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New York Times
27-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Inside Ohio State's Frozen Four journey: Behind the scenes of Buckeyes' heartbreak and hope
MINNEAPOLIS — Nadine Muzerall is pacing back and forth with headphones on between the stairway and the hallway that leads to the Ohio State locker room. She's expected inside in a few minutes and needs to gather her thoughts before giving a pregame speech. These moments are important to her because she wants to find the right words to energize and focus her hockey team before it takes the ice. Advertisement It's a big stage, the semifinals of the Women's Frozen Four and a chance for a second consecutive national championship (and third in four years), on the same campus where she starred as a player for Minnesota. As she walks into the locker room, her players are silent, sitting at their lockers in a half-circle, waiting to hear what Muzerall has to say. First she goes over the game plan one more time, peppering players with a few questions. They answer correctly, and then she walks away from the whiteboard. 'The wolfpack is going to be our style of play today,' Muzerall says. 'There are three things that a wolfpack does very well: a cooperative hunting system, a strong bite force and territorial aggression.' It's Muzerall's way of telling her team that if they want to beat Cornell, they have to play and fight together. That's what got Ohio State to this point. The Buckeyes, the No. 2 seed in the NCAA women's hockey tournament, turned into one of the premier programs in the country because of that wolfpack mentality. They earned a trip to their sixth Frozen Four appearance since 2018 and fifth in a row, joining Wisconsin and Minnesota as the only programs to reach the semifinals in five consecutive years. And with the 4-2 win over Cornell last Friday, Ohio State became just the third team to make the national championship game four years in a row. What followed two days later was one of the most heartbreaking national championship losses any team could experience: 4-3 in overtime to No. 1 Wisconsin, after the Badgers tied the score on a penalty shot with 19 seconds left before winning in extra time. The Athletic spent several days behind the scenes with the Ohio State women's hockey team throughout the Frozen Four, getting an up-close look at why this program has become dominant and positioned itself to rebound from such a defeat and give itself another chance at a third national title next March. 'They may score on us, but our glory isn't that we will never fall, but the fact that we will always rise up, every time,' Muzerall had said in her final message before the semifinal. 'Every time.' When Ohio State filed into the Fawcett Center on March 9 to watch the NCAA tournament selection show, Muzerall was nowhere to be seen. The ninth-year coach was instead at the hospital because she didn't want an injured player to watch the show alone. Assistant coach James Wisniewski watched with the team as they earned the No. 2 overall seed. Advertisement There was excitement in the room when Ohio State was announced. It never gets old, even for a program that has been to six consecutive NCAA tournaments. After the selection show, Wisniewski, who played 14 years in the NHL, had a message. 'It's the postseason now,' he said. 'This may be the last time you play with the person next to you. Play for them.' Players nodded and then left for a much-needed day off before their tournament run. Muzerall has a reputation for being a hard coach who is hyper-focused on winning. But it's these moments that have kept the team in sync, sustaining success as a national power. 'I know I can perceive that I can be challenging and tough on our kids, but I'm also pretty emphatic that a lot of people don't get to see,' Muzerall said. 'I learned that as a mom.' On one hand the Buckeyes have a veteran head coach known for her intense and competitive attitude. But off the ice, they have a coach who implores the players to be themselves, spend time together and joke around. She was the same way as a star player at Minnesota. Laura Halldorson, the first women's hockey coach at Minnesota, referred to Muzerall as a 'prankster' in her time with the Gophers. She can still remember the time when Muzerall wrote 'Muz was here' on the forearm of the team's sports information director while he was asleep in the airport. 'She liked to have fun and was a joy to have on our team,' Halldorson said. Ohio State has its own characters on its roster. They are a superstitious group that insists on taking a picture outside of St. John's Arena every year before leaving for the Frozen Four. It started in 2022 when they won their first national title. Each year, they take the same photo, with the same poses as in 2022. Even as players leave the team, new players step into their position and replicate it. Advertisement Graduate senior Makenna Webster's birthday was Friday, the same day as the Cornell game, so the team decided to celebrate it on Saturday. When they made their way to the first floor room of their hotel where they eat breakfast together, there was birthday garland hanging on the wall. Next to Webster's seat was a sign that read 'Birthday Baddie sits here.' After practice that day, even though Webster was resting before the title game rather than practicing, she ran out on the ice for the team's final break before ending practice. They huddled together and sang 'Happy Birthday.' 