Then-sophomore forward Joy Dunne gets set on the ice during the Buckeyes 5-4 overtime victory over St. Thomas Feb 8, 2025, at the OSU Ice Rink. Ohio State beat St. Thomas 2-1 Friday at the Ice Rink. Credit: Grace Hamor | Lantern Reporter
No. 2 Ohio State was tested for 60 minutes, and more on Friday night, but ultimately did just enough to come out on top.
Junior captain Jocelyn Amos scored 38 seconds into overtime to lift the Buckeyes to a 2-1 win over St. Thomas on Friday night at a sold-out OSU Ice Rink.
The goal concluded a game that was defined by resilient defense, with offensive production hard to come by for both teams.
Even with the win, however, the Buckeyes left the ice dissatisfied.
“We have to respect our opponent way better, and we have to play way better,” junior forward Joy Dunne said. “What we just showed? That’s not Buckeye hockey by any standard.”
The Buckeyes controlled possession for most of the night and generated consistent offensive pressure, but St. Thomas turned the game into a defensive battle by blocking 26 of Ohio State’s shots.
The Buckeyes outshot the Tommies 47-10, but struggled to create clean looks at the front of the net as graduate goaltender Julia Minotti stood tall, controlling rebounds and sealing the post.
St. Thomas struck first when freshman forward Whitney Horton scored on the Tommies’ fourth shot of the game and first of the second period, forcing Ohio State to play from behind.
After generating shots with no success, the Buckeyes finally broke through when Amos buried a scrappy goal that trickled past Minotti to tie the game at 7:58 of the third period. Dunne and freshman forward Hilda Svensson, both of whom will represent their respective nations at the Olympics in Milan next month, tallied the assists.
“As a team we have to be able to shoot around those blocks,” Amos said. “They’re gonna play up to their opponent, which they did, and you could see that that’s why they stayed in the game.”
Ohio State eventually wore down the defensive pressure with patience, relying on sustained offensive zone time and physical battles along the boards. That approach carried into overtime, where the puck never left the Buckeyes’ zone before Amos’ game-winner.
The Buckeyes will face St. Thomas again Saturday at 1 P.M. in Columbus.
