Yesterday the women’s hockey Buckeyes came within a hair of defeating the ninth-ranked Fighting Hawks. Ohio State had to settle for a tie and then lost the extra point in the shootout. Today the Bucks skated away with a 2-1 victory and all three conference points.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 9 North Dakota | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
As has been the case all season, OSU goalie Kassidy Sauve was a key component in the win. She was stellar from beginning to end, stopping 43 of the 44 shots she faced. She shone particularly bright in the opening period when North Dakota poured 19 shots on goal, all of which were turned aside by the redshirt sophomore.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19:31 | Rebecca Freiburger (Samantha Bouley) |
| 2 | 4:14 | Samantha Bouley (Jincy Dunne, Liv Halvorson) |
Sauve’s heroics kept the Buckeyes in the game until they were able to solve UND goalie Lexie Shaw. Rebecca Freiburger struck for Ohio State with seconds remaining in the first period. Sarah Lecavalier swiftly drew the Fighting Hawks even in the middle frame, but three minutes later Sam Bouley responded with her fourth tally of the year.
Bouley’s goal would stand up as the game winner. The Bucks improve to 8-8-2 overall on the season. They are 4-8-2-0 in the WCHA. Today’s victory, combined with St, Cloud and Bemidji State losses means Ohio State leaps from seventh into a tie for fifth place in the conference.
The Buckeyes look to keep their momentum rolling next week when they host No. 1 Wisconsin. Games are currently scheduled for Friday at 6pm ET and Saturday at 3pm ET. It is Ohio State’s final series before the holiday break.
