Ohio State junior defender Lauren Boyle (6) fights for possession in the first period of the game against Minnesota on Jan. 19. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor
Senior weekend for the Ohio State women’s hockey team started with a bang. No. 6 Ohio State (21-8-4, 14-5-4 WCHA) took the ice Friday against Bemidji State (13-17-3, 8-13-2 WCHA) at the OSU Ice Rink, where it dominated the Beavers, 4-0.
The women’s hockey team has won 21 games this season, making them the winningest team in program history.
“We were trying to get that 21st win,” Head Coach Nadine Muzerall said. “We were knocking on the door of a few historical moments, with Kassidy’s saves and then us being the winningest team in the history of OSU. That’s motivation.”
Junior goaltender Kassidy Sauve broke the record for most saves in program history, as well. She ended her night adding 38 more saves to her list.
“I think it’s more of team record, if you ask me,” Sauve esaid. “Just having the girls that have been on the ice with me for the past four years have helped make that possible. It’s just really cool for us as a team to do something like that.”
The Buckeyes faced off against the Beavers in November. They lost the series opener in a shoot out and won the closing game.
Freshman forward Tatum Skaggs scored two goals for the Buckeyes, the first of which came with 31 seconds left in the first period. The second goal was scored two minutes into the second period.
Senior forward Julianna Iafallo dominated the third period with two goals, scoring less than three minutes in to give the Buckeyes a three-goal lead.
Iafallo added an empty-net goal in the final minutes.
Iafallo, along with her fellow seniors Liv Halvorson, Lauren Spring and Dani Sadek, will be honored Saturday before the last game of the season. Puck drop is set for 3:07 p.m.
“We love to get a win,” Sauve said. “Especially on the first night of senior weekend. So, we just have to carry it into tomorrow and win again so it can be a really memorable weekend for them.”
