The women’s hockey Buckeyes traveled to Minnesota this week to face the No. 3 Gophers. In addition to a strong start to the second half of conference play, the Bucks sought a measure of revenge for the drubbing Minnesota gave them back in October. Though Ohio State ultimately fell short of victory today, the Gophers’ margin of victory was much narrower than it was when last these teams met.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| No. 3 Minnesota | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Buckeye goaltender Alex LaMere made her presence known early in the contest. Minnesota peppered her with a dozen shots in the first period, many coming from point blank range. She allowed just a single puck to get by her. Kelly Pannek drew first blood for the Gopher with a bit under four minutes to go.
Tensions between the teams increased and the middle frame was a chippy affair. The Gophers added another goal at the 4:36 mark. A Minnesota shot rolled through traffic in front and trickled through the legs of LaMere. Taylor Williamson was credited with the tally.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 13:15 | Julia McKinnon (unassisted) |
The resilient netminder dug in and fended off the rest of the Gopher attacks, including a breakaway attempt by leading scorer Dani Cameranesi. LaMere would continue her tenacious goaltending throughout the third period and stone Camaranesi for a second time. She finished the game with 25 saves.
With LaMere keeping the high flying Gopher offense in relative check, the window was open for an Ohio State comeback. Julia McKinnon drew the Buckeyes within a goal late in the second period. After a lengthy stretch played in their own end, the Bucks were finally able to generate a few scoring chances. McKinnon took advantage of a two-on-one rush to snap the puck past Minnesota goalie Amanda Leveille.
The teams settled down to business in the third period, steering clear of the penalty box. Ohio State kept sniffing for the game tying tally but the Gophers did a good job of limiting their rushes to one-shot wonders. The Buckeyes made one last push with the extra attacker on. However Camaranesi took advantage of LaMere’s absence and potted an empty netter to seal the win.
Ohio State takes another stab at Minnesota tomorrow afternoon. The game is slated for a 3pm ET start. It isn't televised but fans with a BTN Plus subscription can stream the contest live.
