2001-02 Buckeye Women’s Hockey Season Recap – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
March 20, 2002
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
COLUMBUS, Ohio-The Ohio State women’s hockey team ended the 2001-02 campaign with a fourth-place finish at the 2002 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Women’s Final Five, March 7-9, at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn. After falling to No. 3 seeded Minnesota-Duluth, 6-2, March 9 in the third place game, No. 4-seed Ohio State ended the season 18-15-4 overall and 9-12-3 in the WCHA.
Eighteen wins ties the program record, set last year, and the Buckeyes’ 15 losses are the fewest in Ohio State’s three-year history.
2002 WCHA Final Five Results
March 7
(4) Ohio State def. (5) Bemidji State, 5-3
March 8
Semifinals
(2) Wisconsin def. (3) Minnesota-Duluth, 4-1
(1) Minnesota def. (4) Ohio State, 4-1
March 9
Third Place Game
(3) Minnesota-Duluth def. (4) Ohio State, 6-2
Championship Game
(1) Minnesota def. (2) Wisconsin, 3-2
Creary Named WCHA Rookie of the Year
Ohio State wing Jeni Creary is the 2001-02 WCHA Rookie of the Year, the league announced March 7 at the annual WCHA Women’s awards banquet, held in conjunction with the 2002 WCHA Women’s Final Five. Creary also was a 2001-02 All-WCHA First Team selection and sophomore offensive defenseman Emma Laaksonen was an All-WCHA Second Team honoree. Creary and Laaksonen are the first Buckeyes honored with a year-end award by the league. More WCHA Awards
Among the student-athletes honored at the WCHA awards banquet were six Buckeyes who were selected to the 2001-02 WCHA All-Academic Team with sophomore standing and at least a 3.0 grade-point average: Melissa Glaser, Carrie Gill, Emma Laaksonen, Lindsey Ogren, Lindsey Steblen and April Stojak. Gill, Ogren, Steblen and Stojak were chosen for the second-consecutive year.
League head coaches, sports information directors and institutional representatives voted on the awards:
Player of the Year
Ronda Curtin, Minnesota
Student-Athlete of the Year
Guylaine Hache, Bemidji State
Defensive Player of the Year
Ronda Curtin, Minnesota
Rookie of the Year
Jeni Creary, Ohio State
Coach of the Year
Laura Halldorson, Minnesota
WCHA Final Five All-Tournament Team
The league announced the members of the 2001 WCHA All-Tournament Team immediately following the championship game between Wisconsin and Minnesota Saturday.
Forward-La Toya Clarke, So., Minnesota
Forward-Hanne Sikio, Jr., Minnesota-Duluth
Forward-Kelly Stephens, Fr., Minnesota
Defense-Carla McLeod, Fr., Wisconsin
Defense-Kerry Weiland, Jr., Wisconsin
Goalie-Brenda Reinen, Fr., Minnesota
Head Coach Jackie Barto
Jackie Barto reached a career milestone in 2001-02, recording her 100th victory versus Connecticut Nov. 16. Ohio State’s 4-3 win over Providence Nov. 18 marked Barto’s first meeting with her former squad and alma mater. She spent five years at the helm of PC women’s hockey, compiling a 70-53-10 mark.
Finishing 18-15-4 (.541) in her third year as mentor, Barto has compiled a 44-57-10 (.441) record and is 26-37-9 (.424) in league play at Ohio State. Her career record of 114-110-20 (.530) includes five years at Providence, where her squads made four ECAC tournament appearances, winning the championship in 1995.
The Polls
Ohio State dropped out of the Top 10 in both the final U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO.com) Women’s poll, released March 18 and the March 19th USA Today/American Hockey Magazine poll. Three WCHA schools-No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth and No. 7 Wisconsin-are in the Top 10.
Final USCHO.com Women’s POLL (March 18) Team Record Last 1. Minnesota 28-3-5 1 2. Minnesota-Duluth 22-6-4 3 Niagara 26-7-1 2 4. Brown 24-7-2 6 5. Dartmouth 24-6-2 4 6. Northeastern 27-7-1 5 7. Wisconsin 22-11-2 7 8. St. Lawrence 22-10-4 7 9. Harvard 18-11-2 9 10. Providence 20-13-4 nr Receiving Votes: Mercyhurst (9), New Hampshire (3)
Recapping WCHA Final Five
Ohio State finished fourth at the 2002 WCHA Women’s Final Five. After defeating No. 5-seed Bemidji State, 5-3, March 7, the No. 4 seeded Buckeyes fell to No. 1 Minnesota, 4-1, March 8 in the semifinal and No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth, 6-2, March 9 in the third place game. Melissa Glaser played the first two games between the pipes, recording 52 saves and allowing seven goals (.881 save percentage). April Stojak tallied 21 saves vs. UMD and allowed six goals (.778 save pct.)
