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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 1 Ohio State women’s hockey team is Frozen Four bound after defeating No. 8 Quinnipiac, 5-2, in the NCAA Columbus regional final Saturday evening at the OSU Ice Rink. The top-seeded Buckeyes improve their program-best record to 32-5-2 to advance to their second straight Frozen Four while Quinnipiac finishes the year 30-10-0.
How it Happened
- Quinnipiac struck first on its second of two power plays in the final five minutes of the opening period. Ohio State was able to kill off the first penalty, but the Bobcats managed to score with just :38 seconds left on their second man-up opportunity and take a 1-0 lead with 1:02 to play in the first period.
- Quinnipiac had a 12-10 advantage in shots on goal in the first frame, however the Buckeyes flipped the script almost immediately in the second. Ohio State dominated the next 20 minutes, putting 24 shots on goal and holding Quinnipiac to just three.
- Gabby Rosenthal lit the lamp first for Ohio State, tying the game at 1-1 with a power play goal at 12:12 in the second period.
- Less than four minutes later, the Buckeyes took the lead over the Bobcats and never looked back. Lauren Bernard skated the puck into the Quinnipiac zone herself and finished top corner on goaltender Logan Angers at the 16:00 mark to push the team ahead, 2-1.
- Ohio State continued its pressure into the final frame, adding three goals on 10 shots on goal in the period.
- Emma Peschel recorded Ohio State’s third goal, and the ultimate game-winning goal, at 8:08. Paetyn Levis and Emma Maltais each put a shot on net before Maltais’ rebound trickled onto Peschel’s stick and was sent past Angers.
- Patty Kazmaier top-three finalist Sophie Jaques scored the Buckeyes’ second power play goal of the day, putting Ohio State up 4-1 at 14:45.
- Quinnipiac pulled Angers with 4:20 to play for the sixth skater and scored with 3:36 on the clock.
- The Bobcats went with the extra skater again at 2:15, but the Buckeyes were able to hold them off for the remainder of the game. Jaques was able to get the puck back and send it down the ice into the empty goal with 28 seconds left in the game to bring the score to 5-2 in favor of Ohio State.
- The Ohio State defensive effort blocked 19 shots on the day in front of goaltender Amanda Thiele, who made 21 saves.
Game Notes
- With two goals on the night, Sophie Jaques is now the WCHA record holder for career goals by a defenseman with 61. She passes Ronda Curtin, who scored 60 goals for Minnesota from 1999-03. The graduate student now has 156 points for her career.
- Scoring her first goal of the evening on the power play, Jaques is now tied for the most power play goals in the country this season with nine.
- Four of Ohio State’s five goals were scored by defensemen as blueliners Lauren Bernard and Emma Peschel each added a tally along with Jaques.
- Jenn Gardiner recorded two helpers on the day to bring her season total to a team-high 56.
- The Buckeyes advance to the Frozen Four for the fourth time in program history and second time in as many seasons.
- The game marked the second year in a row Ohio State has defeated Quinnipiac for a spot in the Frozen Four. Saturday’s three-goal margin of victory is the second largest in the seven game series between the two teams.
- Three WCHA teams will play in the 2023 Frozen Four as Minnesota and Wisconsin each won their respective regionals.
Statistically Speaking
Total Shots: Ohio State 77, Quinnipiac 54
Shots on Goal: Ohio State 44, Quinnipiac 23
Saves: Quinnipiac (Angers) 39, Ohio State (Thiele) 21
Power Play: Ohio State 2-3, Quinnipiac 1-2
Faceoffs: Ohio State 51, Quinnipiac 21
Ohio State Scoring: Jaques (2-0-2), Gardiner (0-2-2), Bernard (1-0-1), Peschel (1-0-1), Rosenthal (1-0-1), Maltais (0-1-1), Webster (0-1-1)
Up Next
Ohio State will play No. 5 seed Northeastern on Friday, March 17 in the first semifinal of the Frozen Four at AMSOIL Arena. Puck drop is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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