STANDINGS | COMPOSITE SCHEDULE
The top seeds were victorious in Friday's Western Collegiate Hockey Association First Round action as #1 Wisconsin, #2 Ohio State, #3 Minnesota, and #4 Minnesota Duluth earned series opening wins.
WCHA fans can purchase both single-session and all-session tickets and see complete information on the 2025 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff by visiting the tournament page HERE.
Box Scores and Recaps
#1 Wisconsin 3, #8 Bemidji State 0 - Wisconsin Leads Series 1-0
Box Score | Wisconsin Recap | Bemidji State Recap
MADISON, Wis. - The top-seeded Wisconsin Badgers recorded their 11th shutout of the season en route to a 3-0 victory over Bemidji State. Kelly Gorbatenko scored the opening goal of the game with less than 40 seconds remaining in the first period. Wisconsin scored two goals in the second courtesy of Claire Enright and Lacey Eden en route to the 3-0 final. Sophomore netminder Ava McNaughton recorded her league-leading seventh shutout of the season in the win. Bemidji State's Kaitlin Groess made 42 saves in the loss for the Beavers.
#2 Ohio State 5, #7 St. Thomas 1 - Ohio State Leads Series 1-0
Box Score | Ohio State Recap | St. Thomas Recap
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The second-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes defeated #7 St. Thomas 5-1 on Friday night in the 2025 WCHA First Round. Less than two minutes into play, Joy Dunne found the back of the net for the first Buckeye postseason goal, while teammate Emma Peschel extended the lead to two at the 12:39 mark of the first frame. The second period saw rookie defender Mira Jungåker score her first-ever postseason goal at the 4:46 mark to extend the lead to three. Jocelyn Amos netted a goal just 29 seconds into the final period for the 4-0 Ohio State lead. St. Thomas' Cara Sajevic scored on the power play with less than three minutes left to go, but the Buckeyes responded with one final goal as Jungåker scored her second of the night. Rookie netminder, Dani Strom, recorded 37 saves for the Tommies in the game.
#3 Minnesota 6, #6 Minnesota State 1 - Minnesota Leads Series 1-0
Box Score | Minnesota State Recap | Minnesota Recap
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - After tallying six goals on the night, the third-seeded Minnesota Gophers defeated seventh-seeded Minnesota State 6-1 in the 2025 WCHA First Round series opener. Ava Lindsay lit the lamp for the Gophers just over nine minutes into the game for the only goal of the first. Emma Kreisz scored back-to-back goals in the second to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead heading into the third. Minnesota State's Claire Vekich scored 13 seconds into the third frame, but was not enough as Minnesota scored three unanswered to close out the game with goals from Ella Huber, Lindsay, and Peyton Hemp. Huber's goal in the win marked the 50th of her career, while rookie netminder Hannah Clark recorded her 22nd win of the season in the net.
#4 Minnesota Duluth 3, #5 St. Cloud State 2 - Minnesota Duluth Leads Series 1-0
Box Score | Minnesota Duluth Recap | St. Cloud State Recap
DULUTH, Minn. - Olivia Wallin's buzzer-beater goal lifted the fourth-seeded Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs to a win over #5 St. Cloud State in the first game of the 2025 WCHA First Round. Rookie forward Caitlin Kraemer scored her first postseason goal for the Bulldogs 17 minutes into the first period. Trailing by one, St. Cloud State responded with two goals in the second frame as Emma Gentry netted the equalizer and Alice Sauriol scored the go-ahead goal. Down one with under two minutes left to play, Kraemer tied the game for UMD with her second of the day. With only five seconds remaining, Olivia Wallin scored the game-winning goal to lead the Bulldogs to a series-opening victory. Ève Gascon earned the win in the net while collecting 32 saves on the day. The Bulldogs picked up their 20th win of the season with the victory, marking their fourth-straight season with 20 or more tallies.
For more information on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, follow the league on X and Instagram @WCHA_WHockey, and online at wcha.com.