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Ohio State celebrates a goal during the first period of the Ohio State-St. Cloud State game Feb. 26. Ohio State won 3-0. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor

The No. 2 Buckeyes defeated No. 4 Wisconsin 2-1 Saturday and will advance to their third-consecutive Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Faceoff Championship.

Ohio State (28-6, 22-6 WCHA) overcame a 1-0 deficit with two-unanswered goals in the second period. Senior forward Gabby Rosenthal broke a 1-1 tie with a goal between the circles 8:11 into the second period to give the Buckeyes a lead from which they didn’t surrender.

In a rematch of last season’s WCHA Final Faceoff Championship, the Badgers (25-7-4, 18-7-3 WCHA) held the edge in the shot department 61-41. However, Ohio State forced three penalty kills to stop Wisconsin when it held a man-advantage on the ice.

Senior defenseman Sophie Jaques, who assisted on Rosenthal’s go-ahead goal, tied the game high with seven shots on-goal and senior forward Paetyn Levis followed with five.

Badgers senior forward Sophie Shirley notched the game’s first goal with a score on the first shot just 1:07 into the second period. She took a pass from junior defenseman Chayla Edwards and skated across the blue line before sending the puck into the net from the left circle near the crease.

A trio of Badgers took seven shots, but none of the three found the back of the net.

After a first period in which they made just five shots on-goal, Buckeyes graduate forward Liz Schepers knotted the score at one after obtaining a pass from Levis and pushing the puck past Badgers fifth-year goaltender Kennedy Blair from the left circle.

Blair made 16 saves throughout the game. Ohio State sophomore goaltender Amanda Thiele saved 33 shots.

Ohio State will quickly turn its attention to No. 1 Minnesota for a chance to lift its second WCHA Championship in three seasons.

The Golden Gophers defeated fourth-seeded No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth 5-1 Saturday behind goals from five different scorers, including senior forward Abigail Boreen whose six shots tied for the game-high.

Puck drop between the Buckeyes and Golden Gophers in the WCHA Final Faceoff Championship will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.