the LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Taylor Wolfram / Wisconsin Athletic Communications)

1. LAST TIME OUT
The Wisconsin women's hockey team scored four unanswered goals to earn a 4-1 victory over Clarkson Saturday in a NCAA regional final at LaBahn Arena to secure a spot in the 2025 NCAA Women's Frozen Four.

Kelly Gorbatenko recorded Wisconsin's game-winning goal after Ava Murphy secured the equalizer following a 1-0 score after the first period. Laila Edwards secured a two-goal cushion and Lacey Eden recorded an empty-net shorthanded goal to lead the Badgers past Clarkson.

Ava McNaughton made 19 saves to earn her 34th win of the season, which ranks second in school history and also leads the country. McNaughton only trails Kristen Campbell, who had 35 in the 2018-19 campaign.

2. MINNEAPOLIS FAN EVENT
The Wisconsin women's hockey team is heading back to the NCAA Women's Frozen Four, and Badger fans are invited to make the trip to Minneapolis.

Before the Badgers face Minnesota in the semifinals on Friday, join us for a NCAA Frozen Four Pep Rally presented by UW Credit Union at Blarney Pub and Grill.

The pep rally will kick off at 4:30 p.m., and there will be Wisconsin giveaway items and appearances by Bucky Badger and the UW Band.

Should the Badgers advance to the championship on Sunday, join us again at Blarney's from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Admission is free and all Badger fans are welcome! The event will be first come first serve.

Wisconsin will also have a Red Carpet Arrival on Friday at 5:25 p.m. CT at Ridder Arena. 

3. A BADGER TO WIN THE PATTY KAZ

Wisconsin women's hockey standouts Casey O'Brien, Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards were named top-three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

It marks the second time in 28 years that a single school has produced the three finalists for the highest individual honor in women's college hockey after a trio of Minnesota players were selected as top-three finalists in 2013.

The 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be handed out on Saturday, March 22 at the McNamara Alumni Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The ceremony, which will begin at 11:30 a.m. CT, will air live on NHL Network.

Wisconsin is guaranteed to have its sixth Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner, which will tie for the most in the NCAA with Harvard. 

Women's Hockey celebrates a goal against Minnesota

4. A LOOK INTO THE FROZEN FOUR COMPETITION

The Badgers are joined in the Frozen Four by two other WCHA opponents as well as the Cornell Big Red out of the ECAC hockey conference.

The Badgers are meeting the Golden Gophers for the sixth time this season and for the third time at Ridder Arena. In all five meetings this year — with four in the regular season and one in the postseason — the Badgers are a perfect 5-0-0. Wisconsin defeated the Golden Gophers twice at Ridder Arena earlier this season and are currently on a nine-game win streak against Minnesota.

Wisconsin is 2-1-1 against Ohio State this season. The two teams met at Ridder Arena in 2024 at the WCHA Final Championship game. The Badgers won that game 6-3. Wisconsin and Ohio State have been in the last two national championship games winning 1-0 in 2023 and falling 1-0 in 2024. 

The Badgers and Cornell have met only four times before — twice at LaBahn Arena and twice in Ithica, New York. Wisconsin has won all four matchups, with the most recent win being a 2-1 win in New York back in 2017.

5. BADGERS IMPRESS AT WCHA AWARDS

Wisconsin women's hockey senior Casey O'Brien was named WCHA Player and Forward of the Year, junior Caroline Harvey received Defender of the Year and head coach Mark Johnson earned Coach of the Year honors, as announced at the league's award banquet last week.

O'Brien earned her first WCHA yearly honors after being a finalist for the second-straight season. She also became the second-straight Badger to be named both WCHA Player and Forward of the Year after Kirsten Simms earned both honors last year. Harvey earned her second-straight Defender of the Year honor. Johnson earned his 10th WCHA Coach of the Year award.