Ohio State women's hockey tops Minnesota-Duluth to win first national championship in program history

Ohio State defeated Minnesota-Duluth, 3-2, in Sunday's championship game

Ohio State is on top of the women's hockey world for the first time in program history. On Sunday, Ohio State -- the top seed in the NCAA Tournament -- defeated Minnesota-Duluth, 3-2, in the championship game.

The win is the end to a historic Buckeyes season in which they put together the team's first 30-plus-win regular season (31-6).

"I just believed in these girls so much, as they did in each other, and I thought this was one of the best hockey games they played all year," Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall said, according to ESPN. "So deserving of it, and they never quit. They played flawlessly tonight. I'm so proud of them."

Unseeded Minnesota-Duluth gave Ohio State all that it could handle throughout Sunday's Frozen Four final. However, the top-seeded Buckeyes were able to do just enough to secure the program's first national title.

At the 6:40 mark of the third, Ohio State forward Kenzie Hauswirth was credited with the game-winning goal after a shot went off of Minnesouta-Duluth defender Breanna Fuhrman's skate and past goaltender Emma Soderberg. The senior netminder, who stopped 33 shots in Sunday's game, had been sensational for the Bulldogs throughout the tournament. She led Minnesota-Duluth to wins over Harvard, No. 2 seed Minnesota and No. 3 Northeastern.

Ohio State opened the scoring early in the second period when it cashed in on a power-play opportunity. Paetyn Lewis was able to find the back of the net as she capitalized on a mishandled puck from Soderberg.

Minnesota-Duluth did even the score at the 7:18 mark of the second period when Naomi Rogge scored on a tip-in off of a Kailee Skinner shot. Rogge had lifted Minnesota-Duluth to the national title game after she scored the game-winning goal in double overtime against Northeastern in the semifinals.

Over the first two minutes of the third period, the Buckeyes and Bulldogs exchanged goals to make it a 2-2 game before Hauswirth's goal clinched it for Ohio State.

After scoring one of Ohio State' three goals in the national title game, Levis was named the Most Outstanding Player.