Best of OSU: Emma Maltais is Ohio State’s best female athlete

Sophomore forward Emma Maltais (17) skates up the ice during the game against Bemidji State on Nov. 10. Ohio State lost 4-2. Credit: Cori Wade | Lantern Photographer

Emma Maltais just finished her sophomore season for the Ohio State women’s hockey team, but the Burlington, Ontario, native already ranks as the No. 17 all-time scorer in Buckeye history with 83 points.

Maltais racked up 43 points this season to lead the team for the second straight year in a campaign that earned her the title of Best Female Athlete for Best of OSU.

Playing in all 35 games, Maltais led Ohio State with 28 assists and was second only to sophomore forward Tatum Skaggs in goals with 15.

Named All-WCHA First Team for the second time in her career, Maltais’ 1.23 points per game were good for second-most in the conference, and her .80 assists per game led the WCHA.

Maltais was no stranger to conference awards either, earning WCHA Forward of the Month honors in October and qualifying for the All-Academic Team, in addition to her Rookie of the Year distinction the previous season.

Late-game heroics have become a calling card for Maltais, who scored the game-winning goal against Minnesota State just 28 seconds into overtime in the first round of conference tournament play March 1.

That was one of four game-winners for Maltais this season, placing her sixth in Ohio State history with nine in her career.

Maltais has led the Buckeyes to their first ever back-to-back 20-win season, despite losing to the NCAA Tournament champion Wisconsin 3-2 in the WCHA Final Faceoff on March 9.

Just two weeks prior, Maltais scored a shootout-winning goal against the top-ranked Badgers on the road.

In Maltais’ two seasons, the Buckeyes got a series sweep against Wisconsin for the first time in program history and won seven of 15 points against them this year.

The next two seasons hold the possibility for Maltais to create even more firsts at Ohio State, as the spark-plug forward is on pace to overtake Laura McIntosh for the most points in Buckeye history by the end of her career.