The news from the ice isn’t all bad tonight. While the men’s team fell at Penn State, the Buckeye women upended No. 8/9 North Dakota for a second time this season. This time they pulled off the win in front of their hometown fans.
| Scoring By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8/9 North Dakota | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
The teams were active early, firing a collective 17 shots on goal in the opening period. Both sides had special teams opportunities but the penalty kill units did their jobs on each occasion. The game was scoreless at the first intermission break.
Ohio State surged ahead late in the middle frame. Dani Sadek put a shot on net. North Dakota goalie Shelby Amsley-Benzie got a piece of it, but the puck popped high. Freshman phenom Maddy Field wound up and smacked the rebound out of midair. Her ninth goal of the season gave the Bucks a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes later, Dani Sadek drove a last minute power play dagger to the heart of the visitors. Ohio State buzzed into the Fighting Hawks’ zone. Alexa Ranahan teed up a pass for Sadek and the senior blasted it by Amsley-Benzie. The goal came with just 19 ticks left on the clock.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 16:51 | Maddy Field (Dani Sadek, Katie Matheny) |
| 2 | 19:41 | PP - Dani Sadek (Alexa Ranahan, Lauren Spring) |
| 3 | 19:56 | EN - Claudia Kepler (Julia McKinnon, Lauren Spring) |
North Dakota cranked up the pressure in the third period, outshooting the Buckeyes 13-6. With a shade over three minutes remaining in the game Meghan Dufault drew the Hawks within a goal. But this night belonged to the Scarlet and Gray. Claudia Kepler sealed the upset victory with an empty net marker.
Ohio State goalie Alex LaMere turned aside 31 shots and picked up her eighth win of the season. Buckeye special teams recorded an excellent outing. The power play unit nicked North Dakota once in four advantages while the penalty killers completely iced the Hawks with six perfect kills.
The teams conclude the season tomorrow afternoon at the OSU Ice Rink. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 4pm. Admission and parking are free. The game can be viewed online with a Buckeye Vision subscription.
