No. 3 Penn State women’s hockey (33-6, 22-2 AHA) lost 4-3 to No. 2 Wisconsin (34-4-2, 24-3-2 WCHA) in the program’s first-ever Frozen Four Appearance.

It was a back-and-forth game throughout, with Tessa Janecke scoring two goals before Wisconsin walked it off in overtime.

How It Happened

Cassie Hill won the opening draw for the Badgers. Caroline Harvey fired the first shot of the game soon after, as it spiraled right into the glove of Katie DeSa.

Under two minutes into the game, Penn State was given the first power play of the contest, with Charlotte Pieckenhagen getting a minor for interference after making a check in front of the Nittany Lion bench. Tessa Janecke made short work of the Wisconsin penalty kill, firing a one-timer behind Badger goalie Ava McNaughton on the team’s first shot of the night. It’s good for the 200th point of her illustrious career.

Pinpoint on the powerplay #WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/NV6HWYE2mw

— Penn State Women’s Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) March 20, 2026

It didn’t take long for Wisconsin to respond. Laila Edwards made a sweet deke in the crease to slip the puck behind DeSa, tying the game.

Under eight minutes into the opening period, Penn State would go on a second power play, benefiting from a Badger high-sticking minor. Like clockwork, the Nittany Lions scored right after the faceoff again. This time, it was Abby Stonehouse being rewarded for pestering McNaughton in front of the net. She managed to poke the puck underneath the Wisconsin goalie’s pads, giving Penn State the lead yet again.

2-for-2 on the power play! Not too shabby #WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/oK2EG4NtpK

— Penn State Women’s Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) March 20, 2026

The next opportunity came near the halfway point of the period, with Laney Potter intercepting a Nittany Lion outlet pass and driving to the net; however, her shot was trapped by DeSa. She would make two more great saves a few minutes later. Blocking both a shot at the blue line by Pieckenhagen and the rebound by Emma Venusio from right in front of the net.

Back-and-forth action followed, with Mya Vaslet making a great play by herself to get a scoring chance, but Venusio was there to block her shot. On the other end, Finley McCarthy skated with ease into the Penn State zone, but DeSa’s glove was there to meet her shot.

In the final minute of the first, Claire Enright found herself behind the Nittany Lion defense. DeSa was able to cover up the shot, but Nicole Hall was responsible for a hit after the whistle, giving Wisconsin a last-second power play.

A last-second clear by the Penn State penalty kill looked like it might’ve sprung Stonehouse free on a breakaway, but Edwards interfered to prevent the scoring chance, giving way for four-on-four hockey after the first intermission.

The extra ice from four-on-four didn’t amount to much offensive action, just one shot corralled by DeSa, before both penalty boxes were cleared.

Over three minutes into the period, Lacey Eden found herself on the first real breakaway of the game. DeSa turned her away with a poke check. continuing her impressive night.

Vaslet was sent to the box for a trip on Harvey, giving the Badgers another shot on the power play. Edwards made the Nittany Lions pay for her second goal of the game soon after, tying the contest at 2-2. The play was upheld after an offside review.

Wisconsin continued to set up shop in the Penn State defensive zone, but DeSa kept it tied amidst an onslaught of Badger shots.

A scrum behind the Nittany Lion net led to both Kelly Gorbatenko and Danica Maynard being sent to the box, allowing for more four-on-four action. Wisconsin kept up the offensive pressure, and eventually Adéla Šapovalivová found the back of the net soon after both penalties expired.

With just over a minute left in the second, Maynard fired one from the high slot, but McNaughton got a piece of it to deflect it wide. Just after, however, the Nittany Lions were rewarded for their offensive effort, as they drew a tripping minor. The clock would run out on the Nittany Lions before they could establish much, and the second half of the power play would have to wait until the third.

Soon into the final period, Penn State headed on a five-on-three after Katelyn Roberts was held entering the offensive zone. Despite some decent looks, the Nittany Lions would come up short on both penalties, and Wisconsin held onto the lead.

As the quarter mark of the period elapsed, McNaughton made her best saves of the night, absolutely robbing both Maddy Christian and Vaslet to keep her team ahead.

Penn State felt the pressure as the clock started to wind down, as the Nittany Lions played some of their best hockey of the season at around the halfway point of the period. However, McNaughton remained strong in her crease, and the game remained 3-2 as the game neared its close.

With just under five minutes left, Janecke found herself completely alone on a breakaway. The Penn State captain snuck it just around the left pad of McNaughton to give the Nittany Lions life and tie the game.

Absolute SCENES here at Pegula #WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/rmOVZXWItG

— Penn State Women’s Hockey (@PennStateWHKY) March 21, 2026

The game stayed locked at 3-3 through regulation, sending the game into five-on-five sudden-death overtime.

A redirection by Eden nearly ended it, but it rang off the post, and play continued. Just seconds later, however, Kendall Butze was rung up for boarding, giving the nation’s best power play unit a chance in sudden death. It didn’t take long for the Badgers to convert, as Kirsten Simms sniped one up high, ending the contest 4-3 as Wisconsin moves on to the National Championship.

Takeaways

• While Wisconsin dominated the shot total 35-25, the game was tight to the very end, with both teams having pretty equal high-percentage chances.
• Both goalies played remarkable nights filled with great saves. Katie DeSa, in particular, posted a save percentage of .886 while facing a bombardment of shots from the best offense in the nation.
• Pegula Ice Arena was packed for this one, setting a new team record with 5176 fans in attendance.
• This game was unbelievably physical. Although body checking is technically not allowed in NCAA women’s college hockey, you wouldn’t be able to tell it if this were the first game you ever saw.

What’s Next?

Penn State will look to next year after a historic season. With a graduating class of eight, it will be tough to replicate this level of success, but the Nittany Lions have plenty of young talent worth building around.