The No. 1 team in the nation is back at the top of the WCHA.
In a showdown between the nation’s top-ranked teams, top-ranked the Wisconsin women’s hockey team defeated Ohio State, 2-1, Dec. 5 at Ohio State Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio.
The matchup was the first meeting of the season between two rivals who have faced each other in the past four national championship games. The game was their 12th straight top-two matchup.
BOX SCORE: No. 1 Wisconsin 2, No. 2 Ohio State 1
The difference this time was a sterling effort between the pipes by junior goaltender Ava McNaughton, a second period power play goal by freshman Adela Sapovalivova and senior Caroline Harvey’s fourth game-winner of the season.
A two-goal lead helped Wisconsi withstand a Buckeyes rush during the final 4 minutes that included four shots that were either blocked or saved and their only goal of the game.
The win pushes the Badgers to 17-1-1 overall, 11-1-1 in the WCHA and with 34 points they now have a two-point lead on Ohio State. The teams wrap up the series on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.
UW finished the night with a 34-26 edge in shots on goal. McNaughton made 25 saves and raised her save percentage for the season to .939, the second-best in the conference.
Sapovalivova’s goal came at the 16-minute 58-second mark of the second period off assists seniors Kirsten Simms and Laila Edwards. Harvey scored off passes from Edwards and graduate Lacey Eden at the 15:51 mark of the third period.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Goalie Ava McNaughton leads No. 1 Wisconsin past No. 2 Ohio State
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