'These kids care for each other,' Muzerall said. 'It's not forced, it's not fake.' Fifth-year senior Riley Brengman hurt her shoulder in the win over Cornell. The next morning, in the team room while waiting for her official diagnosis, her teammates came over to check on her consistently. They joked with her to make her laugh, one teammate even offering to be an extra arm for her. Though Muzerall has utilized the transfer portal more than most coaches, this team was built around a fifth-year nucleus that has played in multiple Frozen Fours. Webster has played in three with the Buckeyes, Kiara Zanon played in two and Jenna Buglioni, Brengman and goalie Amanda Thiele have been part of the past five. Muzerall talks to her team often about enjoying the moment. When Ohio State beat Cornell in the semifinal, she turned and held a long hug with Webster and Joy Dunne. They combined to score three of Ohio State's goals to lead the Buckeyes to the title game. 'It's about the time you won't have in the locker room with the girls anymore or the coaching staff that you built a family with,' she said. 'There's a bright future for all of them, but your relationship with your players as your family — that's what hurts the most, missing those daily relationships.' Moments after Muzerall left the locker room celebrating the Cornell win with her team, she had to make her way to the press box for her news conference through a traffic jam on the concourse. There were Ohio State fans and parents standing by the door to the team area waiting to congratulate the team on another Frozen Four win. There were numerous Minnesota fans trying to find their way to their seats for the semifinal game against Wisconsin, too. Advertisement Muzerall couldn't make it more than one or two steps without stopping and saying hello to somebody or having another person patting her on the back or giving her a high five. She stopped and talked to a number of Ohio State parents. Then she saw a few Minnesota fans she knew. One person yelled, 'Coach Muzzy, Minnesota legend, congrats!' There aren't many places at the University of Minnesota she can go without being spotted or knowing somebody. And she remembers nearly everybody. When the team arrived for its practice on Thursday, the day before the semifinal game, she knew the security person who was posted outside the locker room. She knew the person cleaning the floors outside the locker room, as well. Leaving her interviews with ESPN, she spotted one of the rink managers, who stopped and talked about their families. They knew each other's kids since they were babies. Muzerall's kids are now 11 and 9 years old. It was a welcome homecoming for Muzerall, who, even in a stressful week, didn't have a problem stopping and talking to the countless people who wanted face time all weekend. Minneapolis is her second home, and when the Buckeyes visit they go to the same restaurants every year. Ohio State went to Tony's Diner for lunch on Friday and dinner after the championship game; she's been friends with the owner for years. There's also Dana, who is the team's bus driver every time they go to the state of Minnesota. Everybody from the players to the coaches to the support staff knows Dana and Tony by name. 'That's the heart of her,' Halldorson said. 'She cares about people and is very loyal. … They have bonds. She is friends with these people.' Upon arriving at the rink on Thursday, Muzerall walked into the stands at 3M Arena at Mariucci and thought back on all her time on that ice before the Minnesota women's team moved next door to Ridder Arena. She recalled leaving the same locker room Ohio State used and, every game, grabbing a popcorn and two chocolate chip cookies from the same vending machine. Advertisement Now, there's a tunnel that attaches the men's rink and women's rink, and once you get to Ridder Arena, her face is plastered all over the place. Muzerall is one of the best players in Minnesota history. She holds career records for goals, power play goals, game-winning goals and goals per game. She also won four national titles in five years from 2012-16 as the second assistant coach before she left to build Ohio State from an afterthought to a national champion. Outside of the rink, she can recall the place she met her husband, Ryan Venturine. She was even able to show her daughter, Bella, the house where her father lived when they were in school, as the bus drove by. Muzerall loves Columbus now. Her family has a home in Marysville, her kids have a life there and she's fallen in love with how the city has embraced her. Still, part of her life is in Minneapolis. It's where some of her best friends are, where some of her best memories in life happened and where her kids were born. So the return trip, for a chance to win the national championship, was special, even if she didn't have as much time as she'd have liked to take it all in. In Saturday's film session after the win against Cornell, Muzerall went over a few things to watch for against Wisconsin. The Badgers, led by legendary coach Mark Johnson, national player of the year Casey O'Brien and four first-team All-Americans, finished 38-1-2, their lone regulation loss coming to Ohio State among four regular-season meetings. But Muzerall's main message had nothing to do with the Badgers. What Muzerall wanted to get through to her team was the mental aspect of the game. Wisconsin is deep and talented. Much like Ohio State, the Badgers have the ability to wear teams down both physically and mentally by the later periods. She didn't want that to happen on Sunday. Advertisement 'You have to come at them,' she said. 