
Wisconsin women advance to 3rd straight national title game at Frozen Four, all against Ohio State
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Patty Kaz finalist Laila Edwards recorded a hat trick to reach a nation-leading 34 goals on the season and top-seeded Wisconsin beat No. 4 seed Minnesota 6-2 on Friday night in the semifinals of the women's Frozen Four.
Wisconsin (37-1-2) advances to a third straight national championship game on Sunday — all against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the only team to beat the Badgers in regulation this season.
Wisconsin won all six meetings with Minnesota (29-12-1) this season — to extend its series streak to 10 games.
Edwards scored her first goal on a short-handed equalizer with 2:45 left in the first period for her 150th career point. Edwards also finished a breakaway on a backhand shot for a 5-2 lead early in the third.
Edwards buried an empty-netter with 1:19 left to break a tie with Minnesota's Abbey Murphy for the NCAA scoring lead.
The Badgers scored three straight goals spanning the first period break to take a 3-1 lead when Kirsten Simms finished a 3-on-1 opportunity. Minnesota's Josefin Bouveng scored less than a minute later.
Casey O'Brien put Wisconsin ahead by two goals again on a goal with two seconds left in the second to become the program's single-season points leader at 88.
Wisconsin and Minnesota were both appearing in their 16th Frozen Four — the most in NCAA history.

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CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Packers will release veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, AP source says
The Green Bay Packers are planning to release veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Packers haven't announced the move yet. NFL Network first reported it. The release would end a seven-year run with the Packers in which Alexander earned two Pro Bowl selections and intercepted 12 passes, though injuries limited his playing time in recent seasons. This move, which is expected to clear about $17 million in cap space, comes as the Packers prepare to open their mandatory minicamp this week. Alexander's future with the Packers had been the subject of much speculation throughout the offseason because of his hefty contract and recent injury history. Alexander had two years remaining on the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed in May 2022. The 28-year-old Alexander has spent his entire career with the Packers, who selected him out of Louisville with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft. Alexander made Pro Bowls in 2020 and 2022, but he has played in only 34 of the Packers' 68 regular-season games over the last four years. Alexander missed two early-season games last year with injuries to his quadriceps and groin. He then missed a Nov. 3 loss to Detroit with a knee injury, returned to play 10 snaps in the Packers' next game against Chicago and then was out for the rest of the season. His unavailability for much of the last few seasons has the Packers believing they can move forward without the player who had remained their best cornerback when healthy. Green Bay's cornerback room also has lost 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes, who had his own injury issues with the Packers before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders in March. The Packers return Keisean Nixon, a two-time All-Pro kickoff returner who has become more of a factor on defense the last couple of seasons while Alexander has struggled with injuries. Carrington Valentine, a 2023 seventh-round pick, has started 19 games over the last two seasons. The Packers also added former Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs in free agency and drafted Micah Robinson out of Tulane in the seventh round. Alexander was so effective early in his career that the Packers signed him to that big contract with a $30 million signing bonus even after a shoulder injury had limited him to four regular-season games in 2021. Alexander had returned for the Packers' NFC divisional playoff loss to San Francisco during that 2021 season. But the injuries kept coming. He started 16 games and had a career-high five interceptions in 2022 but played just seven regular-season games each of the last two years. Alexander has remained very effective in pass coverage when available. The games he missed were because of injury with one exception. Alexander got suspended for a late-season game in 2023 because of conduct detrimental to the team after he appointed himself captain and participated in the coin toss for a Christmas Eve win at Carolina, his hometown. Before his injuries, Alexander tried to stoke the flames of a rivalry with Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson. When Jefferson had 184 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers in Kevin O'Connell's first game as head coach, Alexander called the wide receiver's performance a fluke. In a later game, Alexander did the griddy — Jefferson's signature dance — after an incomplete pass. Jefferson fired some shots of his own, saying "nobody is really worried" about Alexander, noting that the Packers often gave Alexander safety help over the top to cover him.

Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Associated Press
Packers plan to release veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, AP source says
The Green Bay Packers are planning to release veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Packers haven't announced the move yet. NFL Network first reported it. The release would end a seven-year run with the Packers in which Alexander earned two Pro Bowl selections and intercepted 12 passes, though injuries limited his playing time in recent seasons. This move, which is expected to clear about $17 million in cap space, comes as the Packers prepare to open their mandatory minicamp this week. Alexander's future with the Packers had been the subject of much speculation throughout the offseason because of his hefty contract and recent injury history. Alexander had two years remaining on the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed in May 2022. The 28-year-old Alexander has spent his entire career with the Packers, who selected him out of Louisville with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft. He made Pro Bowls in 2020 and 2022, but he has played in only 34 of the Packers' 68 regular-season games over the last four years. Alexander missed two early-season games last year with injuries to his quadriceps and groin. He then missed a Nov. 3 loss to Detroit with a knee injury, returned to play 10 snaps in the Packers' next game against Chicago and then was out for the rest of the season. He was so effective early in his career that the Packers signed him to that big contract with a $30 million signing bonus even after a shoulder injury had limited him to four regular-season games in 2021. Alexander had returned for the Packers' NFC divisional playoff loss to San Francisco during that 2021 season. But the injuries kept coming. He started 16 games for the Packers in 2022 but played just seven regular-season games each of the last two years. Alexander has remained very effective in pass coverage when available. The games he missed were because of injury with one exception. Alexander got suspended for a late-season game in 2023 because of conduct detrimental to the team after he appointed himself captain and participated in the coin toss for a Christmas Eve win at Carolina, his hometown. ___ AP NFL:


Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Packers Will Release CB Jaire Alexander
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