Women’s Hockey Faces St. Cloud State – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Jan. 15, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s ice hockey team (6-12-2, 4-6-2 WCHA) faces the St. Cloud State Huskies (6-14-0, 3-11-0 WCHA) at 2:05 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
RETURNING TO WCHA ACTION
The Buckeyes are returning to WCHA action this weekend. Ohio State’s last four games were against ECAC teams.
SIZING UP OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes are 6-12-2 overall and 4-6-2 in the WCHA. The Buckeyes have tallied 51 goals and 81 assists, averaging 2.5 goals per game. OSU has allowed 54 goals this season, averaging 2.7 goals against per game. They have had 119 penalties totaling 260 minutes in the box, averaging 5.9 penalties per game.
IMPRESSIVE SPECIAL TEAMS
OSU has held its opponents scoreless on 87-of-99 power-play chances this season, ranking 10th in the nation with an 87.9 success rate. With a 17.0 power play percentage, the Buckeyes are ranked 12th in the nation (18/106).
DOMINATING SHOTS
The Buckeyes have outshot their opponents in 12 of the last 15 contests and are outshooting their opponents, 548-447, this season. They are averaging 27.4 shots per game compared to their opponent’s 22.4 shots per game.
BUCKEYES VS. SAINTS
The meeting will mark the third time the teams have met this season. The Buckeyes swept St. Cloud State in Columbus, 6-0, Nov. 30 and, 6-4, Dec.1.
This will be the 17th meeting all-time between the Buckeyes and Huskies. OSU leads the Huskies, 10-5-1, in the all-time series.
SCOUTING ST. CLOUD STATE
The Huskies are 6-14-0 overall this season and 3-11-0 in the WCHA.
SCSU split the series with Bemidji State, Wisconsin and Minnesota State, losing its first game and coming back to defeat its opponents in the second game.
St. Cloud State also has defeated North Dakota and Quinnipiac.
Sophomore Carrie Holldorf leads the Huskies with 17 points this season. She has tallied five goals and 12 assists.
Ashley Stewart is leading the freshman class in scoring with six goals and seven assists, second on the team in scoring.
Between the pipes for the Huskies is Laura Gieselman. She has saved 339 shots and allowed 39 goals this season. Her record is 3-8-0.
HUSKIES HEAD COACH
Jason Lesteberg enters his first year as the head coach of the Huskies. He is the second head coach in the history of St. Cloud State’s women’s hockey program.
Lesteberg previously served as the head coach at Bemidji State. He led the Beavers to their most successful campaign in 2001-02. The team finished 12-13-8 which included a school record eight-game winning streak. The Beavers also earned a berth in the WCHA Final Five.
Lesteberg was a NCAA Division I Coach of the Year finalist in 2002 for his successful season.
LAST MEETING AGAINST ST. CLOUD STATE
Ohio State defeated St. Cloud State, 6-4, Dec. 1 in Columbus, Ohio. St. Cloud State’s Carrie Holldorf recorded the first goal of the game. Ohio State followed, scoring four goals in the period. Erin O’Grady scored a short-handed unassisted goal at 9:11, the Buckeyes’ first short-handed goal of the season. OSU’s Shana Frost tipped in the puck from a shot by Jana Harrigan for Ohio State’s second goal at 12:39. Jennifer Desson soon followed with a goal assisted by Emily Hudak and Jeni Creary at 12:52. Meaghan Mulvaney and Desson assisted Emma Laaksonen on a goal at 15:13. At the end of the first period, OSU led the Huskies 4-1 in goals and 13-12 in shots.
Ohio State held strong in the second period. St. Cloud State’s Katie Hauge scored at 18:32 assisted by Calise Johnson and Kelly Stewart. The Buckeyes were unable to record a goal in the period, but outshot the Huskies 14-6.
St. Cloud State tried to make a comeback in the third period recording two goals. Every time the Huskies scored the Buckeyes followed with a goal of their own. Melanie Pudsey scored St. Cloud State’s third goal at 7:27. Within 20 seconds, OSU’s Lindsey Steblen tallied her first goal of the season and the game-winning goal at 7:40. Steblen’s goal was assisted by O’Grady. St. Cloud State’s Pudsey scored her second goal of the game at 17:21 bring the Huskies within one again. Heather Farrell tallied the final goal of the game for OSU, assisted by Crystal Sayther and Hudak.
LAST MEETING AGAINST ST. CLOUD STATE
Ohio State shut out the St. Cloud State Huskies, 6-0, Nov. 30 in Columbus, Ohio. The victory marked OSU’s first shutout this season.
