Ohio State hit the ground running, er, skating. The lady Bucks outshot St. Cloud 10-4 in the first period. At the first intermission they held a 1-0 lead courtesy of a power play strike by Kari Schmitt. The tally was her ninth point in as many games and extended her point streak to five games. (Kaerts, kaerts, unjinx.)
| goals by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 10 Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| St. Cloud State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
St. Cloud pulled even in the opening minutes of the second period. The score remained tied for much of the second. As the clock wound down to the second intermission Julia McKinnon put the Buckeyes back on top.
The goal was McKinnon’s eighth of the season. The Kelowna, BC native (at the time) tied Claudia Kepler for the team lead in goals scored. She also continues to climb the overall points charts with a total of 15 (eight goals and seven assists) on the season.
At least McKinnon was tied with Kepler for the team lead in goals. With seconds left in the game Kepler sealed the Buckeye win with an empty netter, regaining sole possession of the goal scoring crown.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6:20 | Kari Schmitt - PP (Danielle Gagne, Kayla Sullivan) |
| 2 | 18:15 | Julia McKinnon (unassisted) |
| 3 | 19:41 | Claudia Kepler - EN (Taylor Kuehl, Julia McKinnon) |
Stacy Danczak started in net for Ohio State. She stopped 15 of 16 shots, earning the win. The senior goalie is now 6-1-2 between the pipes this season.
The Bucks outshot the Huskies 27-16. Special teams didn’t get much of a work out. OSU cashed in on one of their two man advantages. The penalty kill got the day off. St. Cloud did not have a single power play chance in the game.
The teams complete their weekend and season series tomorrow at 4pm.
