Women’s Ice Hockey Begin Conference Play On The Road – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Oct. 18, 2000
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s ice hockey team (1-0-0, 0-0-0 WCHA)%^$opened the 2000-01 regular season with a 4-1 win over Findlay Sunday at the%^$OSU Ice Arena.%^$
Unbeaten for the first time in the program’s two-year history, the Buckeyes%^$face defending national champion Minnesota (2-0-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) in both%^$teams’ conference opener this weekend.%^$
“We’re looking forward to going to Minneapolis and to the challenge of%^$playing the Minnesota Gophers,” Jackie Barto, OSU head coach, said. “We feel%^$that we’re a much-improved team and we’re excited to get into WCHA play.”%^$
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BUCKEYES IN THE POLLS%^$
The Buckeyes received six votes in the U.S. College Hockey Online Division I%^$Women’s Ice Hockey Poll. The poll, published on Oct. 16, consists of ten%^$voters, all coaches from Division I teams.%^$
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USCHO.COM DIV. 1 WOMEN’S POLL
(As of Oct. 16, 2000)%^$
%^$ Team (Points)%^$1. Dartmouth (93)%^$2. Minnesota (92)%^$3. Minnesota-Duluth (84)%^$4. Brown (65)%^$5. Harvard (60)%^$6. St. Lawrence (39)%^$7. Northeastern (34)%^$8. New Hampshire (30)%^$9. Niagara (18)%^$10. Wisconsin (13)%^$%^$
Others receiving votes: Providence (11), Ohio State (6), Princeton (4),%^$Cornell (1)%^$
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SCOUTING MINNESOTA%^$
The Minnesota Golden Gophers captured the 2000 American Women’s College%^$Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) national title last season, defeating Brown, 4-2.%^$Fourth-year head coach Laura Halldorson returns 15 letterwinners and adds%^$nine rookies to a squad that is looking to improve on a 32-6-1 record and%^$repeat as national champions.%^$
Senior left wing Nadine Muzerall led not only the Gopher offensive attack%^$last season but also the nation with 49 goals and 28 assists for 77 points.%^$
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Despite the loss of 2000 WCHA defensive player of the year Winny Brodt, who%^$joined the U.S. National Select Team, the Gophers return five seniors on the%^$blueline, including two-time All-America selection Courtney Kennedy.%^$Erica Killewald returns for her senior season between the pipes for the%^$Gophers. Killewald, who posted a 17-6-1 record and a 1,89 goals against%^$average last season, consistently has ranked among the top three goalies%^$nationally in shutouts and sits atop all other active goaltenders with 57%^$career wins.%^$
Minnesota is unbeaten after defeating conference foe St. Cloud State, 4-1%^$and 5-4 in a two-game home series Oct. 14-15.%^$
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THE BUCKEYES VS. THE GOPHERS-THE SERIES%^$
The Buckeyes are 0-4 overall against the Gophers. The two teams last met%^$Feb. 4-5, 2000 at Mariucci Arena, and UM won, 4-1 and 6-0.%^$
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THE BUCKEYES VS. THE GOPHERS-LAST YEAR%^$
Katie Frohreich and Shana Frost lead the Buckeyes in total points against%^$Minnesota with one each. Frohreich scored her first collegiate goal against%^$the Gophers Nov. 13, and Frost scored an unassisted goal in OSU’s 4-1 loss%^$to UM Feb. 4.%^$
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HEAD COACH JACKIE BARTO%^$
Jackie Barto enters her second season at the helm of the Ohio State women’s%^$ice hockey program. She was named the first head coach in the program’s%^$history Dec. 14, 1998. Barto led the squad to an 8-26-3 overall record and a%^$6-15-3 WCHA conference finish in its inaugural season last year. In%^$addition, she coached the Buckeyes in their first-ever postseason%^$tournament, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Championship. There,%^$the No. 5-seeded Buckeyes upset higher seeds No. 4 St. Cloud and No. 3%^$Wisconsin to claim third place.%^$