The Buckeyes led the Huskies throughout the first period, as Jennifer Desson scored two goal for OSU. At the end of the period, Ohio State led St. Cloud State 2-0 in goals and 14-4 in shots.
Ohio State kept up the momentum in the second period by adding 17 shots and two goals. Crystal Sayther scored off her own deflected shot and Jana Harrigan scored on a power play.
OSU kept the Huskies off the scoreboard and recorded two more goals in the third period. Ohio State’s Farrell and Meaghan Mulvaney tallied goals.
The Buckeyes had a season-low two penalties in the game. Farrell was assessed a double minor with 12 seconds left in the game. It marks the second time the Buckeyes have recorded two penalties in a game at home in the history of the program.
WCHA STANDINGS
The Buckeyes have moved to fifith in the WCHA with 10 points, only one point away from Bemidji State, the fourth place team in the league. Ohio State is 4-6-2 in league play.
WCHA LEADERS
Ohio State players rank among the top in the WCHA in league games.
Power-Play Points: GP PPG G-A-P T4. Jeni Creary 12 0.67 2-6-8 Goals Against Average: Min. GA GAA 3. Natalie Lamme 330:47 11 2.00 Save Percentage: Saves GA Pct. 3. Natalie Lamme 125 11 .919 Scoring Offense: Goals G/GM 4. Ohio State 28 2.33 Scoring Defense: Goals G/GM 4. Ohio State 32 2.67 Penalty Minutes: PIM PIM/G 2. Ohio State 174 14.5 Power Play: Totals SHA PCT 5. Ohio State 10/67 0 14.9 Penalty Kill: Totals SHF PCT 4. Ohio State 56/64 1 87.5
SHUTOUTS
Ohio State has recorded two shutouts this season. The first was against St. Cloud State, 6-0, Nov. 30 in Columbus. The second was a 4-0 shutout over Princeton on the road Dec. 14.
THE SWEEP
The squad has swept two two-game series this season. The first weekend out it swept Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn. OSU’s second sweep was against St. Cloud State.
SOPHOMORE SENSATION
Sophomore Jeni Creary has played in all 20 contests and continues to lead the Buckeyes with 24 points, on 13 goals and 11 assists. She recorded the Buckeyes’ first hat trick this season against then-No. 4 Dartmouth Jan. 2. Creary is tied for 17th in the nation averaging 0.65 goals per game. She is also tied for fifth in the nation with five power-play goals.
LEADING THE D
Junior defenseman Emma Laaksonen is leading the Buckeye defense with 13 assists and is second on the team with 18 points this season. Laaksonen is tied for seventh averaging 1.00 points per game among defensemen in the nation.
FRESHMAN SENSATION
Jana Harrigan is third on the team with 16 points on seven goals and nine assists, this season. Harrigan is ranked 13th among rookies in the nation averaging 0.80 points per game.
IN THE NET
Ohio State’s goaltenders are senior April Stojak and freshman Natalie Lamme. Stojak has played 694:53 this season, recording 216 saves, and her record is 4-7-1. Lamme has played in eight games, tallying 177 saves. Her record is 2-5-1.
FIRST SIGNEE
Jackie Barto announced the first recruit of the 2003-04 freshmen class. Tessa Bonhomme, a native of Sudbury, Ontario, signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent to attend The Ohio State University and play hockey beginning with the 2003-04 season.
Bonhomme is a 5-foot-7-inch defenseman from Sudbury, Ontario. She is a member of the Sudbury Midget “AA” Wolves under head coach Rod Schutt. She has played for the Lasalle Secondary School team since 1999 under head coach Peter Kallio.
ON THE ROAD
OSU is 3-5-2 on the road this season. The Buckeyes swept Minnesota State, Mankato, split against Princeton and going 0-1-1 at Bemidji State and Wisconsin.
LAST TIME OUT – NO. 5 ST. LAWRENCE
Ohio State fell to No. 5 St. Lawrence, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at Appleton Arena in Canton, N.Y. St. Lawrence started the game off with a goal at 10:36 by Amanda Sargeant. Jeni Creary scored a power play goal at 19:45 assisted by Jana Harrigan and Jennifer Desson. At the end of the first period, Ohio State and St. Lawrence were tied at 1-all and the Buckeyes led the Saints 10-5 in shots.
The beginning of the second period was a battle of the defenses. Ohio State’s Harrigan obtained the puck after a faceoff, passed it to Emma Laaksonen who took a shot from the blue line and Shana Frost tipped it in for the Buckeyes’ second goal at 8:28. St. Lawrence’s Sargeant scored at 18:42 tying the game. The second stanza ended at 2-all on the scoreboard and 7-all in shots.
