Now that is how you close out a game. The Ohio State women’s hockey team gained an advantage over Minnesota State in the second period on Saturday. The Buckeyes powered through the finish, padding their lead en route to a season high goal output.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Minnesota State | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Claudia Kepler and Katie Matheny staked the Buckeyes to a quick two goal lead. The snipers struck a mere 21 seconds apart in the early minutes of the first period. Late in the frame the Mavericks countered with goals from Emily Antony and Katie Johnson.
In the second period Matheny powered the Bucks ahead once again. Antony notched another goal, evening the score. Kepler lit her second lamp of the day and ninth of the season as she converted Ohio State’s second power play opportunity.
The Buckeyes’ special teams continued to be strong. Julia McKinnon killed a late penalty the best possible way, by scoring shorthanded. All told, Ohio State outshot Minnesota State 12-4 in the middle period and built a substantial 5-3 lead.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:24 | Claudia Kepler (Alexa Ranahan, Julia McKinnon) |
| 1 | 5:45 | Katie Matheny (Claudia Kepler, Maddy Field) |
| 2 | 4:40 | Katie Matheny (Julia McKinnon, Jessica Dunne) |
| 2 | 13:46 | PP - Claudia Kepler (Jessica Dunne, Dani Sadek) |
| 2 | 16:50 | SH - Julia McKinnon (Claudia Kepler) |
| 3 | 5:13 | Julia McKinnon (Julianna Iafallo) |
| 3 | 8:42 | PP - Kendall Curtis (Jessica Dunne, Dani Sadek) |
| 3 | 18:05 | Melani Moylan (Lauren Spring) |
OSU kept pouring on the offense. Five minutes into the final frame McKinnon struck again. Curtis popped in another power play marker. Further cementing the victory, Melani Moylan crushed the Bucks’ eighth goal of the game.
Ohio State goaltender Alex LaMere stopped 18 of the 21 shots she faced. Buckeye special teams were near flawless. The Scarlet and Gray went 2-for-3 with the advantage and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill (with the added bonus of McKinnon’s shorty).
The team’s eight total goals are a single-game best for the team in 2015-16. Kepler and McKinnon led the offense with two goals and two assists each. Matheny was a multiple goal scorer as well, potting a pair. Defenseman Jessica Dunne chipped in a trio of assists.
The Bucks snap their winless streak in style, bringing home five of six conference points from this series. They are on the road again next week where they will face Minnesota-Duluth. Games are slated for Friday at 8pm ET and Saturday at 5pm ET.
