Ohio State then-freshman goalie Andrea Braendli (30) prepares for a shot in the game against Minnesota State on Oct. 11. Ohio State won 4-0. Credit: Wyatt Crosher | Former Assistant Sports Editor
Two goals from Ohio State junior forward Liz Schepers lifted Ohio State women’s hockey to a dominant victory in the first game of its season opening series.
No. 9 Ohio State (1-0) picked up a decisive 4-1 win over St. Lawrence (0-1) Friday, holding a 2-0 lead and 21-6 shooting advantage after one period in Columbus.
“They started off strong, getting some people making plays and getting points on the board,” head coach Nadine Muzerall said. “It just shows our diversity within the team, that you can score and step up.”
Scheper’s second goal came against an open net at the end of the third period to put an exclamation mark on the victory. Schepers also added an assist on sophomore defenseman Sophie Jaques’ opening power play goal in the 10th minute of the first period to put the Buckeyes’ up 1-0.
“We graduated a lot of key players last year and when that happens it’s next man up,” Schepers said. “I want to be that next man up for our team in whatever way I have to do that. Today we needed to get pucks in the net and I tried to provide that, and I know if wasn’t me tonight it was somebody else.”
Ohio State freshmen played a key role in the win. Freshman forward Brooke Bink put the first shot on goal for the Buckeyes and went on to lead the team in total shots with seven. Freshman defenseman Thegan Inglis helped orchestrated the power play that led to the first goal.
“The freshmen seemed poised,” Muzerall said. “Mentally, I thought they were level-headed.”
The Buckeye offense was not finished after the initial score. With 1:15 left in the first period Schepers found the back of the net off a ricochet to extend the Ohio State lead.
The first period ended with a flurry of excitement at the St. Lawrence net with Ohio State senior forward Rebecca Freiburger sneaking the puck past the Saints’ goaltender, but it was a moment too late. The score remained 2-0 going into the first intermission.
The Saints got their first power play a couple minutes into the second period off a checking call against Ohio State, but the Buckeyes held strong for their first penalty kill of the season.
The Buckeyes continued to play strong into the second period, when sophomore forward Paetyn Levis found the back of the net on a deep-shot ricochet with nine minutes left to give Ohio State a 3-0 lead.
But then the Saints started cooling the Buckeyes off in the last few minutes of the second period, when they put up 10 shots. With 3:42 left in the second, junior forward Brittney Gout got the puck past Ohio State sophomore goaltender Andrea Braendli, and get the Saints on the board.
“I would really like to commend Andrea,” Muzerall said. “Her tracking and her placement was unbelievable. It hit off Thegan’s shin pad and she had to move laterally because there was someone at the back door.”
The rest of the game was even-keel with both teams putting up nine shots in the final period until Schepers managed to beat two defenders to sink the final goal.
The Buckeyes seek to close out St. Lawrence with a season sweep when the puck drops on their second game at 3:07 p.m. Saturday.
