MINNEAPOLIS — 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.

Earlier Friday, Ohio State, the No. 2 seed, beat third-seeded Cornell 4-2 in the first semifinal behind back-to-back goals by Joy Dunne in the third period, giving her 28 on the season.

The Buckeyes (29-7-3) improved to 12-3 in six Frozen Four appearances – all occurring during Nadine Muzerall’s nine-year tenure as head coach.

Cornell (25-5-5) was in the Frozen Four for the first time since 2019.

Dunne scored on a one-timer, after a nice individual effort by Makenna Webster, for a 3-2 lead nearly four minutes into the third period. Dunne, who scored the go-ahead goal in last year’s national championship game, added a goal on a rebound attempt while falling to the ice.

Ohio State took a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game when Dunne’s breakaway attempt was blocked and Webster followed with a goal. Brooke Disher buried a shot from the point, with Cornell goaltender Annelies Bergmann out of her area, for her second goal of the season to make it 2-0 later in the first.

Cornell answered in the second period with two goals 68 seconds apart. Minnesota native Lily Delianedis cut the Buckeyes lead in half on a shot while falling to the ice for her 12th goal of the season.

Kaitlin Jockims tied it at 2-all when she picked off an Ohio State clearance pass and went in alone, sending a shot over the glove of Amanda Thiele.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.