Wisconsin women's hockey does it again; wins on last-second challenge
It took all 60 minutes, but the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers won Game 1 against the No. 4 Duluth Bulldogs women's hockey team
A penalty awarded following a coach’s challenge by Wisconsin women’s hockey head coach Mark Johnson, a goal to tie it with under 30 seconds remaining, and a go-ahead goal after a rebound. No, not the Wisconsin Badgers’ win over the Ohio State Buckeyes to capture the 2025 national championship, but just another Saturday inside LaBahn Arena.
No. 1 Wisconsin (5-0-0, 3-0-0 WCHA) got all it could handle from the No. 4 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on Saturday. A physical battle that left one of UW’s best players injured and unavailable for tomorrow’s series finale ended in photo-finish drama.
Wisconsin, despite trailing with 21 seconds remaining in the third period, managed to capture a 4-3 victory in regulation, inspiring Badgers head coach Mark Johnson to remark that, in a hockey game, “you never know” what might happen. “Gotta play 60 minutes.”
Caroline Harvey, Cassie Hall, complete comeback
With 2:09 remaining in the third period, Johnson successfully used his coach’s challenge, putting the Badgers on a late power play. As Wisconsin trailed 3-2, UMD’s Rae Mayer skated to the box for a five-minute major elbowing penalty. As UW pulled goaltender Ava McNaughton in favor of an extra skater. Undefeated Wisconsin wanted one last-ditch six-on-four effort to tie up the game.
From there, the Badgers peppered the net. Wisconsin forced Duluth goaltender Ève Gascon, the reigning WCHA Goaltender of the Year, to make eight saves in the following 100 seconds. It was Caroline Harvey, on a ninth Badgers’ shot, scoring the equalizer with 20.9 seconds remaining.
After the goal, Johnson admitted he was “talking with [assistant coach] Jackie [Crum], trying to figure out what personnel we’re going to start overtime with. Because you’re trying to stay a step ahead knowing that in most games, at 20 seconds, that’s gonna go by and we’re going to go in overtime.”
This was not “most games.”
Gascon made an astounding 45 saves on the day, but only had one more left in the tank. Wisconsin won the ensuing faceoff after Harvey’s goal. Harvey carried the puck up ice into the UMD zone along the left boards, eventually passing from below the goal line to forward Kelly Gorbatenko in the slot. Gorbatenko managed to put a shot on net, but it was her linemate, Cassie Hall, who ended up winning a battle for a loose puck after the rebound. Hall fired a shot past Gascon to give Wisconsin a 4-3 lead 8.6 seconds before the final buzzer sounded.
Hall, who scored twice in the win, may be in the throes of a breakout junior year. The South Lyon, Michigan, native has five goals this season, tied for the most on her team. She is also in a unique position to take on a greater leadership role as several of her teammates miss time this winter to compete in the 2026 Olympic Games.
Hall said that with some of her standout teammates being in and out of the lineup, she is “definitely” ready for the challenge of “taking on a bigger role this season on this team.”
“I think my confidence has gone up,” Hall said in a post-game interview. “Especially this week, kind of being one of those leaders with those girls that are gone.”
Physical battle sends Wisconsin women’s hockey standout to injury report
Several of Wisconsin’s best players skated double-duty this week. Forwards Kirsten Simms and Lacey Eden, defenders Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards, and goaltender Ava McNaughton were away from Madison this week, practicing with Team USA ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. After that week at camp, those Olympic hopefuls returned to face the bruising Duluth Bulldogs.
Physicality ruled the day inside LaBahn Arena, with players oftentimes taking it over the line. Officials assessed a total of ten penalties against UW and UMD. The collision with the most tremendous potential long-term consequences for Wisconsin, however, did not result in a penalty.
In the closing minutes of the second period, Edward collided along the boards with Duluth forward Grace Sadura. Sadura skated away, but Edwards remained on the ice for several seconds. The reigning first-team All-American struggled to return to the bench. At the end of the period, Edwards appeared to struggle returning to the locker room under her own power. She did not return to the bench for the third period.
Johnson said Edwards “will not play tomorrow” in the series finale against Duluth, but he does “not know the extent” of her injury.
On the radio call during the game, Wisconsin assistant coach Mark Greenhalgh said Laila Edwards “sustained a little something to her left MCL.” He added, the Badgers’ training staff believes it is “maybe a second degree MCL” injury.
Edwards led the country in goals last season as a junior. She entered the game tied for second in scoring on the Badgers with six points, trailing only Simms’ eight. In Edwards’ absence, defender Grace Bickett would be a likely candidate to re-enter Wisconsin’s lineup. She has appeared in two games this year as a sophomore, recording one shot on goal.
With the physical style of play, several power-play opportunities for both teams, and the emotions of Saturday's comeback victory, Johnson is hoping his team can bring a more even-keeled approach in Game 2.
“When there’s a whistle at the end of play and it’s in front of either our net or their net, just figure out where the faceoff is and go line up,” the winningest coach in NCAA national collegiate women’s ice hockey said. “You don’t have to get into a pushing match, because then you throw a wrench in to the referrees and you don’t know what they’re going to call.”