Barto came to Ohio State from Providence College, where she was the head%^$coach of theFriars for five years. Under Barto’s guidance, the PC women’s%^$hockey program flourished, compiling a record of 70-53-10 in her four years%^$at the helm.%^$
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FINDLAY RECAP%^$
Ohio State opened the 2000-01 season Sunday afternoon at home with a 4-1%^$victory over Findlay.%^$
Freshman defender Emma Laaksonen put the Buckeyes on the board in the first%^$period, registering her first collegiate goal. Center Corinne Rosen extended%^$OSU’s lead to 2-0 with an unassisted goal less than three minutes later.%^$Rosen struck again in the second period with the Buckeyes’ second power-play%^$goal of the afternoon and Rosen’s second of the season. Katie Frohreich%^$closed out the Buckeyes’ scoring drive with a 5-on-3 power-play goal in the%^$third.%^$
Buckeye goalie April Stojak stopped 16 Oiler shots and OSU outshot UF 39-17.%^$
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SPECIAL TEAMS%^$
Three out of four OSU goals Sunday were power-play goals as the Buckeyes%^$went 3-for-5 (60.0%) with the advantage.%^$
The Buckeye penalty-kill unit held Findlay scoreless on two opportunities%^$for a perfect 100 percent.%^$
OSU leads the league in power-play (3/5) and penalty-kill (2/2) percentage%^$and combined special teams (5/7).%^$
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EVERYTHING’S COMING UP “ROSEN”%^$
Senior center Corinne Rosen had a two-goal game Sunday against Findlay. Her%^$first, at 10:57 in the first period, was unassisted. She scored the%^$gamewinner for OSU, also a power-play goal, at 6:47 in the second period.%^$She currently is among the top players in the WCHA.%^$
Rosen, one of four OSU captains this season, led the team in scoring last%^$year with 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points.%^$
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FRESHMEN ON ICE%^$
Five out of six Buckeye freshmen saw action against Findlay Sunday, and%^$three recorded points. Emma Laaksonen scored her first collegiate goal,%^$Kelli Halcisak picked up two assists, and Erin O’Grady added an assist.%^$Halcisak currently is tied for fifth in the league with two assists and is%^$second in power-play points with two. Rosen and Halcisak lead the team in%^$total points with two each.%^$
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SOLID STOJAK%^$
Sophomore April Stojak has held her own between the pipes for the Buckeyes%^$through the first two games.%^$
In OSU’s exhibition game against Toronto, Stojak saved all 22 Blues shots%^$and did not allow a goal.%^$
Stojak recorded her first win of the season against Findlay, stopping 16%^$Oiler shots and only allowing one goal in 60:00 of play.%^$
Stojak currently is second in the WCHA with a 1.00 goals against average and%^$a .941 save percentage.%^$
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FIRST “GOAL” REACHED%^$
Just as they did against Toronto Oct. 7, the Buckeyes scored first and early%^$against Findlay. Coach Barto said scoring first will be the goal “every day”%^$this season.%^$
“[Scoring the first goal] gets you going, it gives you confidence,” Barto%^$said. “It automatically puts the pressure on the other team. It was huge for%^$us.”%^$
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CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED%^$
Corinne Rosen, Lindsey Ogren, Melissa Glaser and Emily Hudak have been named%^$captains for the 2000-01 season.%^$
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ON THE WEB%^$
For up-to-the-minute women’s hockey scores, rankings and team information%^$within the WCHA and around the nation, check out collegehockeystats.com.%^$Information on the women’s hockey team and all 34 other varsity sports also%^$is available on the official website of Ohio State Athletics,%^$ohiostatebuckeyes.com.%^$
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UP NEXT%^$
Ohio State returns to the OSU Ice Arena for a two-game series next weekend.%^$The Buckeyes will face off against the New Hampshire Wildcats at 7:05 p.m.%^$Friday, Oct. 27 and 7:05 p.m. Saturday the 28th. Tickets will be available%^$at the gate or by calling 1-800-GO-BUCKS.
