Buckeyes To Play for Olympic Medals
2/15/2022 11:48:05 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Five current and former Ohio State women’s hockey players will play for medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Wednesday and Thursday in Beijing. With Switzerland, Finland, Canada and the United States left to battle for Olympic hardware, each medal game will be a matchup between Buckeyes.
The medal round opens with Ohio State senior Andrea Braendli and Team Switzerland facing off against Minttu Tuominen and Team Finland on Feb. 16 at 6:30 a.m. ET. Braendli has faced more shots than any other goaltender in the field, making 199 saves in six games. Tuominen has recorded two goals and an assist in the tournament. Scoring one goal on the power play, she has helped Finland to the second-best power play at this year’s Olympics (.333). The Swiss and Finns are both 2-4-0 in the tournament.
Three Ohio State players will battle for gold on Wednesday evening as Jincy Dunne and Team USA take on Emma Maltais, Natalie Spooner and Team Canada at 11:10 p.m. ET. Undefeated in the tournament through six games, Canada won the preliminary matchup against the U.S., 4-2. Spooner is second among all skaters at the Olympics with 14 points. She has tallied three goals and 11 assists for the Canadians. Maltais has recorded one goal, a helper and a +5 on-ice rating in her first Olympics so far. Dunne, who is also making her Olympic debut this year, has added three assists for the U.S. in the tournament.
Buckeye Medal Count
- Ohio State women’s hockey players have won nine medals since the 1998 Olympic games.
- Wednesday’s gold medal match marks the fourth straight Olympics that a Buckeye will play for Olympic gold.
- Spooner is making her third gold-medal match appearance in as many Olympics. At her first games in 2014, she won a gold medal and then won silver in 2018.
- Tuominen, who is playing in her fourth Olympics this year, looks to add another medal to her collection of bronze medals from PyeongChang in 2018 and Vancouver in 2010.
- Maltais and Dunne both will earn a medal in their Olympic debut.
- Braendli looks to help win Switzerland its first Olympic medal since 2014 and just its second medal since women’s hockey was introduced at the Olympics in 1998.
Medal Round Schedule – Wednesday, Feb. 16
6:30 a.m. ET – Bronze medal game – Switzerland vs. Finland
11:10 p.m. ET – Gold medal game – USA vs. Canada
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