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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s hockey team will play for a national title on Sunday in the 2023 Frozen Four championship game. The No. 1 Buckeyes (33-5-2) shut out No. 5 Northeastern (34-3-1), 3-0, in Friday afternoon’s semifinal game at AMSOIL Arena to advance to the championship game.
How it Happened
- Ohio State made a statement start to the Frozen Four with a goal just 1:16 in to the first semifinal game. It was Sloane Matthews who found the back of the net for the Buckeyes off an assist from Kenzie Hauswirth Makenna Webster.
- Northeastern had a one-on-one chance with Ohio State goaltender Amanda Thiele midway through the period, but Thiele made the stop to keep the Huskies off the board.
- Northeastern had a second opportunity with 5:39 in the first to tie the game, with Chloe Aurad beating Thiele in goal. But the goal was ultimately called off for a hand pass.
- Ohio State held Northeastern without a shot on goal for the first 9:00 of the game. After one period, the Buckeyes were outshooting the Huskies, 18-4.
- Ohio State found itself in a 3-on-5 situation for 1:35 off of an initial cross-checking call and then a tripping penalty at 4:56 and 5:31, respectively. But the Buckeyes killed off both to hold Northeastern scoreless.
- Makenna Webster tallied Ohio State’s second goal of the game at 11:18 in the second period. She rifled off a shot from the slot to beat Northwestern’s Gwyneth Phillips. She was assisted by Jenn Gardiner and Gabby Rosenthal.
- Hadley Hartmetz scored what would be the final goal of the game with as the clock was winding down in the second period. She wound up from the blue line to light the lamp at 1:16 off assists from Emma Maltais and Paetyn Levis.
- The Buckeyes’ added another 20 shots on goal in the period while keeping Northeastern to only three.
- While no goals were scored in the third period, Ohio State maintained its offensive dominance, throwing 15 more shots at Phillips.
Game Notes
- The Buckeyes advance to their second consecutive national championship game with the win over Northeastern. This year’s championship game will also be the second that Ohio State has played in in program history.
- Amanda Thiele made 15 saves to earn the clean sheet for Ohio State. The shutout is the fourth of the season for the junior goaltender. Thiele improves to 20-3-1 on the year for the Buckeyes.
- Freshman Sloane Matthews’ first Frozen Four appearance in her home state was a success, recording the first goal of the weekend. Her game-winning goal for the Buckeyes was her sixth goal of the year.
- Ohio State is now 7-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- Sophie Jaques blocked a team-high three shots as the Buckeye defensive effort held the Huskies to just 15 shots on goal in the game.
Statistically Speaking
Total Shots: Ohio State 83, Northeastern 41
Shots on Goal: Ohio State 53, Northeastern 15
Saves: Northeastern (Phillips) 50, Ohio State (Thiele) 15
Power Play: Ohio State 0-1, Northeastern 0-4
Faceoffs: Ohio State 39, Northeastern 30
Ohio State Scoring: Webster (1-1-2), Hartmetz (1-0-0), Matthews (1-0-1), Gardiner (0-1-1), Hauswirth (0-1-1), Levis (0-1-1), Maltais (0-1-1), Rosenthal (0-1-1)
Up Next
The Buckeyes will face a familiar opponent in Sunday’s championship game as they play the winner of the second Frozen Four semifinal game between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Puck drop for the national title game is at 4 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPNU.
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