Ohio State women’s hockey concluded its weekend and season series with St. Cloud State on Saturday afternoon. In their three previous meetings the Huskies defeated the Buckeyes. The results of this game were no different.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud State | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The teams skated a scoreless opening period. Ohio State edged St. Cloud 13-9 in shots on goal. Though they were hard to come by, the Buckeyes also had the better of the handful of scoring chances.
Each team earned a power play opportunity in the opening stanza. Neither side converted before the intermission horn. However the Huskies’ advantage carried over into the middle frame. Forty seconds in, Molly Illikainen drew first blood for St. Cloud.
The Bucks responded in short order. Cara Zubko snapped off a shot from the blue line. Goaltender Katie Fitzgerald stopped it, but kicked out a big rebound. Lauren Spring was waiting and tied the game with her fifth goal of the season.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4:08 | Lauren Spring (Cara Zubko, Maggie Rothgery) |
These scores opened the game up. The pace picked up, as did the quality of scoring chances. Ohio State tested Fitzgerald with two semi odd man rushes and an open look off a turnover. The Huskies’ netminder stood firm.
With 13 seconds remaining in the period her teammates finally made a productive rush into OSU’s zone. Buckeye goalie Alex LaMere made the initial save but Julia Tylke corralled the rebound. She slid it past LaMere and put St. Cloud back on top.
Ohio State pressed hard in the third period. The Buckeyes threw a ton of rubber at the Huskies’ net. Fitzgerald, with the help of St. Cloud’s shot blockers, preserved the visitors’ lead.
The Bucks outshot the Huskies 37-17 in the game. St. Cloud went 1-for-1 on its man advantage chance. Ohio State was 0-for-2.
The loss is OSU’s fifth straight. The Buckeyes drop to 7-17-0 on the season and 3-15-0-0 in the WCHA. The team regroups now and prepares for next week’s visit to conference cellar dweller Minnesota State.
