The Ohio State women’s ice hockey team sing the alma mater, “Carmen Ohio,” after the game against Durham Sep. 23. The Buckeyes defeated the Lords 6-2. Credit: Brailee Rathburn | Lantern Photographer
The scoreboard read 18.9 seconds, and the Buckeyes could practically feel the championship trophy in their hands.
Moments later, Wisconsin lined up for a penalty shot, and the rest became history.
The Ohio State women’s hockey team ended up losing the game and the national championship title in overtime. Head coach Nadine Muzerall had the number 18.9 sewn into the shoulder pads of her players’ uniforms, a constant reminder of how close they came to glory.
Muzerall also hopes that heartbreak is a motivator for a young team that lost seven seniors, including its captain and starting goaltender. The new-era Buckeyes will instead look for contributions from an impressive incoming class that features eight freshmen, five of whom have international experience.
“I do believe wholeheartedly they’re the most impressive freshman class,” Muzerall said.
Among the new faces are forward Hilda Svensson and defender Jenna Raunio, Swedish standouts who played most recently at the national level. Forward Sanni Vanhanen from Finland began playing on her country’s senior national team at age 16.
Other international players to this team include forward Maxine Cimoroni and defender Leah Wicks, both from Canada. Forwards Macy Rasmussen and Taylor Kressin both hail from Minnesota and forward Kassidy Carmichael is from Massachusetts.
“When you watch them out there, they don’t look like freshmen,” junior forward Jocelyn Amos said. “They’re ready to go, ready for the NCAA.”
The younger players are being mentored by veterans, including senior de- fender Emma Peschel and Amos, who will take over the captain role from recent graduate Jenna Buglione.
Junior forward Joy Dunne is also back on the ice and will serve as assistant captain with senior forward Sloane Matthews.
Muzerall said the more experienced players are lighting a bright path for the newcomers.
“They lead by example,” she said. “Our players gravi- tate to them because they’re so welcoming. Badass on the ice, but very welcoming and sister-like off the ice.”
Peschel, who, along with Dunne, was among five players named to the 2025 All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association team, said the Buckeyes will not let the championship loss slow them down. Instead, it’s a motivation.
“We’re coming back even fiery,” Peschel said. “We’ve been mentioning it here and there, and I think all the returners and even the newcomers know how big of a deal that loss was and how we’re still feeling it.”
Success is already evident with the Buckeyes’ 2-0 start, and they look to continue their winning ways Friday at 6 p.m., hosting Bemidji State. Muzerall said no matter how far they are into the season, she expects them to look at that 18.9 on their shoulder.
And when they look, she wants them to remember how close they came.
“That’s how far away we were from the gold medal, a national championship,” Muzerall said. “Quite honestly, that [second place] trophy hasn’t been taken out of the bag. No one’s touched it.”
