Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year Mark Johnson and the No. 1 University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team (35-1-2, 2-12 25-1-2 WCHA) returned from a well-deserved bye round, as they faced off with the Clarkson Golden Knights (25-12-2, 13-8-1 ECAC). In Saturday afternoon’s NCAA Regional Final, the Badgers scored four unanswered goals to secure a 4-1 victory and NCAA Frozen Four bid.
Wisconsin’s opponent, Clarkson, is the only NCAA women’s hockey champion from any conference besides the WCHA, all-time. They have three trophies, compared to the Badgers’ seven. The Badgers are 5-1-1 all-time against the Golden Knights, most recently winning 3-1 in the 2022 NCAA regional semifinal.