10/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Buckeyes battle defending NCAA champ Badgers at 7 p.m. (CT) both Friday and Saturday
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s hockey team (1-2-3, 1-2-1-0 WCHA) is on the road for the second-consecutive weekend with a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at defending NCAA champion and No. 5-ranked Wisconsin (2-2-0, 2-2-0-0 WCHA), Oct. 23-24.
Games begin at 7 p.m. (CT) Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
KEEPING AN EYE ON THINGS
Livestreaming video of both Ohio State-Wisconsin games will be available through the Big Ten Network (www.video.bigtennetwork.com) with the cost of $2.99 per contest.
Livestats for the series between the Buckeyes and Badgers is available online through UWBadgers.com, with links on the OSU women’s hockey schedule page OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
The Buckeyes jump right into a tough schedule, facing a ranked team in three of their first four series, according to the most recent USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey polls.
After opening their season at No. 9/T-9 Boston University (Oct. 2-3), Ohio State faced No. 2 Minnesota in the home and WCHA opener (Oct. 9-10) in Columbus. Last weekend the Buckeyes played at Bemidji State and follow with a trip to No. 5 Wisconsin this weekend. Also ranked on the OSU schedule is No. T-6/8 Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 13-14/Feb. 12-13) and No. T-6/7 St. Lawrence (Nov. 20-21).
LAST TIME OUT: BEMIDJI STATE
Ohio State took three points from Bemidji State in a WCHA road series Oct. 16-17. The Buckeyes posted their first victory of the season in a 5-2 win Friday and followed with a 2-2 OT tie Saturday. Following a 5-minute scoreless overtime, the Beavers won the shootout 2-1.
In the first game, both Natalie Spooner and Minttu Tuominen had a goal and assist while Christina Mancuso had two assists to lead the team as a total of 12 Buckeyes recorded a point in the win.
Raelyn LaRocque had a goal and assist to lead the Buckeyes in game two, but Bemidji State scored with less than four minutes remaining in the second period and added an extra-skater goal with 0:46 left in regulation to send it into overtime tied at 2-all.
BEAVER SERIES NOTES:
- It was the first win for Ohio State since a 4-2 victory vs. North Dakota, Feb. 7, 2009 at the OSU Ice Rink. The Buckeyes’ last road win was Dec. 12, 2008 at Minnesota State.
- LaRocque and Tuominen led Ohio State in the series with a goal and two assists each. Spooner, Mancuso and Melissa Feste had two points apiece.
- Chelsea Knapp started both games and made 38 saves with four goals allowed for a .905 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average.
TUOMINEN IS WCHA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Minttu Tuominen was named WCHA Rookie of the Week, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Wednesday. It is the first weekly conference award for a Buckeye this season.
Tuominen continued her strong start to her freshman campaign with a three-point performance at Bemidji State to help Ohio State take three points from the Beavers (Oct. 16-17). The native of Espoo, Finland, helped the Buckeyes pull away in the first game by scoring the fourth OSU goal and assisting on the fifth in the 5-2 victory. She then set up the first Buckeye goal in the 2-2 tie Saturday.
Along with her three points vs. the Beavers, Tuominen finished the series with a plus-3 rating and has yet to commit a penalty six games into the season. She is tied for the team lead in goals (3) and points (6), which also ties for the WCHA lead in freshman scoring.
DOUBLE UP
Just six games into the 2009-10 season, sophomore Melissa Feste has doubled her career point total to 12. The Bloomington, Minn., native has equaled her numbers from her freshman campaign with three goals and three assists. Her six points ties for the team lead.
Also doubling up her career assists, this time in a single game, was junior Christina Mancuso. The forward from Toronto tallied two helpers in her first 74 career games, but set up two goals in the Buckeyes’ 5-2 victory last Friday.
SPREAD OFFENSE
Through three series this season, the Buckeyes have had a balanced attack with 15 players already recording a point. Four lead the team with six – Melissa Feste (3g, 3a), Raelyn LaRocque (1g, 5a), Natalie Spooner (2g, 4a) and Minttu Tuominen (3g, 3a).
CAN’T WIN THEM ALL
The shootout loss last Saturday at Bemidji State was the first for Ohio State since the WCHA introduced shootouts last season to determine the outcome of tied league contests. OSU moved to 2-1 all-time in conference shootouts, after winning both of theirs last season by 1-0 scores. Sophomore Kim Theut scored the shootout goal for the Buckeyes last weekend in Bemidji.
SPECIAL TEAMS STARTING STRONG
Ohio State did not score a power play goal in game one at Bemidji State – the first time the Buckeye power play unit was held scoreless this season, but they came back with a PP goal in the second game. The OSU power play is operating at 25 percent this season (9-of-36).
In penalty kill, the Buckeyes successfully killed off 7-of-8 penalties vs. the Beavers. They have allowed just three PP goals to opponents this season with a 24-of-27 mark overall (88.9%).
CIRCLE THE DATES
Junior forward Jenna Kilpatrick must look forward to the Bemidji State series, having scored half of her career points against the Beavers. With her goal last Friday, she has recorded five of her 10 points in BSU series, including three of her four career goals.
Kilpatrick’s goal last Friday was her first since her freshman season – a span of 44 games.
NOT JUST IN NOVEMBER
The two assists by Christina Mancuso marked the first time the junior has recorded points outside of the month of November. She had two goals and an assist each of the last two seasons in the month.