'It is your attitude and mental capacity that will hurt us. You can never quit.' The Buckeyes play a fast, in-your-face type of hockey that relies on keeping players fresh with quick line shifts. The style proved capable of wearing down teams like St. Lawrence in the regional final and Cornell in the semifinal. 'That's our standard,' Webster said. 'Every day in practice, workouts, games, every day we are going to be relentless. That's what Ohio State is.' It's why Ohio State is the only team that posed a threat to Wisconsin this season. The Badgers are very good in space and at dictating pace. Ohio State focused on trying to limit that space and pace as much as possible. That attitude begins in the recruiting process but comes out most in the form of intense practices. Watching Ohio State practice can be exhausting. The Buckeyes are well conditioned, and not just because they skate laps at practice. Their drills are fast-paced. Nobody is standing around for long between sets. The puck is sent in by either Muzerall or an assistant, and there's a battle for the puck, a shot on goal and then the next wave of players coming in. They know those exhausting moments in practice have led to wins when it matters most more often than not. 'No team does it like our team,' Dunne said. 'You'd be shocked at how hard we battle. … Fighting each other has brought us closer together. We embrace the suck.' Seconds after Ohio State's national championship loss to Wisconsin on Sunday, Thiele made her way to the bench and fell to one knee. Tears were flowing down the face of the fifth-year goalkeeper who made a season-high 32 saves in the 4-3 overtime loss. In many ways, she saved her best hockey of the season for her final game in an Ohio State uniform, but there were two Kirsten Simms goals fresh on her mind as Wisconsin celebrated its eighth title. Advertisement As Wisconsin stayed on the ice at Ridder Arena, Dunne stood at the exit until every coach and player left the ice. The last one off the ice was Muzerall. The two walked off together, disappointed, but also understanding that winning is hard. Every season brings new challenges. As Muzerall reflects on this season, she is able to acknowledge how she's changed. She's intense and hard on her teams. She said she thinks she's scared recruits off with how she is at times. 'I tell them it's not going to be easy,' Muzerall said. 'When you see that brand, it's one of the most prestigious athletic departments in the country, but when you get here, it's hard. Such is life.' It's also a season that taught her to find a middle ground. After an abysmal second period by the Buckeyes against Cornell, when they let up two goals and gave up a 2-0 lead, Muzerall walked into the locker room and gave her team words of encouragement. She didn't yell, which was a surprise to some. 'Teams in the past took to my more relentless attitude. This team can, but they need more of a pat on the back sometimes and comfort from me,' Muzerall said. 'And that's fine. I just have to find the moments when that's good and when they need a kick in the butt. This team has taught me a lot about pausing and not thinking emotionally.' Ohio State will go into next season losing key pieces from this year's national runner-up team, but that's not new. The Buckeyes have become an annual national contender that reloads instead of rebuilds. Next year's team will be led by some talented returnees like Dunne, Sara Swiderski, Mira Jungaker, All-American Emma Peschel, Jocelyn Amos and Sloane Matthews. That ability to maintain realistic championship expectations would've been unfathomable to think of nine years ago, before Muzerall arrived from Minnesota. Advertisement As the team left last weekend, there wasn't a sense of despair. After her news conference, Muzerall gave hugs to familiar faces and the team made its way down the road to have dinner at Tony's Diner before returning to Columbus. The Buckeyes wanted the time together to put a cap on a season that came up just seconds short of another national title. But next year's championship is already on their mind. 'I can't speak for everybody,' Dunne said, 'but I know there will be a drive for next year.' (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos: Carlos Gonzalez / Getty Images, Ohio State Athletics)
USA Today
22-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State women's hockey advances to Frozen Four national title game