In the third period, the Saints took the lead at 10:17, when Rebecca Russell scored. OSU’s Heather Farrell received a penalty for holding at 15:17. The Buckeye penalty-killing unit held the Saints scoreless again. OSU head coach Jackie Barto called a timeout at 18:22 to regroup her squad. The Buckeyes pulled their goalkeeper at 18:22 in an attempt to tie the game. OSU setup for a goal with 10 seconds left in the game. Erin O’Grady took a close shot on goal, which rebounded off St. Lawrence’s goalkeeper and Frost took a shot off the rebound, which was saved. Immediately following, five penalties were given at 19:56. St. Lawrence’s Trisha Powers recorded two minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct. Ohio State’s Lindsey Steblen received two two-minutes penalties for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.
The Buckeyes outshot the Saints 23-18. Ohio State held St. Lawrence scoreless on all four of its power-play opportunities. OSU was 1-for-two on the power play.
LAST TIME OUT – DARTMOUTH
Ohio State lost to No. 4 Dartmouth, 6-5, Jan. 2 at Thompson Arena in Hanover, N.H. Sophomore Jeni Creary recorded the Buckeyes’ first hat trick this season.
The first period ended with Dartmouth leading 2-0 on the scoreboard, OSU led in shots, 10-6.
Ohio State’s Jeni Creary started the second stanza off with a Buckeye power play goal at 7:33. The Buckeye defense held Dartmouth scoreless in the period. OSU outshot Dartmouth 8-7.
The Big Green scored their third goal of the game at 9:52 by Correne Bredin. Dartmouth’s Haggard soon followed with her third goal of the game at 11:51. Ohio State’s Creary scored the Buckeyes’ second goal of the game, cutting Dartmouth’s lead to two, at 12:07. Dartmouth’s Cherie Piper came back with a Big Green goal at 12:48. OSU’s Harrigan scored a goal of her own at 17:06. Ohio State’s Creary soon followed with another Buckeye goal at 17:32, cutting Dartmouth’s lead to one. Ohio State pulled its goalkeeper, April Stojak, with 1:17 left to play in a last attempt to score. Dartmouth’s Gillian Apps received a penalty for boarding at 18:58, causing an OSU power play. OSU head coach Jackie Barto immediately called a time to regroup her squad. The Buckeye penalty-killing unit came out strong. OSU’s Farrell tied the game at 5-all with a power play goal at 19:04. Stojak reentered the game at 19:04. Dartmouth’s Correne Bredin followed with the game-winning goal at 19:45.
The Buckeyes outshot the Big Green 28-24. Ohio State held Dartmouth scoreless on all six of its power-play opportunities. OSU was 2-for-9 on the power play.
STARS OF THE GAME
Jana Harrigan was named the No. 3 star of the game Jan. 4 by the St. Lawrence Sports Information Office.
LAAKSONEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The WCHA announced Ohio State junior Emma Laaksonen has been named the conference defensive player of the week for the week ending Dec. 15.
Laaksonen scored two goals in the 4-0 shutout against No. 8 Princeton Dec. 13. She aided the Buckeye penalty-killing unit, which held Princeton scoreless on all seven power plays during the series. Laaksonen was named the No. 1 star of the game Dec. 14.
Laaksonen is averaging 1.00 points per game, seventh in the nation among defensemen. She ranks second in points on the Buckeye squad with 16 overall.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The WCHA announced Ohio State senior captain Emily Hudak was named the conference defensive player of the week for the week ending Dec. 1.
Hudak led the Buckeyes to a 6-0, 6-4, sweep of St. Cloud State with a team-high five points. She recorded three assists and tallied a team-best +3 in OSU’s shutout Nov. 30. She anchored a defense that allowed St. Cloud State 18 shots on goal, including four in each the first and second periods. Hudak tallied another two helpers in the Buckeyes’ victory Dec. 1.
“Emily had a solid weekend against St. Cloud State,” Jackie Barto, OSU head coach, said. “She played well on both the defensive and offensive sides of the puck. Emily was also a key part of our transition game.”
OHIO STATE REPRESENTED AT FOUR NATIONS CUP
Ohio State junior defenseman Emma Laaksonen competed for Team Finland in the 2002 Four Nations Cup, Nov. 6-10 in Kitchener, Ontario.
Laaksonen participated in all four games for Team Finland.
Laaksonen has competed in the prestigious tournament as a member of Team Finland since 1997. In the 2001 Four Nations Cup, Laaksonen recorded two assists.
