No. 8 Women’s Ice Hockey Takes 2001 WCHA Championship By Storm – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
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March 14, 2001
Final Overall Record: 18-16-3
Conference Record: 11-10-3
WCHA Tourn. Record: 2-1-0/2nd
COLUMBUS, Ohio-The women’s ice hockey team capped off the 2000-01 season with a thrilling run for the 2001 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Championship title. Saturday night, in front of over 750 spectators, the Buckeyes fell to No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth, 3-0, in the championship game, held at the Rochester Recreation Center in Rochester, Minn. Buckeye goalie April Stojak stopped 20-of-23 Bulldog shots, giving her a total of 62 saves in the tournament. Prior to the championship game, Stojak had not let in a goal in 180 minutes of play and her two-consecutive shut-out victories helped to earn her all-tournament team honors. Senior Corinne Rosen was one of three forwards selected to the WCHA All-Tournament Team for her four-goal performance through the first two games. Ohio State ended the 2000-01 season with an overall record of 18-16-3 and 11-10-3 in the WCHA.
2001 WCHA Tournament Results
Quarterfinals, March 8
(2) UMD def.. (7) MSU, Mankato, 10-1
(3) Wisconsin def. (6) Bemidji State, 5-3
(5) Ohio State def. (4) St. Cloud State, 5-0
Semifinals, March 9
(2) UMD def. (3) Wisconsin, 6-5 (OT)
(5) Ohio State def. (1) Minnesota, 4-0
Third Place Game, March 10
(3) Wisconsin def. (1) Minnesota, 4-3
Championship Game, March 10
(2) UMD def. (5) Ohio State, 3-0
WCHA All-Tournament Team
The WCHA announced the members of the 2001 all-tournament team immediately following the championship game Saturday. April Stojak and Corinne Rosen were honored for their outstanding play in the championships.
Forward-Corinne Rosen, Sr., Ohio State
Forward-Meghan Hunter, Fr., Wisconsin
Forward-Erika Holst, So., Minn.-Duluth
Defense-Sis Paulsen, So., Wisconsin
Defense-Navada Russell, So., Minn.-Duluth
Goalie-April Stojak, So., Ohio State
WCHA Awards
The WCHA announced the 2001 award winners at its second-annual tournament banquet. Four Buckeyes were named to the WCHA All-Academic Team with sophomore standing and at least a 3.0 grade point average: Carrie Gill, Lindsey Ogren, Lindsey Steblen and April Stojak.
The postseason awards were voted on by conference head coaches, institutional representatives and sports information directors:
Player of the Year
Courtney Kennedy, Minnesota
Student-Athlete of the Year
Bre Dedrickson, Bemidji State
Defensive Player of the Year
Courtney Kennedy, Minnesota
Rookie of the Year
Meghan Hunter, Wisconsin
Coach of the Year
Laura Halldorson, Minnesota
Kerry Wethington, St. Cloud State
Head Coach Jackie Barto
Jackie Barto is in 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-seed 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 the Friars. Under Barto’s guidance, the PC women’s hockey program flourished, compiling a record of 70-53-10 in her five years at the helm.
NCAA Selection Show To Be Broadcast Live
For the first time in NCAA championship history, the NCAA will be making a number of selection shows available on the Internet through Yahoo! Broadcast. The first National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Championship selection show will air from the NCAA national office and will begin at approximately 8 p.m. Eastern time (7 p.m. Central time, 6 p.m. Mountain time, 5 p.m. Pacific time) Sunday, March 18. The anticipated length of this program is 15 minutes.
You can access the Internet selection show by going to www.ncaachampionships.com. Click on the link to take you to the women’s ice hockey internet selection show.
WCHA Tournament Recap
Championship vs. UMD
In front of over 750 spectators, Ohio State fell to No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth, 3-0, in the WCHA Championship final March 10.
The Buckeyes outshot the Bulldogs, 12-6, in the first stanza but were unable to convert. UMD center Erika Holst tallied first, on the power play at 3:46 from Sanna Peura and Hanne Sikio. The goal was the first Stojak had given up in over 230 minutes of play and the first power-play goal the Buckeyes have allowed since Feb. 17. Neither team was able to score in the penalty-laden second period. Ohio State, whistled for four penalties, was able to kill off a 5-on-3 disadvantage nine minutes in. The Bulldogs outshot the Buckeyes, 10-4. At 7:48 in the third, Maria Rooth gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. Rooth struck again with her second goal of the contest at 12:19 from Navada Russell to seal the UMD victory and the championship.The Buckeyes outshot the Bulldogs, 26-23. Stojak had 20 saves and UMD’s Tuula Puputti had 26 and the shutout. Ohio State was 0-for-5 on the power play and went 5-for-6 on the penalty-kill.
