Despite strong play, the Ohio State women’s hockey team lost 5-4 in overtime to New Hampshire on Saturday.
After losing its home opener 1-0 to the Wildcats on Friday, the Buckeyes took the ice as though they had something to prove.
Emma Laaksonen and Christine Patno scored their first goals of the season in the first period of Saturday’s game. Assisted by Heather Farrell and Erin O’Grady, Laaksonen scored just six minutes into the game. Heather Farrell and Shana Frost assisted Patno on her goal later in the first period.
“Down an early 2-0, I was concerned,” said New Hampshire women’s hockey coach Brian McClosky. “This being only our third game, scoring has not come easily for us.”
The lead was cut to 2-1 seconds later when New Hampshire’s Kristi Shaw scored.
In the second period, the Buckeyes’ troubles increased as the Wildcats outshot them 13-3. New Hampshire tied the score with a power-play goal.
“I was a little disappointed with our second period,” said OSU women’s hockey coach Jackie Barto. “We did a lot of chasing in the second period, and our energy was not used in a positive way.”
In the third period, the game turned into a shootout. After each goal the Wildcats scored, the Buckeyes answered with a goal of their own. The Wildcats took a 3-2 lead with a goal by Carolyn Gordon, but Buckeye Megan Mulvaney scored to tie the game at 3-all with assistance from Laaksonen and Jeni Creary.
New Hampshire’s Annie Fahlenbock broke the tie when she scored the Wildcats’ second power-play goal and fourth goal overall.
“We had two tonight and one last night,” McClosky said of the power-play goals. “Basically that’s the difference right there.”
The Buckeyes’ trouble with their own power play led to the weekend’s double loss.
“Our power play really struggled this weekend,” Barto said. “We didn’t react well to the pressure they put on us.”
With neither team well-rested, the strength of the defensive play was affected.
“I don’t think either team played good team defense,” Barto said. “There was some sloppy play. I don’t want to say that it was conditioning, just more that some mistakes were made. Both teams capitalized on the mistakes that were made,” Barto said.
Creary, who was recently picked as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Offensive Player of the Week, forced overtime with her third period goal on an assist from Jana Harrigan.
“We started off strong in the first period, which we didn’t (Friday) so that was good,” Creary said. “We slacked off in the second, kind of slowed it down and they outplayed us. Then we came back in the third, but it wasn’t enough.”
Despite solid play in overtime by OSU, Gordon scored again, this time on a two-on-one breakaway. This game-ending goal was the fifth goal scored against OSU goalie Natalie Lamme, who had 25 saves on the night.
The Buckeyes play twice again this weekend against perennial powerhouse Minnesota.
“We are all really looking forward to it,” Creary said. “We are going in as the underdog, so if we lose it’s not a big surprise, but if we win, it’s great.”
