Five Former Buckeyes set to Compete at Four Nations Cup – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/4/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Nov. 4, 2013
- Four Nations Cup rosters: http://go.osu.edu/Xs7
- Four Nations Cup schedule: http://go.osu.edu/Xs6
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University and Ohio State women’s hockey is being well represented this year internationally as five former Buckeyes are set to compete at the 2013 Four Nations Cup, Nov. 5-9, in Lake Placid, N. Y.
Team USA features former Buckeye defenseman Lisa Chesson (2005-08), while forward Natalie Spooner (2009-12) and defenseman Tessa Bonhomme (2004-08) skate for Team Canada and Team Finland has forward Minttu Tuominen (2010-13) and defenseman Emma Terho (Laaksonen) (2001-04).
The Four Nations Cup brings together the top four women’s hockey countries in the world – Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States – for an international tournament. All five of these Ohio State alumni are on their respective country’s international team and could potentially represent their homelands in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi this February.
Chesson served as an assistant captain for the Buckeyes in 2007-08 and picked up her third All-WCHA honor her senior year, having been named to the second team after previous back-to-back third-team nods. She completed her career with 89 points to stand ninth all-time in the OSU record books and fourth in defenseman scoring. She totaled 27 goals and 62 assists in her four seasons and ranks seventh in power play points with 47.
Spooner was named a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award her senior season, an award presented annually to the best player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey. She concluded her career at Ohio State on top of four program record lists. Along with her season goals record, she set the Ohio State career record in goals scored in January, 2012 and finished her four years with 100. Spooner broke the program record in career goals vs. WCHA opponents on Oct. 14, 2011 and had 75 in her career. Her 163 career points ranks second all time in the program’s history and her 16 game-winning goals over four years is a program best.
Bonhomme is fifth on the all-time scoring list at Ohio State with 128 career points, the most ever by a Buckeye defenseman. Her 86 career assists are third all-time. Bonhomme was a two-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award and is the only Buckeye to be named a First-Team All-American. She was also the first OSU player to be named twice to the All-WCHA First Team. In 2010, she was selected first overall by the CWHL Toronto HC (now Furies) in the player selection draft. Bonhomme won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics as a member of Team Canada.
Tuominen was an assistant captain for the Buckeyes during her senior year, helping to lead OSU to 19 wins which is second most in program history. She had a career-best 19 points during her senior season and finished her career with 49 points on 16 goals and 33 assists. She was a two-time WCHA Scholar Athlete and suited up for 124 games for the Scarlet and Gray. Tuominen won a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver with Team Finland. This will be her fifth Four Nations Cup appearance.
Terho (Laaksonen) is the only player in Ohio State program history to have her jersey number retired. She helped build the foundation of women’s hockey at Ohio State and was the first Buckeye to earn several awards. Among them, Terho became the first to earn All-America honors, named to the second team in 2002 by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
As a sophomore, Terho was named a Top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. That season, she was also a Second Team All-WCHA honoree. She is a four-time Olympian for Team Finland, serving as a captain in 2002, 2006 and 2010. Prior to coming to Ohio State, she won a bronze medal in the 1998 Nagano Games. Terho has played with and captained Team Finland in a number of other international events, including IIHF World Women’s Championships and Four Nations Cups.
The Four Nations Cup starts Tuesday with matchups between Canada and Finland and USA versus Sweden. Teams will play everyone once over three days with the teams with the best records meeting Saturday in the championship game. A third-place game is also played Saturday.
