Seventeen hours and a good night’s sleep did nothing to cool the competition between Ohio State and Bemidji State. The Buckeyes and Beavers returned to the ice after Friday’s heated battle. They picked up right where they left off.
| Scoring by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Ohio State | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Bemidji State | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
The teams combined for five goals in the opening period. The first four came in a fast and furious 2:41 span. Clair DeGeorge kicked off the scoring with a power play goal for BSU.
| Buckeye Goal Scorers (Assists) | Pd | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Emma Maltais (unassisted) | 1 | 9:41 |
| Grace Zarzecki (Liv Halvorson, Charly Dahlquist) | 1 | 10:18 |
| PP - Maddy Field (Jincy Dunne, Kassidy Sauve) | 2 | 12:12 |
| Julianna Iafallo (Emma Maltais, Maddy Field) | 2 | 16:45 |
| McKenna Wesloh (Liz Schepers, Julianna Iafallo) | 2 | 17:56 |
The Bucks responded seconds later with back-to-back strikes from Emma Maltais and Grace Zarzecki. Bemidji’s Mak Langei swiftly leveled the score. Then, late in the frame, Sylvia Marolt gave the Beavers a 3-2 lead.
OSU ramped up the pressure out of the intermission, helped by a power play opportunity. The Buckeyes pelted the Beaver net with nine shots in the first five minutes of the period. Lauren Boyle and Dani Sadek each rang a goal post.
Erin Deters and the Bemidji shot blockers shut the Bucks down for awhile. Eventually, though, they succumbed to Ohio State’s offensive onslaught. Maddy Field cashed in on the Bucks’ next power play. Another pair of swift strikes, these from Julianna Iafallo and McKenna Wesloh, put OSU ahead 5-3.
Wesloh’s goal was her first collegiate tally. It also turned out to be the game winner. A third period power play marker brought Bemidji within one score of the Bucks, but the Scarlet and Gray prevailed 5-4.
The Buckeye offense was rocking today with goals from five different players. Ten women recorded points, led by Field, Maltais, and Iafallo with a goal and an assist each. Ohio State outshot Bemidji State 34-25 in the game. Special teams were not a strong suit for the Bucks in this one. OSU went 1-for-2 on the power play. The team’s penalty killers were 0-for-2 on the day.
The win brings Ohio State’s record to 10-2-2 overall and 8-2-2-1 in the WCHA. The Bucks own a series lead over every conference foe save Wisconsin. With the Badgers playing out of conference this week, the Scarlet and Gray leap frog Bucky to sit atop the conference standings.
This was a tough series for the Buckeyes, but a good test for next week when OSU faces No. 9 Robert Morris. The Bucks and Colonials face off at 7pm next Friday and 2pm next Saturday.