Tournament Leaders
Jeanne Chapple led the Buckeyes in scoring in the postseason, with three goals and an assist for four points, followed by Jennifer Desson (three goals) and Katie Frohreich (one goal, two assists) with three points apiece. Top scorer Jeni Creary was held without a point in the tournament.
GP G A P Shots +/- Jeanne Chapple 3 3 1 4 10 E Jennifer Desson 3 3 0 3 7 +1 Katie Frohreich 3 1 2 3 5 -1 Emma Laaksonen 3 0 2 2 10 -1 Erin O’Grady 3 0 2 2 7 -1 Lindsey Steblen 3 0 2 2 6 -2
The 18th Win
With their 18th win March 7, the Buckeyes tied the program record for wins set last year. Ohio State finished 18-16-3 in 2000-01 and was 8-26-3 in its inaugural (1999-2000) season.
Buckeye Leaders
Jeni Creary led the team for the duration of the 2001-02 season in nearly every offensive category: goals (26), points (44), shots (164), power-play goals (12), power-play points (12-8-20) and +/- rating (+10, tied with Jennifer Desson). Emily Hudak was second in scoring (6-22-28), led the defense and recorded a team-leading 22 assists. Desson finished with a team best six game-winning goals after nabbing the gamewinner against Bemidji State in the tournament. Hudak and Katie Frohreich were whistled for the most penalties (31 penalties for 62 PIM).
Twenty Somethings
Jeni Creary, Emily Hudak, Heather Farrell, Jennifer Desson, Shana Frost and Jeanne Chapple were Ohio State’s 20-plus point scorers in 2001-02. Creary had 44 (26 goals, 18 assists), Hudak 28 (6G, 22A), Desson 24 (13G, 11A), Farrell 23 (12G, 11A), Frost 21 (7G, 14A) and Chapple (10 G, 10A). An equal number of Buckeyes, six, scored 20 or more points last season.
Ohio State vs. The Nation
In national statistics as of March 18, (compiled by collegehockeystats.com) the Buckeye power-play unit was fifth (behind Harvard, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth) with a conversion percentage of 24.1 (35-of-145). The Buckeyes’ combined special teams was sixth (171-of-304, 56.2 percent). Jeni Creary slipped to 24th in points per game (1.19) and 12th in goals per game (0.70) after she was held to one goal in the Buckeyes’ last four games. Creary was second in power-play goals (12) and fifth in rookie points per game (26-18-44). Emily Hudak was 11th in the nation among defensemen with 0.76 points per game (6-22-28).
WCHA Team Statistics
Ohio State finished one point ahead of Bemidji State and in fourth place in the WCHA standings (21 points). In overall team statistics as of March 11, the Buckeyes were fifth in scoring offense (90 goals), fourth in scoring defense (91 goals against), fourth in penalty minutes (384 PIM), second in overall penalty kill and fourth in overall power play.
Buckeye PK Takes The Silver
The Ohio State penalty-kill unit held its opponents scoreless through 10-of-15 power-play opportunities at the WCHA Final Five. The Buckeye penalty kill is second in the league with an 86.1 conversion percentage (136-of-158). Ohio State scored twice on the power play in the postseason and its power play is third in the league, at 23.7 percent (33-of-139).
PK in last 5 contests 3/1 vs. Findlay 2-2 3/2 vs. Findlay 5-5 3/7 vs. Bemidji State 5-7 3/8 vs. Minnesota 3-4 3/9 vs. Minn.-Duluth 2-4 Total: 17/22 (77.8 %)
PP in last 5 contests 3/1 vs. Findlay 1-3 3/2 vs. Findlay 1-6 3/7 vs. Bemidji State 1-1 3/8 vs. Minnesota 0-2 3/9 vs. Minn.-Duluth 1-3 Total: 4/15 (26.7%)
Buckeyes In The WCHA
Jeni Creary finished third overall in total points (44), first in goal scoring (26), tied for second in power-play points (12-8-20), first in power-play goals (12) and first in freshman scoring (26-18-44). Emily Hudak (6-22-28) was second and Emma Laaksonen (6-13-19) was eighth in defenseman scoring, Hudak finished tied for fifth in assist scoring and Jennifer Desson was tied for third in game-winning goals (6) and fifth in freshman scoring (13-11-24).
Why Do You Have To Be A Record Breaker?