Ohio State women's hockey advances to Frozen Four national title game The Ohio State women's ice hockey team will be playing in its fourth-straight Frozen Four National Championship Game after disposing of Cornell by a 4-2 margin inside the OSU Hockey Rink on Friday night. If the Buckeyes can pull it off, it'll be their third national title in four years. To get there though, OSU had to rebound from a comeback rally by Cornell. The Buckeyes went up early by a score of 2-0 because of goals by Makenna Webster at the 2:24 mark and Brooke Disher with 13:23 remaining in the first period. Ohio State took that lead into the first intermission, but the second period belonged to the Big Red. Cornell got on the board with a power play goal with 6:46 remaining in the period followed by another mark just over a minute later to tie things up at 2 goals each. Suddenly, it was game on. But champions find a way to get it done and Ohio State picked itself back up off the ice and scored the final two tallies of the game. Joy Dunne scored the go-ahead goal, the one that would eventually go down as the game-winner with 16:23 left in the game. For good measure, Dunne added another with 12:38 left, and the Buckeyes' defense and goaltending held on from there to polish off the win and head into the Women's Frozen Four title game in Minneapolis at 4 p.m. ET Sunday. OSU will play the winner of Wisconsin and Minnesota. If the Badgers win, it will be an all WCHA final. Go get some more hardware! Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Fox Sports
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Wisconsin's season of dominance reaches Women's Frozen Four and a road-like game vs. rival Minnesota
Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In the small world of college women's hockey that has been dominated by handful of schools in the 2½ decades since the NCAA began sponsoring the sport, Wisconsin has come the closest to conquering it. This bunch of Badgers might be the best of all. They've reached the Women's Frozen Four this weekend for the 16th time in the last 19 editions, boasting by far the highest-scoring team in the country — and the hardest to score against. The clear favorite to win what would be the program's record eighth title even accounts for all three — yes, all three — of the finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award that goes to the nation's best player. But first, Wisconsin must get past a semifinal game on Friday night that comes with a most unusual challenge for the top-seeded team in a national tournament: Facing rival Minnesota on its home ice. 'Honestly, that's going to fuel our fire,' junior defender Caroline Harvey said. Tickets for the semifinal session and the championship game on Sunday afternoon at 3,400-seat Ridder Arena sold out in advance, another sign of progress in a sport that has made strides through the recent establishment of the Women's Professional Hockey League. Players have seen the secondary market prices soar online for getting in the door, a minimum of $100 with some seats for the title game going for more than $400. 'It can be seen as a disadvantage being in their home rink, but Badger fans travel well. I know everyone's families are going to be there,' fifth-year senior forward Casey O'Brien said. "I know the atmosphere's going to be insane. It's going to be bumping with both Gopher fans and Badger fans. I wouldn't want anything less in a game this big. We're all just really excited.' Junior forward Laila Edwards will join Harvey and O'Brien at the Kazmaier ceremony on Saturday, guaranteeing the Badgers a sixth winner in the 28-year history of the award. The only other time one team has filled all three finalist spots was 2013, when Minnesota went 41-0 to win it all. Wisconsin sophomore Ava McNaughton also won the Women's College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award that was announced on Thursday. She's one of five current players — plus four alums — who will give Wisconsin a team-high nine spots on the 25-player U.S. national team that will travel to the Czech Republic for the Women's World Championships next month. With 211 goals in 39 games this season, Wisconsin (36-1-2) has scored 60 more times than the next-closest team, Minnesota (29-11-1). The Badgers have the nation's most effective power play and penalty kill units, and they've had only 43 goals against. 'This is the first time that I've felt like we are completely deep, meaning we can put out any line, any 'D' pair, and they're going to get the job done,' O'Brien said. Keeping the main thing the main thing The mastermind behind the bench for the Badgers is coach Mark Johnson, who's in his 22nd season at his alma mater he helped win the 1977 national championship in men's hockey before playing for the 'Miracle on Ice' team for the U.S. at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Johnson has guided his team to five wins in five games against the Gophers already this season while holding their leading scorer, Abbey Murphy, without a goal in any of them. He has also experienced with his team the bitterness of a 1-0 loss to Ohio State last year in the NCAA championship game in Durham, New Hampshire, after beating the Buckeyes 1-0 for the title in 2023 in Duluth, Minnesota. Plenty of potential distractions will surround the Badgers this weekend, from the opposing team fans to the bundle of awards to the pressure of avenging last season's loss, but Johnson has spent plenty of time preaching the value of keeping perspective and the art of being present as much as teaching hockey. 