The Four Nations Cup, previously known as the Three Nations Cup, is a round-robin tournament that has been held the last six years (1996-2001). Canada, Finland and the United States competed until 2000, when Sweden was added to the field.
She has been a member of the Finnish Team since 1997, competing in 72 games, recording seven goals and 11 assists.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ohio State sophomore Jeni Creary was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the conference for the week ending Oct. 13.
Creary recorded one goal and three assists in the Buckeyes’ 6-1 victory against Minnesota State, Mankato in the season opener Friday. She led the Buckeyes with two goals, including the game-winning score, and one assist Saturday in the 3-1 win against MSU. She completed the weekend with 16 shots and a +1 rating.
“Jeni had a very solid weekend and generated a lot of scoring opportunities, particularly in our power plays,” Jackie Barto, OSU head coach, said regarding Jeni’s accomplishments. “Jeni capitalized on her many scoring opportunities.”
COMMUNITY SERVICE ORIENTED
The Ohio State women’s ice hockey team and coaches recently participated in the first Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio (DSACO) Buddy Walk Oct. 27 at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus.
The Buddy Walk raised funds to help support DSACO’s mission “to insure all persons with Down syndrome are given the opportunity to achieve their potential.” In addition, funds will go to support the National Down syndrome Society (NDSS)’s research, education and advocacy efforts.
OSU CAPTAINS
Ohio State returns 18 letterwinners for the 2002-03 season including nine forwards, seven defenders and two goaltenders. Nine of the letterwinners are seniors who have been at Ohio State since the beginning of the women’s ice hockey program four years ago.
NEW ASSISTANT COACH
Catherine Hanson recently was added to the OSU women’s ice hockey staff as an assistant coach. Hanson is a 1998 graduate of Providence College, where she received a degree in psychology and a minor in German.
Her responsibilities include developing the OSU defense, coordinating the recruiting process and assisting with daily practices and games.
Hanson began her coaching career as an assistant ice hockey coach at Colgate University during the 1999 season. This past year, she was an assistant coach at Wayne State University.
She also worked at the 2001 USA Hockey Mid-American District Camp in Kent, Ohio, and the 2002 USA Hockey Girls 14/15 Development Camp in Rochester, N.Y.
THE INAUGURAL CLASS
The first women’s ice hockey team at Ohio State played their first game Oct. 8, 1999, against Northeastern. The Buckeyes finished 8-26-3 overall and 6-15-3 WCHA. Nine players remain on the team – Katie Frohreich, Shana Frost, Carrie Gill, Emily Hudak, Lindsey Ogren, Chirstine Patno, Melissa Pirie, Lindsey Steblen and April Stojak.
The nine returning seniors bring a lot to the hockey program this season, since they have seen the program grow and mature from the beginning of its inaugural season in 1999-00.
“This year marks the graduation of our inaugural class of student-athletes in our program,” Jackie Barto, OSU head coach, said. “They will always be an important part of the history of our program. They have helped develop a strong foundation for our program that will continue to grow in the future. What they have accomplished here in their careers will be a part of our history forever. This years senior class will bring an intangible element as they lead us through an extremely competitive schedule.”
THE ROAD TO DULUTH
The Buckeyes play every WCHA team four times during the season, a two-game trip on the road and a two-game series at home. OSU will be playing two of the 2002 NCAA Frozen Four teams, Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth.
“The WCHA has come so far in three years and is going to be even better than last year,” Barto said. “It is the most competitive women’s hockey leagues in the country. Which means we have to be very prepared and focused for every league game. But, it is going to make us the best team we can be in the long run.”
The non-league games also are important and the opponents are strong. OSU takes on Providence, Connecticut and Mercyhurst at home this season. Away opponents include Dartmouth,
St. Lawrence, who both ranked in the Top 10 last year, and Princeton.
The 2002 WCHA Championship will be held March 6-8 in Engelstad Arena at the University of North Dakota. The Buckeyes goal is to make it to the 2002 NCAA Frozen Four March 21 and 23 in Duluth, Minn.
FOLLOW THE BUCKEYES ONLINE
Information on the Ohio State women’s ice hockey team is available online at the official website of Ohio State Athletics, ohiostatebuckeyes.com. For up-to-the-minute women’s ice hockey scores, statistics and standings around the league and the nation, check out www.collegehockeystats.com. The official website of the WCHA is www.wcha.com.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes take on two non-conference teams next time out. Ohio State faces Mercyhurst at 2:05 p.m. Jan. 25 in Columbus. OSU then travels to Findlay, Ohio, where it will battle for the Ohio Cup against Findlay at 2 p.m. Jan. 26.
