The fifth-ranked women’s hockey Buckeyes and the visiting Minnesota State Mavericks concluded their series on Saturday afternoon. After a dominant win on Friday night, Ohio State was looking to earn a sweep and collect six crucial conference points. They didn't make it easy on themselves but in the end, the Bucks got the job done.
| Scoring by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| No. 5 Ohio State | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Momentum swung back and forth in the opening frame. Ohio State found the back of the net first. The Buckeyes’ second line staked the Scarlet and Gray to an early lead. Freshman Gabby Rosenthal and senior Maddy Field served up the assists. Sophomore Liz Schepers put away her third goal of the season.
| Buckeye Goal Scorers (Assists) | Pd | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Liz Schepers (Maddy Field, Gabby Rosenthal) | 1 | 1:25 |
| Maddy Field (Emma Maltais, Charly Dahlquist) | OT | 4:07 |
OSU carried that 1-0 lead into the second period but the Bucks couldn’t make it stick. The team got caught in a disastrous death spiral of penalties that allowed MSU to erase their deficit. Over about a 12-minute span, the Buckeyes were whistled for four fouls. This included a significant stretch of 5-on-3 action for the Mavericks.
To the credit of goaltender Andrea Braendli and the penalty killing unit, Minnesota State did not technically score on any of those power play chances. However, the Mavs did slip a puck past Braendli seconds after one expired. The score was knotted at 1-1 heading into the final period.
In the third, Ohio State worked furiously to restore its advantage. The Bucks blistered the Mavericks' net with 20 shots on goal. Only another impressive performance by MSU's freshman goalie Abigail Levy prevented OSU from winning going away.
Instead, tied at the end of regulation, the teams headed to overtime. The Scarlet and Gray continued to pressure Levy. The Bucks' second line struck again. This time it was Field with the goal. The OT winner was career goal No. 45 for the senior and career point No. 82.
This isn't going to go down in the history books as one of Ohio State's most memorable wins but at the end of the day it is a win and that's all that counts. The Buckeyes hung tough when things weren't going their way. They bounced back from their mistakes. And they hustled for the win and the full complement of conference points from this series.
The Bucks will need to tap into that grit, resiliency, and hustle next week when the team hits the road to face its biggest challenge yet, No. 3 Minnesota. Games are set for next Friday at 8pm ET and Saturday at 5pm ET.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to have a nap and get my energy drinks lined up for the late night men's hockey bout. Peace out, home fries. See you after midnight.
- Today's win moves Ohio State to 5-1-0 on the season.
- Maddy Field and Paetyn Levis (six each) led the Buckeyes in shots on goal.
- OSU killed off all four of the Mavericks' power plays.
- The Bucks went 0-for-3 on their own advantages.
- With an assist today, Emma Maltais has posted 10 points (two goals and eight assists) through the Bucks' first six games.
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Andrea Braendli made 33 saves in her second career victory. She turned aside 55 of 56 shots in the series.