'Make the most important thing the most important thing,' he said. Minnesota feels like home for Muzerall Ohio State (28-7-3) will face Cornell (25-4-5) in the other semifinal on Friday, when Nadine Muzerall will undoubtedly take a moment to reflect on her nine-year journey as coach of the Buckeyes. This is their sixth appearance in the Frozen Four, all since she took over, and they've won two titles. Minnesota is also where she played for the Gophers in the first edition of the event in 2001, across the street before Ridder Arena was finished. The campus where she met her future husband, a former football player for the Gophers, always feels like a homecoming to her. 'I'd like to say I have drank the Kool-Aid and I bleed scarlet and gray now, however, how could it not?' Muzerall said. 'I don't forget where I came from.' ___ AP women's hockey: in this topic
Associated Press
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Wisconsin's season of dominance reaches Women's Frozen Four and a road-like game vs. rival Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In the small world of college women's hockey that has been dominated by handful of schools in the 2½ decades since the NCAA began sponsoring the sport, Wisconsin has come the closest to conquering it. This bunch of Badgers might be the best of all. They've reached the Women's Frozen Four this weekend for the 16th time in the last 19 editions, boasting by far the highest-scoring team in the country — and the hardest to score against. The clear favorite to win what would be the program's record eighth title even accounts for all three — yes, all three — of the finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award that goes to the nation's best player. But first, Wisconsin must get past a semifinal game on Friday night that comes with a most unusual challenge for the top-seeded team in a national tournament: Facing rival Minnesota on its home ice. 'Honestly, that's going to fuel our fire,' junior defender Caroline Harvey said. Tickets for the semifinal session and the championship game on Sunday afternoon at 3,400-seat Ridder Arena sold out in advance, another sign of progress in a sport that has made strides through the recent establishment of the Women's Professional Hockey League. Players have seen the secondary market prices soar online for getting in the door, a minimum of $100 with some seats for the title game going for more than $400. 'It can be seen as a disadvantage being in their home rink, but Badger fans travel well. I know everyone's families are going to be there,' fifth-year senior forward Casey O'Brien said. 'I know the atmosphere's going to be insane. It's going to be bumping with both Gopher fans and Badger fans. I wouldn't want anything less in a game this big. We're all just really excited.' Junior forward Laila Edwards will join Harvey and O'Brien at the Kazmaier ceremony on Saturday, guaranteeing the Badgers a sixth winner in the 28-year history of the award. The only other time one team has filled all three finalist spots was 2013, when Minnesota went 41-0 to win it all. Wisconsin sophomore Ava McNaughton also won the Women's College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award that was announced on Thursday. She's one of five current players — plus four alums — who will give Wisconsin a team-high nine spots on the 25-player U.S. national team that will travel to the Czech Republic for the Women's World Championships next month. With 211 goals in 39 games this season, Wisconsin (36-1-2) has scored 60 more times than the next-closest team, Minnesota (29-11-1). The Badgers have the nation's most effective power play and penalty kill units, and they've had only 43 goals against. 'This is the first time that I've felt like we are completely deep, meaning we can put out any line, any 'D' pair, and they're going to get the job done,' O'Brien said. Keeping the main thing the main thing The mastermind behind the bench for the Badgers is coach Mark Johnson, who's in his 22nd season at his alma mater he helped win the 1977 national championship in men's hockey before playing for the 'Miracle on Ice' team for the U.S. at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Johnson has guided his team to five wins in five games against the Gophers already this season while holding their leading scorer, Abbey Murphy, without a goal in any of them. He has also experienced with his team the bitterness of a 1-0 loss to Ohio State last year in the NCAA championship game in Durham, New Hampshire, after beating the Buckeyes 1-0 for the title in 2023 in Duluth, Minnesota. Plenty of potential distractions will surround the Badgers this weekend, from the opposing team fans to the bundle of awards to the pressure of avenging last season's loss, but Johnson has spent plenty of time preaching the value of keeping perspective and the art of being present as much as teaching hockey. 'Make the most important thing the most important thing,' he said. Minnesota feels like home for Muzerall Ohio State (28-7-3) will face Cornell (25-4-5) in the other semifinal on Friday, when Nadine Muzerall will undoubtedly take a moment to reflect on her nine-year journey as coach of the Buckeyes. This is their sixth appearance in the Frozen Four, all since she took over, and they've won two titles. Minnesota is also where she played for the Gophers in the first edition of the event in 2001, across the street before Ridder Arena was finished. The campus where she met her future husband, a former football player for the Gophers, always feels like a homecoming to her. 