The No. 1 Ohio State women’s ice hockey team earned its first WCHA regular season title this weekend. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
The No. 1 Ohio State women’s ice hockey team headed into this weekend looking to win the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season championship for the first time in program history, and despite a series split, the team came away victorious.
The Buckeyes (28-4-2, 23-4-1 WCHA) were challenged on day one after the No. 6 Badgers (23-9-2, 19-7-2 WCHA) came out firing with a four point lead heading into the second period. But Ohio State managed to tie the score and send the matchup into overtime. Despite Ohio State’s efforts, Wisconsin ultimately clinched the win with a penalty shot, ending the game 6-5.
The dynamic shifted on day two, with a solid defense from both teams preventing any goals for the entirety of the first and second period. After the Badgers put the first point of the game on the scoreboard, the Buckeyes pulled away in the final minutes to seal a 3-1 victory and conference title win.
Saturday
The Badgers took a commanding early lead against the Buckeyes, scoring four goals by the 17:12 mark of the first period.
Junior forward Casey O’Brien earned the first goal of the game, her 16th of the season, to put Wisconsin on the scoreboard seven minutes in.
Redshirt senior forward Britta Curl soon fired in a shot sent by graduate defenseman Nicole LaMantia, Curl’s 17th goal this season.
Increasing the point margin further, senior forward Jesse Compher secured her 14th goal of the season just eight minutes into the frame.
Compher scored again less than 10 minutes later, guiding Wisconsin to a four-point lead heading into the second period.
The Buckeyes tightened the gap in the second frame, with senior forward Jennifer Gardiner finding the back of the net at 1:38 into the period for her 19th goal on the season.
Graduate forward Emma Maltais decreased the point deficit even more, bringing the score to 4-2 after she scored her 7th goal of the season at 12:42.
Despite a standstill for the remainder of the second period, Ohio State came within a point of tying up the score after senior forward Brooke Bink earned her second goal this season just over three minutes into the third frame. Senior defenseman Lauren Bernard tallied her second assist of the day on Bink’s goal.
The one-point margin didn’t remain for long, however, as Wisconsin was able to take back its two-point lead when senior forward Grace Shirley lit the lamp at 7:20.
Over three minutes later, the Buckeyes saw a power play opportunity and Gardiner capitalized on the advantage just thirty seconds into the play, assisted by graduate defenseman Madison Bizal.
Ohio State applied pressure on the Badgers again after Maltais tipped in a rebounded shot from Bernard, tying the score at 5-5 and sending the game into overtime.
At 2:06 in the overtime period, Wisconsin was allowed a penalty shot after the Buckeyes received a penalty for handling the puck, and freshman forward Kirsten Simms found the back of the net for the 13th time of the season. Simms’ goal pushed the Badgers to a 6-5 win over the Buckeyes in LaBahn Arena.
Sunday
Unlike day one, both teams struggled to find the back of the net following the puck drop, with the score still at 0-0 heading into the second period.
Despite 38 total shots for Ohio State and 50 for Wisconsin by the end of the second frame, the teams once again found themselves unable to put up a point on the scoreboard as the timer ran out.
After a 47 minute standstill, the Badgers were able to break through the Buckeyes’ defense at 7:17 in the third period after freshman forward Laila Edwards notched her ninth goal of the season.
Just over six minutes later, Wisconsin lost hold of its lead after they received a penalty for hooking, allowing graduate forward Maltais to shoot from the goal line to secure her ninth goal of the season at 15:43 on a power play.
Ohio State took the lead minutes later after lit the lamp with less than a minute left.
Bizal struck again after she fired a shot from just inside the blue line at 19:35 to seal the game with a 3-1 win over the Badgers, securing Ohio State’s first WCHA regular season title.
The Buckeyes next host Bemidji State on Friday in a WCHA Tournament quarterfinal matchup beginning at 6 p.m.