“I’m very pleased with our effort as a team this weekend at the championship,” Barto said. “I thought we played exceptionally hard, I’m pleased with the way we generated offensive opportunities. We worked hard and never gave up. That’s the character our team has developed over the course of the past two years.”
Semifinal vs. Minnesota
Ohio State blanked No. 1 seed Minnesota Friday night in the semifinal round. April Stojak was flawless between the pipes, making 28 saves-including 17 in the third period-and recording her second-consecutive shutout. Corinne Rosen tallied her third and fourth goals of the tournament and Shana Frost and Emily Hudak had two assists apiece.
Katie Frohreich scored Ohio State’s first goal, which would be the gamewinner, at 15:58 in the first stanza. Melissa Pirie won a battle in the corner in the Gopher zone and fed the puck to Frohreich along the boards. Frohreich’s shot somehow found its way through a UM screen, deflecting off a Gopher defenseman and slipping past goalie Erica Killewald. The Gophers held the Buckeyes to just three shots in the first but were unable to convert. At 4:57 in the second period, Jeanne Chapple made it 2-0, Buckeyes. Hudak took a shot from just inside the blue line which deflected off Frost’s stick and headed towards Killewald. While the UM goalie was busy fending off Hudak’s shot in the opposite corner, Chapple found the loose puck and the back of the open net. Minnesota came back strong in the third period and attempted to put together an offensive attack, outshooting Ohio State, 17-4. But the Buckeyes were even stronger on the forecheck and Stojak made some incredible saves. At 12:22, Rosen skated the puck out of the Buckeye zone on a breakaway. She took a shot and scored on her own rebound for an unassisted goal. With 1:35 remaining in the game and Killewald pulled from the game, Rosen again found the puck, this time from Frost and Hudak. Rosen’s empty-net goal was the Buckeyes’ first of the season. Ohio State was 0-for-2 on the power play and went 4-for-4 on the penalty-kill. Stojak’s shut-out win was her second in as many games and the Buckeyes’ sixth shutout in eight games.
Quarterfinal vs. St. Cloud State
Solid forechecking and a stingy defense helped Ohio State defeat the No. 4 seed St. Cloud State Huskies, 5-0, Thursday night in the quarterfinal round. Corinne Rosen and Emma Laaksonen netted two power-play goals apiece for Ohio State and goalie April Stojak stopped all 14 Husky shots. Emily Hudak tallied three assists. The postseason win marked the third time the Buckeyes have shut out St. Cloud State this year and their fifth shutout in seven games.
Erin O’Grady got things rolling for Ohio State at 10:05 in the first stanza. O’Grady accepted a crossing pass from Lindsey Steblen and nailed a shot to the top shelf, beating Husky goalie Laura Gieselman. Less than four minutes later, at 13:45, Laaksonen scored her first of the game on the power play. O’Grady fed Emily Hudak, who set up Laaksonen. The Buckeyes, who held the Huskies to three shots on net, skated into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead. Just 22 seconds into the second period, Ohio State capitalized on another power-play opportunity. Kelli Halcisak set up Hudak, who fired off a shot at the far edge of the faceoff circle. Rosen’s tip found the back of the net and put the Buckeyes up, 3-0. At 12:46, Laaksonen blocked St. Cloud’s attempt to clear the puck out of their zone and skated it in for her second goal of the night and 19th of the season. Rosen put the finishing touches on Ohio State’s win with her second of the night, again on the power play, at 18:21. She tipped in Halcisak’s shot from Hudak. The Buckeyes held the Huskies to just three shots in the second stanza. Neither team was able to convert in the third period as Stojak denied all eight Husky shots. She recorded her seventh shutout of the season, stopping all 14 St. Cloud shots. Geiselman had 24 saves. The Buckeyes outshot the Huskies, 29-14. Ohio State went 4-for-6 on the power play and held the Huskies scoreless through four chances.
Tournament Leaders
Corinne Rosen and Emily Hudak led the Buckeye scoring drive in the postseason. Rosen had two-consecutive two-goal games and Hudak had five assists through two contests. Goalie April Stojak had 62 saves and Ohio State outshot its opponents, 73-65.
GP G A P Shots +/- Emily Hudak 3 0 5 5 9 +3 Corinne Rosen 3 4 0 4 16 +1 Emma Laaksonen 3 2 0 2 12 -1 Shana Frost 3 0 2 2 7 +1 Kelli Halcisak 3 0 2 2 9 E Erin O’Grady 3 1 1 2 2 +1
Special Teams Sizzle
The Buckeyes were unable to convert on two power-play chances in the semifinal against Minnesota but went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. In the championship, Ohio State allowed its first power-play goal since Feb. 17, going 5-for-6 on the penalty-kill.
The Buckeyes ended the season 49-for-198 on the power play, or 24.7%, and amassed a league-leading 84.1 overall penalty-kill percentage (153-for-182).
PP in last 5 contests: 3/2 vs. Wayne State 5-7 3/3 vs. Wayne State 2-6 3/8 vs. St. Cloud 4-6 3/9 vs. Minnesota 0-2 3/10 vs. UMD 0-5
PK in past 5 contests: 3/2 vs. Wayne State 4-4 3/3 vs. Wayne State 5-5 3/8 vs. St. Cloud 4-4 3/9 vs. Minnesota 4-4 3/10 vs. UMD 5-6
On A Power-[Play] Trip
Emma Laaksonen scored her 16th and 17th power-play tallies of the season in the semifinal vs. St. Cloud State. This season, the rookie defenseman led the league and the nation in power-play goals (17) and scored five in Ohio State’s last five contests. Laaksonen, named the WCHA Rookie of the Week March 5, finished second on the team in scoring with 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points.
In The National Spotlight
In the Top 10 poll released Tuesday by U.S. College Hockey Online, Ohio State is ranked No. 8 in the nation. The ranking, the Buckeyes’ highest in program history, comes following Ohio State’s back-to-back shutout wins in its run for the WCHA Championship title.
Three other Western Collegiate Hockey Association teams are among the Top 10-No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth, No. 6 Minnesota and No. 7 Wisconsin.
The poll consists of ten voters, all coaches from Division I teams.
Ohio State also is eighth in the latest USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll.
USCHO.COM DIV. I WOMEN’S (As of March 12) Last Team Record Pts. Week 1. Dartmouth 24-3-1 99 1 2. Minn.-Duluth 26-5-4 91 2 3. Harvard 22-8-0 80 4 4. St. Lawrence 23-6-3 69 5 5. Brown 19-6-3 58 6 6. Minnesota 23-9-2 51 3 7. Wisconsin 21-9-5 35 7 8. OHIO STATE 18-16-3 24 NR 9. Northeastern 16-15-1 21 8 10.New Hampshire 17-17-0 18 9 Others receiving votes: Providence (4)
The Night The Records Fell
Ohio State’s 8-0 win over Wayne State March 2 left few program records still standing. The Buckeyes, only in their second season, set several new single-game school records.
New Team Record Previous Record Goals, Game (8) 7 (2/18/00 vs. Mankato) Assists, Game (16) 9 (10/23/99 vs. St. Cloud) Points, Game (24) 15 (2/18/00 vs. Mankato) PPG, Game (5) 4 (1/12/01 vs. Bemidji) PPG, Period (3) 2 (four times) Largest Victory (8) 7 (2/18/00 vs. Mankato)
New Individual Record Previous Record Goals (3) Emma Laaksonen 2 (several players) Assists (5) Kelli Halcisak 3 (several players) Assists, Period (3) Emily Hudak 2 (Shana Frost) Points (5) Laaksonen, Halcisak 4 (several players) PPG (3) Emma Laaksonen 2 (several players)
Laaksonen Honored By WCHA
Following her three-goal, three-assist performance against Wayne State, the WCHA named Ohio State defenseman Emma Laaksonen rookie of the week for the week ending March 4. Laaksonen recorded the first hat trick of her career and first in OSU women’s hockey history Friday. It is the first time Laaksonen has earned rookie of the week honors and the fifth time (second-consecutive) the Buckeyes have claimed a league honor this season:
Oct. 23-Player of the Week-Shana Frost
Oct. 23-Rookie of the Week-Kelli Halcisak
Jan. 29-Rookie of the Week-Kelli Halcisak
Feb. 26-Player of the Week-April Stojak
March 5-Rookie of the Week-Emma Laaksonen
The Senior
Corinne Rosen is the lone senior on the Ohio State roster and has the distinct honor of being the first graduating senior in program history. Rosen joined the team last year in its inaugural season and served as the team’s first captain. The lone Buckeye with prior collegiate hockey experience, Rosen began her career at Providence College.
On Dec. 1, 2000, Rosen became the first Ohio State player to join the Century Club for points. She scored the 100th point of her career with an assist in a 7-1 loss to UMD. Through 34 games this season, she is fourth on the team in scoring with 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points.
The Record-Breaker
Emma Laaksonen scored the first hat trick in Ohio State women’s hockey history against Wayne State and added two assists. All three of the freshman defender’s goals came on the power play, giving her 15 power-play goals on the season. She then added two more in the postseason for a year-ending total of 17 ppg.
Laaksonen finished second in the league in power-play points (29).
The Leader
As a freshman, Kelli Halcisak led all Buckeyes in scoring, with 40 points from 13 goals and 27 assists. The rookie defenseman’s five-assist performance March 2 was a single-game record and helped her move to the top of the all-time Buckeye point-scorers list. She and Emily Hudak led the team in assists (27) and she finished +15.
The Net-Minder
April Stojak earned the starting goaltender spot at the beginning of the season with Melissa Glaser out with an anterior cruciate ligament tear. She started every game this season between the pipes for the Buckeyes. Following her back-to-back shutout performance against St. Cloud State, the WCHA named Ohio State goalie April Stojak player of the week for the week ending Feb. 25. It was the first time Stojak had earned player of the week honors. That same week, U.S. College Hockey Online selected Stojak as its defensive player of the week. At the WCHA Championship, Stojak again recorded two-consecutive shut-out victories and earned a spot on the all-tournament squad.
Stojak holds the Ohio State single-season and career records for shutouts with seven. She finished 18-16-3 on the season and sported a 2.55 gaa and an .884 save percentage.
On The Plus Side
Eight Buckeyes finished out the season on the positive side in the +/- category, as compared to none last season. Kelli Halcisak was +15, Heather Farrell was +7, Lindsey Steblen was +6, Jeanne Chapple was +5, Shana Frost was +4 and Corinne Rosen, Emma Laaksonen and Lindsey Ogren were +3.
The Troopers
Five Buckeyes played in every game this season. Corinne Rosen, Emily Hudak, Lindsey Ogren, Christine Patno and April Stojak logged minutes in all 37 contests.
Buckeyes Score In League Stats
In overall WCHA statistics (as of March 12), Kelli Halcisak was 14th in points scored, Shana Frost finished 11th in goals scored (20), Halcisak and Emily Hudak were 11th in assists scored (27) and Emma Laaksonen was No. 2 in power-play points (29) and No. 1 in power-play goals (17). Frost was tied for fourth in power-play goals (11), second in game-winning goals with five and Halcisak was fourth in defenseman and freshman scoring with 40 points.
April Stojak finished third among league goaltenders with a 2.55 goals against average.
Buckeyes On A Roll
Erin O’Grady scored 19 points in her last 19 games, including five two-point games. In the 17 games prior, she had scored just one point, an assist, in the first game of the season (against Findlay).
Sophomore defenseman Emily Hudak had 26 assists in 22 games for the Buckeyes. She too had only one assist in the previous 15 contests, also in the Findlay game. Hudak had four assists in the Wayne State series and skated away with five at the WCHA Championship.
New Year, New Team
Ohio State was 12-5-1 in its last 18 contests (since Jan. 1). The Buckeyes finished 7-1-0 at home after the December hiatus, with their only loss coming against Minnesota.
The Buckeyes ended the season on a six-game winning streak before falling to UMD in the WCHA Championship.
The First “Goal”
Scoring first was a goal for the Buckeyes all season. Ohio State scored the first goal 17 times this season and its opponent scored first in 20 games. The Buckeyes were 14-2-1 when they scored first and 4-14-2 when scored on first.
The Early Lead Gets The Win
Ohio State was 14-1-0 when leading after the first period and 1-11-2 when trailing. When ahead after the second, the Buckeyes were 17-1-1, and they were 1-13-0 when behind.
Follow the Buckeyes Online
Information on the Ohio State women’s hockey team is available online at ohiostatebuckeyes.com. For up-to-the minute women’s hockey scores, statistics and standings around the league and the nation, check out www.collegehockeystats.com.
Upcoming
The first National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Championship selection show will take place at 8 p.m. EST Sunday, March 18. The Inaugural NCAA Women’s Frozen Four will be held March 23 and 25 at Mariucci Arena on the campus of the Univ. of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn.
Final WCHA Regular-Season Standings (As of March 5, 2001) Standings Conference Overall Team W L T PTS. W L T GF GA 1. Minnesota* 18 4 2 38 23 7 2 132 67 2. Minnesota-Duluth 15 5 4 34 23 5 4 171 71 3. Wisconsin 13 6 5 31 19 8 5 131 83 4. St. Cloud State 12 10 2 26 17 15 2 131 128 5. Ohio State 11 10 3 25 16 15 3 110 93 6. Bemidji State 6 17 1 13 9 23 1 91 178 7. MSU, Mankato 0 23 1 1 2 30 2 31 137 *Regular season champion