A LOOK AT WISCONSIN
Wisconsin is under the direction of interim head coach Tracey DeKeyser, a long-time assistant with the Badgers, as Mark Johnson is away from the team this season as the head coach of the 2009-10 U.S. Women’s National Team in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Along with several other national team members, Wisconsin is without Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award-winning goaltender Jesse Vetter, who graduated last season and is now backstopping Team USA.
The Badgers are 2-2-0 after opening with two WCHA series splits against North Dakota (L 0-2, W 3-0) and Bemidji State (L 0-1, W 3-1). Twelve players have a point through four games this season, led by Brianna Decker, Jasmine Giles and Mallory Deluce with two apiece. Senior Alannah McCready and rookie Becca Ruegsegger have split time in net and both have 1-1-0 records.
THE SERIES VS. THE BADGERS
The Buckeyes are looking to put an end to their 21-game winless streak against the Badgers (0-20-1). The last OSU win in Madison was in 2003.
Laura McIntosh (3a) and Shannon Reilly (1g, 2a) led the Buckeyes in scoring vs. Wisconsin with three points each. Natalie Spooner scored twice against the Badgers last season.
WELCOME BACK
It was alumni weekend during the series with Minnesota at the OSU Ice Rink (Oct. 9-10), with 20 former Buckeyes returning to Columbus. Included in the group were Tessa Bonhomme (2008 WCHA Player and Defensive Player of the Year), Amber Bowman (2006 First Team All-WCHA), Jana Harrigan (2006 First Team All-WCHA) and Erin Keys (2008 First Team All-WCHA).
WELL, THAT’S A FIRST
The 1-1 (OT) season-opening score at Boston University was the first time in the program’s 11 years the Buckeyes opened the season with a tied game. The series also marked the first time Ohio State tied a team twice since Jan. 13-14, 2006 with 1-1 and 2-2 OT ties against Niagara in a nonconference series at the OSU Ice Rink.
KNAPP TIME
Starting in net for the Buckeyes in the season-opening series at Boston University was freshman Chelsea Knapp. She became the first rookie to start the season in the Ohio State goal since the inaugural season in 1999-2000. The Buckeyes rotated two freshmen goalies that season in April Stojak and Melissa Glaser.
FIRST CLASS HALL OF FAMER
Emma Laaksonen, a defenseman for the Buckeyes from 2000-04, made lots of history at Ohio State as the team’s first All-American, first Olympian, first Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top 10 finalist, and now can add another first. The native of Espoo, Finland, became the first women’s hockey player to enter the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame Sept. 25. Last year, Laaksonen also returned to Columbus to have her No. 3 become the first number retired by the Buckeye women’s hockey program.
HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR
Three members of the Buckeyes were named to the 2009 WCHA All-Star Team. Sophomore forwards Laura McIntosh and Natalie Spooner and junior defenseman Shannon Reilly skated with 19 other top players from the conference when they faced the 2009-10 U.S. Women’s National Team Sept. 25 at the Xcel Energy Center, home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, in St. Paul, Minn. Team USA won, 6-1, with former Buckeye Lisa Chesson notching an assist for the red, white and blue.
SPOONER ON CANADA’S U-22, AGAIN
Sophomore Natalie Spooner earned a place on Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team for the second time in as many years, Hockey Canada announced Aug. 17. Spooner is among 12 returning players on the 22-person roster for the U-22 squad and will be eligible to represent Canada at the 2010 MLP Cup. She was a member of the silver medal-winning team at the MLP Cup, an international tournament held in Germany last January.
CHESSON ON TEAM USA
Lisa Chesson, a Buckeye from 2005-08, has been named to the U.S. Women’s National Team announced Aug. 24. The defenseman is among 23 players on the roster competing for 21 slots available the U.S. Olympic team to be announced in mid-December.
A native of Plainfield, Ill., Chesson participated in the Team USA’s residency program during 2008-09 in Blaine, Minn., and was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2009 IIHF World Women’s Championships in April. She also played in the silver medal-winning U.S. Women’s Select Team at the 2007 Four Nations Cup.
BONHOMME CENTRALIZED WITH TEAM CANADA
Former Buckeye All-American defenseman Tessa Bonhomme was one of 26 players selected to participate in the Canadian Centralization Program in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The centralized roster will train in Calgary and be trimmed to 21 players prior to the games.
A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Bonhomme was a member of the silver medal-winning Canadian National Women’s Team at the 2009 IIHF World Women’s Championships after winning gold at the 2007 event. She participated in the Olympic Centralization Program in 2005-06 and was the last player cut before the 2006 Turin Games.
FOUR BUCKS IN HOCKEY CANADA CUP
Four Buckeyes played with the top international teams in women’s hockey in Vancouver, British Columbia, to compete for the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup Aug. 31-Sept. 6. The tournament took place at Vancouver’s General Motors Place, which will be the site of the playoff games for women’s hockey at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The HCC was a test event for the Games.
Three of the Buckeyes were defensemen – Tessa Bonhomme on Team Canada, Lisa Chesson on Team USA and Emma Laaksonen on Team Finland. Freshman forward Minttu Tuominen also was on Team Finland. United States won the gold, Canada silver and Finland bronze.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
Become an official fan of the Ohio State women’s hockey team on facebook! Go to “https://facebook.com/ohiostatewomenshockey” to get the latest news and updates on the Buckeyes.
TWEET TWEET
The Buckeye women’s hockey team also has its own Twitter feed. Follow the team at “buckeyewhockey” for updates during the week and in-game.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes return home for a Halloween series against Minnesota State, Oct. 30-31 at the OSU Ice Rink. As always, admission is FREE and “Skate with the Buckeyes” and autograph sessions will be held after the Saturday game.