With her first assist Feb. 15 against Minnesota State, Jeni Creary took possession of another Ohio State single-season record. She surpassed the 40-point mark set last season by Kelli Halcisak. Creary holds three single-season program records: points (44), points by a forward (44) and goals (26).
Between the Pipes
Melissa Glaser recorded her 15th win March 7 against Bemidji State and started the majority (26) of Ohio State’s games in net. The sophomore finished with a 15-8-3 record, a 2.30 goals-against average, a .903 save pct and five shutouts. April Stojak started in the final game of the season, March 9 vs. Minnesota-Duluth. The junior netminder saw action in 15 games, starting 11, was 3-7-1 overall and carried a 2.69 gaa and an .887 save pct.
Leading The D
Emily Hudak led the Ohio State defense and was second on the team with 28 points from six goals and 22 assists. She finished five assists away from breaking her own single-season record. Hudak was second in the WCHA in scoring among defensemen.
Multiple-Point Bucks
Jeni Creary led the team with 12 multiple-point games in 2001-02, followed by Emily Hudak (six), Jennifer Desson (five) and Heather Farrell (five).
Overtime Again?!
Ohio State’s overtime contest with Wisconsin Feb. 22 marked the 10th time the Buckeyes went to an extra session during the season and their fourth overtime loss. In the WCHA, only Minnesota saw more games go to an extra session (11), followed by Ohio State (10), Bemidji State (9), Wisconsin (7), UMD (6), and MSU, Mankato and St. Cloud State (4). The Buckeyes played less than half that many overtime games (four) in all of the 2000-01 campaign. Ohio State’s last three overtime games ended in losses, giving them a 2-4-4 record in overtime contests.
Too Close For Comfort
Of the Buckeyes’ 37 games, 15 were decided by one goal. Ohio State was 7-8 in one-goal games.
Minutes Matter
Wisconsin’s Meghan Hunter scored the game-winning goal Feb. 22 with 1:24 remaining in overtime. Seven of Ohio State’s games this season were decided in the final two minutes of play. The Buckeyes were 2-4-1 in those games. Three were decided with over a minute remaining. In addition to Ohio State’s loss to Wisconsin with 1:24 left in overtime, Jeni Creary scored the overtime gamewinner with 1:55 remaining Nov. 3 against St. Cloud and UMD’s Navada Russell tallied the game-tying goal Nov. 24 with 1:44 to go in the third period.
Seconds Count
Four Buckeye games this season were decided in the last minute of play. The Buckeyes fell, 4-3, in overtime to UNH Oct. 20 when Steph Jones scored with 55 seconds remaining, on Nov. 3, the Gophers defeated the Buckeyes, 3-2, with 21 seconds to go, Heather Farrell scored the overtime gamewinner vs. Princeton Dec. 15 with 38 seconds left and Ronda Curtin converted with 51 seconds remaining in overtime to give Minnesota a 2-1 win Feb. 9.
Buckeyes In The Box
The Buckeyes were whistled for 10 penalties Feb. 23, tying the most in a game this season. Ohio State also recorded 20 penalty minutes Nov. 18 at Providence. Emily Hudak and Katie Frohreich both recorded 62 PIM, with 31 penalties apiece.
Sellout (Almost)
Ohio State’s record-breaking attendance Feb. 16 vs. Minnesota State was the sixth highest in the nation during the regular season. A program record 1,127 saw the Buckeyes blank the Mavericks on the day honoring the 40th anniversary of the OSU Ice Rink. Minnesota played host to the top five crowds:
1. 2,255 (Jan. 19, 2002 UMD vs. Minnesota)
2. 1,751 (Jan. 18, 2002 UMD vs. Minnesota)
3. 1,529 (Feb. 17, 2002 UW vs. Minnesota)
4. 1,346 (Feb. 16, 2002 UW vs. Minnesota)
5. 1,327 (March 1, 2002 SCSU vs. Minnesota)
6. 1,127 (Feb. 16, 2002 MSU vs. Ohio State)
Buckeyes On … The … Power Play!
Jeni Creary led Ohio State and was second in the league in power-play points with 20 (12G, 8A). Emily Hudak followed with 16 points on the power play.
Give It Your Best Shot
Shots on net were even in Ohio State’s final three games of the season. In 2001-02, Ohio State outshot its opponents, 972-896. The Buckeyes were 14-2-1 when outshooting their opponent, 3-10-3 when outshot and 1-3 when shots were even.
On The Positive Side
Jeni Creary (+10), Jennifer Desson (+10) and Lindsey Steblen (+2) were the lone Buckeyes with positive +/- ratings.