'I'd like to say I have drank the Kool-Aid and I bleed scarlet and gray now, however, how could it not?' Muzerall said. 'I don't forget where I came from.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wisconsin's season of dominance reaches Women's Frozen Four and a road-like game vs. rival Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In the small world of college women's hockey that has been dominated by handful of schools in the 2½ decades since the NCAA began sponsoring the sport, Wisconsin has come the closest to conquering it. This bunch of Badgers might be the best of all. They've reached the Women's Frozen Four this weekend for the 16th time in the last 19 editions, boasting by far the highest-scoring team in the country — and the hardest to score against. The clear favorite to win what would be the program's record eighth title even accounts for all three — yes, all three — of the finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award that goes to the nation's best player. But first, Wisconsin must get past a semifinal game on Friday night that comes with a most unusual challenge for the top-seeded team in a national tournament: Facing rival Minnesota on its home ice. 'Honestly, that's going to fuel our fire,' junior defender Caroline Harvey said. Tickets for the semifinal session and the championship game on Sunday afternoon at 3,400-seat Ridder Arena sold out in advance, another sign of progress in a sport that has made strides through the recent establishment of the Women's Professional Hockey League. Players have seen the secondary market prices soar online for getting in the door, a minimum of $100 with some seats for the title game going for more than $400. 'It can be seen as a disadvantage being in their home rink, but Badger fans travel well. I know everyone's families are going to be there,' fifth-year senior forward Casey O'Brien said. "I know the atmosphere's going to be insane. It's going to be bumping with both Gopher fans and Badger fans. I wouldn't want anything less in a game this big. We're all just really excited.' Junior forward Laila Edwards will join Harvey and O'Brien at the Kazmaier ceremony on Saturday, guaranteeing the Badgers a sixth winner in the 28-year history of the award. The only other time one team has filled all three finalist spots was 2013, when Minnesota went 41-0 to win it all. Wisconsin sophomore Ava McNaughton also won the Women's College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award that was announced on Thursday. She's one of five current players — plus four alums — who will give Wisconsin a team-high nine spots on the 25-player U.S. national team that will travel to the Czech Republic for the Women's World Championships next month. With 211 goals in 39 games this season, Wisconsin (36-1-2) has scored 60 more times than the next-closest team, Minnesota (29-11-1). The Badgers have the nation's most effective power play and penalty kill units, and they've had only 43 goals against. 'This is the first time that I've felt like we are completely deep, meaning we can put out any line, any 'D' pair, and they're going to get the job done,' O'Brien said. Keeping the main thing the main thing The mastermind behind the bench for the Badgers is coach Mark Johnson, who's in his 22nd season at his alma mater he helped win the 1977 national championship in men's hockey before playing for the 'Miracle on Ice' team for the U.S. at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Johnson has guided his team to five wins in five games against the Gophers already this season while holding their leading scorer, Abbey Murphy, without a goal in any of them. He has also experienced with his team the bitterness of a 1-0 loss to Ohio State last year in the NCAA championship game in Durham, New Hampshire, after beating the Buckeyes 1-0 for the title in 2023 in Duluth, Minnesota. Plenty of potential distractions will surround the Badgers this weekend, from the opposing team fans to the bundle of awards to the pressure of avenging last season's loss, but Johnson has spent plenty of time preaching the value of keeping perspective and the art of being present as much as teaching hockey. 'Make the most important thing the most important thing,' he said. Minnesota feels like home for Muzerall Ohio State (28-7-3) will face Cornell (25-4-5) in the other semifinal on Friday, when Nadine Muzerall will undoubtedly take a moment to reflect on her nine-year journey as coach of the Buckeyes. This is their sixth appearance in the Frozen Four, all since she took over, and they've won two titles. Minnesota is also where she played for the Gophers in the first edition of the event in 2001, across the street before Ridder Arena was finished. The campus where she met her future husband, a former football player for the Gophers, always feels like a homecoming to her. 'I'd like to say I have drank the Kool-Aid and I bleed scarlet and gray now, however, how could it not?' Muzerall said. 'I don't forget where I came from.' ___ AP women's hockey:
