Ohio State Women’s Hockey Advances to Third Consecutive National Championship Game With 4-1 Win Over Clarkson

By Chase Brown on March 22, 2024 at 6:26 pm
Ohio State-Clarkson
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For the third consecutive season, Ohio State women's hockey will have 60 minutes to win a national championship.

Ohio State earned a berth in the NCAA title game with a 4-1 win over Clarkson in the Frozen Four semifinals. The Buckeyes will appear in the championship round after winning a national title in 2022 and finishing runner-up in 2023 to Wisconsin, who they will play in the national championship game for a second year in a row.

First Period

Clarkson forward Anne Cherkowski opened the scoring with a goal at the 17:35 mark. Following a save from Ohio State goaltender Raygan Kirk that went over the boards, Clarkson won a faceoff in its offensive zone and forward Brooke McQuigge gained possession behind the net. She sent a pass to the slot, where Cherkowski corraled the puck and sent it past Kirk.

Eleven minutes later, Ohio State forward Makenna Webster broke free behind the Clarkson defense for a one-on-one chance with goaltender Michelle Pasiechnyk. As Webster drove the net, she moved the puck three times between her forehand, backhand and forehand before she pushed it past Pasiechnyk's pads to tie the game at 1-1.

Ohio State entered the first intermission with an advantage in shots (24-5) and faceoffs (11-9). Kirk saved four of Clarkson's five shots on goal in the period, while the Buckeyes' defense blocked five of the Golden Knights' attempts.

Second Period

Both teams threw punches in the second period. Neither landed them.

Clarkson spent the first 10 minutes of the period on the offensive, recording 10 shots to Ohio State's five. The Golden Knights also excelled in the dot, winning six faceoffs to the Buckeyes' two.

As the action continued, Ohio State put pressure on Pasiechnyk and Clarkson's defense, outshooting the Golden Knights 11-1 and forcing its opponents to make six blocks in the second half of the period. Despite Ohio State's consistent presence in the zone – and multiple chances to score – Pasiechnyk managed to keep the Buckeyes off the board, and the teams entered the second intermission still tied at 1-all.

Third Period

Thirteen minutes into the period, Ohio State landed its punch.

In fact, it landed several.

At the 6:48 mark, the Buckeyes watched the puck reach nylon at last as forward Sloane Mathews scored from outside the crease and put her team ahead 2-1. Defenseman Riley Brengman and Webster received credit for assists on the score.

Moments later, Ohio State earned a 5-4 on-ice advantage as Clarkson forward Sena Catterall received two minutes in the box for a body check. The Buckeyes then spent 120 seconds peppering Pasiechnyk with shots. Soon after the power play ended, forward Joy Dunne scored her 23rd goal of the season and gave Ohio State a 3-1 lead. Forward Jenn Gardiner and defenseman Cayla Barnes assisted Dunne's goal, while Jenna Buglioni screened Pasiechnyk, allowing Dunne to score.

With less than two minutes remaining, Hadley Hartmetz scored an unassisted, empty-net goal to cap off Ohio State's 4-1 win.

As the seconds wound down, anticipation for a return to the national championship game became palpable as Ohio State's fans chanted "OH-IO" and "Let's Go Bucks!" in the arena. Once the clock reached 0:00, the Buckeyes skated to their bench, threw their sticks in the air and cheered aloud, understanding only one game now stands between them and their second championship in three years.

Up Next

Ohio State, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, will face No. 2 seed Wisconsin in the NCAA championship for the second year in a row. Wisconsin defeated Ohio State 1-0 in last year’s national championship game. The Buckeyes are 3-2 against the Badgers this season, winning the first three regular-season meetings between the teams before losing in their final regular-season meeting and the WCHA Final Faceoff championship game.

Sunday’s national championship game will start at 4 p.m. inside New Hampshire's Whittemore Center Arena (Durham, New Hampshire) and will be televised on ESPNU.

Game Notes

  • With its win over Clarkson, Ohio State now has a program-record 34 victories on the season. It's the third straight year in which the Buckeyes have won over 30 games. It's also the sixth 20-win season in Muzerall's eight seasons in Columbus. Before she arrived, the Buckeyes surpassed 20 wins once in 17 years.
  • This game marked Ohio State's fourth consecutive appearance in the Frozen Four and sixth overall. All six appearances have occurred in Muzerall's tenure with the Buckeyes.
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