Ohio State women’s hockey welcomed the South Korean women’s national team to Columbus for an exhibition game on Tuesday night. The contest was the fifth in a series of nine total games Team Korea will play against NCAA programs as the squad prepares for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. It was also the first game action of the season for the Buckeyes who delighted the hometown crowd with an 8-0 victory.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
Olivia Soares kicked off the scoring for the Scarlet and Gray. The sophomore struck early in the opening period with an assist from freshman McKenna Wesloh. Wesloh’s assist would be the first of many offensive contributions made by new Buckeyes in this game. Late in the frame North Dakota transfer Charly Dahlquist chipped in a second OSU goal. Less than a minute later leading returning scorer Maddy Field made it 3-0, Ohio State.
The Bucks' offense continued to roll in the second period. Rebecca Freiburger lit the lamp. Field swiftly chipped in her second goal of the game. Highly touted rookie Emma Maltais added a pair of goals in a 61 second span to give the Bucks a 7-0 advantage. Wesloh capped off the scoring with goal No. 8 midway through the third period.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:43 | Olivia Soares (McKenna Wesloh) |
| 1 | 17:34 | Charly Dahlquist (Dani Sadek) |
| 1 | 18:28 | Maddy Field (Jincy Dunne) |
| 2 | 12:53 | Rebecca Freiburger (unassisted) |
| 2 | 14:31 | Maddy Field (Lauren Boyle, Lisa Bruno) |
| 2 | 17:38 | Emma Maltais (Tatum Skaggs, Lisa Bruno) |
| 2 | 18:39 | PP - Emma Maltais (Maddy Field, Dani Sadek) |
| 3 | 9:23 | McKenna Wesloh (Jacyn Reeves, Dani Sadek) |
All three Buckeye goaltenders saw action in the tilt. Freshman Amanda Zeglen started the night in net. She stopped all five shots she faced. Fellow rookie Maggie Cory took over for the second period and turned aside 11 attempts. Kassidy Sauve went 4-for-4 in the third period to lock up the team shutout.
Ohio State outshot the Koreans 50-20 in the contest. Five Buckeyes recorded multiple point games; Field (2-1--3), Dani Sadek (0-3--3), Maltais (2-0--2), Wesloh (1-1--2), and Lisa Bruno (0-2--2). OSU was 1-for-3 on the power play and a flawless 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Prior to the game Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall thanked Team Korea for giving her team the chance to test its mettle against an Olympic squad, stating “We are excited to welcome the South Korea National Team to campus...We truly appreciate them stopping in Columbus while they are in America facing college programs. We are grateful for the opportunity to play against a team that will be on the Olympic stage. The Buckeyes wish them success as they host the 2018 Olympic Games.”
Goal scoring was a terrific struggle for the Buckeyes last season so tonight’s offensive outpouring was an especially welcome sight. Improvement was forecast this season thanks to a wealth of incoming talent. If tonight’s tilt is any indication, that prediction is spot on.
Nearly every new Buckeye skater factored in the scoring. Collectively newcomers accounted for four goals and four assists. New blood registered 28 of the Bucks’ 50 shots on goal, led by rookie Liz Schepers’ eight shots. One exhibition game isn't any guarantee of season-long success, but preliminary indications are that the Buckeyes have significantly upgraded their weaponry for 2017-18.
Ohio State opens its season at home with a non-conference series against Rensselaer this week. The Bucks and Engineers square off at 6pm on Friday and 3pm on Saturday. Both games will be contested at the OSU Ice Rink. Admission, as for all women’s hockey games, is free.