The Troopers
Jeanne Chapple, Jeni Creary, Heather Farrell, Katie Frohreich, Shana Frost, Emily Hudak, Meaghan Mulvaney, Erin O’Grady, Lindsey Ogren and Lindsey Steblen saw action in all 37 Buckeye games this season.
The Rookies
Two of Ohio State’s Top 5 scorers in 2001-02 were freshmen. Jeni Creary (26-18-44) and Jennifer Desson (13-11-24) combined to score 68 points and 39 of the Buckeyes’ 90 total goals. Creary, Desson and Meaghan Mulvaney (1-3-4) were the only rookies to record points.
Ohio State vs. The Top 10
The Buckeyes faced seven ranked opponents this season and had a combined 2-11-3 mark against the Top 10.
Players of the Week
The WCHA announced Ohio State wing Jeni Creary as its rookie of the week for the week ending Feb. 17. Creary led the Buckeyes with four points from two goals and two assists against Minnesota State. Four Buckeyes earned a total of seven weekly honors this season: Jeni Creary, Shana Frost, Emma Laaksonen and Jeanne Chapple. Chapple earned the program’s first national honor when she was named the USCHO.com Player of the Week Nov. 20.
WCHA Players of the Week:
Jan. 21, 2002 Shana Frost
Dec. 11, 2001 Emma Laaksonen
Nov. 20, 2001 Emma Laaksonen
Oct. 23, 2001 Jeni Creary
WCHA Rookie of the Week:
Feb. 18, 2002 Jeni Creary
Nov. 20, 2001 Jeni Creary
USCHO.com Player of the Week
Nov. 20, 2001 Jeanne Chapple
Creary, Laaksonen Up For National Award
Emma Laaksonen and Jeni Creary were among the Top 10 candidates for the 2002 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the nation’s premier women’s intercollegiate hockey award. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award annually recognizes the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in women’s collegiate hockey. Three finalists-Ronda Curtin, Carly Haggard and Brooke Whitney-were chosen from the 10 candidates. The winner of the award will be announced at a dinner March 23.
Buckeyes Represented At The Olympics
Emma Laaksonen returned to the Buckeye lineup for the last five games after she and the rest of her Finnish teammates finished just shy of the bronze medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, falling to Sweden, 2-1 Feb. 21 in the bronze medal game. The youngest medalist (at 16 years old) of the Finnish National Team when it won the bronze medal in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Laaksonen was the only Ohio State student-athlete to participate in the 2002 Games. The co-captain of Team Finland, Laaksonen finished with two points, from a goal and an assist, and Ohio State was 2-4 in her absence.
Buckeye Milestones
In addition to Coach Barto marking her 100th career win, several other Buckeyes celebrated milestones in 2001-02. Carrie Gill, Katie Frohreich, Shana Frost, Emily Hudak, Lindsey Ogren, Christine Patno and Lindsey Steblen played in their 100th games this season.
Frost recorded her 75th point Nov. 23 vs. Minnesota-Duluth. Hudak also scored her 50th point Nov. 23 and Emma Laaksonen picked up her 50th Dec. 7 against Minnesota State. Jayne Bucksa scored the first goal of her collegiate career Feb. 16 vs. Minnesota State.
2001-02 Career Highs
Six Buckeyes set career highs this season: Jayne Bucksa (goals), Jeanne Chapple (goals), Heather Farrell (goals, assists, points), Katie Frohreich (assists), Christine Patno (assists) and Lindsey Steblen (assists).
Ohio State Takes Home Ohio Cup!
With their sweep of the Oilers, the Buckeyes ensured the Ohio Cup will remain in Columbus for a second-consecutive year. Ohio State and Findlay are the only two academic institutions in Ohio to sponsor Division I women’s hockey. Ohio State won the first Ohio Cup game last season, 5-4, at Findlay’s Clauss Arena.
Speedy Recovery
Buckeye Melissa Pirie missed the majority of the 2001-02 season because of injury. The junior wing had surgery Dec. 4 to repair an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
Buckeye Captains
Melissa Glaser, Emily Hudak and Lindsey Ogren were the second-year captains of the Buckeyes in 2001-02.
The Squad
Seventeen returning letterwinners (including goaltender Melissa Glaser, who sat out the 2000-01 season with a medical redshirt) and six newcomers made up the 2001-02 Buckeye squad: 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders.
OHIOSTATEBUCKEYES.COM
Statistics, game recaps, team notes, a roster and schedule for the women’s hockey team and all of Ohio State’s 34 other varsity sports is available at the official Web site of Ohio State Athletics, https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com. For up-to-the-minute results and statistics from around the nation, visit www.collegehockeystats.com.
