Ohio State Prepares for Home Series with Bemidji State – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/6/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Nov. 6, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s hockey team plays host to the Bemidji State Beavers at the OSU Ice Rink the weekend, Nov. 8-9, with game times set for 7:07 p.m. Friday and 4:07 p.m. Saturday.
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Schedule:
Friday, Nov. 8, 2013 – 7:07 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 – 4:07 p.m. ET
The Record
Ohio State has an overall record of 3-3-1, 2-3-1 in the WCHA.
Last Time Out: No. 2 Wisconsin
The Buckeyes carried 1-0 leads into the first intermission of both games in Madison over the weekend against second-ranked Wisconsin, but fell each night to the Badgers, 4-1 and 3-2. Redshirt senior goaltender Chelsea Knapp started both games for the Buckeyes stopping 64 of 71 shots faced. Freshman Claudia Kepler, a native of Verona, Wis., had a nice homecoming with two goals scored in the series. Junior Kari Schmitt scored the tying goal for OSU Sunday in the third period but Wisconsin would later score to earn the victory. Senior Ally Tarr had the lone assist on each of Kepler’s goals while junior Danielle Gagne recorded a helper on the score by Schmitt.
In the Polls
Ohio State is on the outside looking in this weekend in both national polls but is receiving votes in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine women’s polls.
Battle Tested
Ohio State has been tested early and often this season, with five of its seven games coming on the road and all against nationally ranked opponents. The Buckeyes have gone 2-3-0 in those contests while they are 1-0-1 in their only games played at home.
News and Notes
- Claudia Kepler has been named WCHA Rookie of the Week.
- Kepler’s goal Saturday came 17 seconds into the game and was the first of her career. Her goal Sunday came with only 28 seconds left in the first period. Each gave OSU a one goal lead.
- Kari Schmitt has a team-leading four goals and is third on the team with eight points.
- Tarr has a team-leading eight assists and is tied for the team lead with nine points. Tarr is second in the WCHA in assists-per-game at 1.14.
- Junior Sara Schmitt is tied with Tarr for the team lead in points. She was held pointless for the first time in a series this season at Wisconsin. Sara leads the league in power play points-per-game at 0.71.
- Sara and Kari are 1-2 for WCHA defensemen in points-per-game at 1.29 and 1.14, respectively.
- Redshirt senior goaltender Chelsea Knapp has 40 career wins, just three shy of passing former Buckeye Erika Vanderveer for most all-time at OSU.
- Knapp has 2,264 career saves, third most all-time at OSU, and is five shy of passing Vanderveer for second and eight away from passing former Buckeye Melissa Glaser for most all-time at OSU.
- Senior goaltender Lisa Steffes was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week, Oct. 22, for her performance in the 2-1 win at North Dakota Oct. 19. It is the fourth career weekly WCHA award for Steffes.
About Bemidji State
The Beavers come into the series with a record of 3-6-1, 0-4-0 in the WCHA. Sophomore Hanna Moher (4-2-6) and junior Alexandria Citrowske (1-5-6) lead the offensive attack for Bemidji State, while five other players have recorded a pair of goals on the season including senior Tess Dusik. Rookie goaltender Brittni Mowat has started nine out of 10 games for the Beavers, recording a 2.41 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. Head coach Steve Sertich is in his eighth season at the helm of the program.
Buckeyes vs. Beavers
Ohio State holds the edge in the all-time series with Bemidji State as the Buckeyes have a record of 32-16-10 against the Beavers. OSU is 17-6-4 all-time against Bemidji State at the OSU Ice Rink. Last season the Buckeyes went 3-1-0 against the Beavers, winning 4-1 and 10-1 in Columbus and coming out on both ends of 2-1 games in Bemidji. In the 10-1 game Oct. 27, 2012 at the OSU Ice Rink, the Buckeyes set multiple program single game records including largest margin of victory, points in a game, assists in a game and goals in a single period. Taylor Kuehl recorded a hat trick in the game.
Up Next
Ohio State will host Minnesota-Duluth next weekend, Nov. 15-16. The series will be played in Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center with both games set for 3:07 p.m. starts.
Four Nations Cup
The Ohio State University and Ohio State women’s hockey is being well represented this year internationally as five former Buckeyes are set to compete at the 2013 Four Nations Cup, Nov. 5-9, in Lake Placid, N. Y. Team USA features former Buckeye defenseman Lisa Chesson (2005-08), while forward Natalie Spooner (2009-12) and defenseman Tessa Bonhomme (2004-08) skate for Team Canada and Team Finland has forward Minttu Tuominen (2010-13) and defenseman Emma Terho (Laaksonen) (2001-04).
Captains
Redshirt senior goaltender Chelsea Knapp has been named captain of the 2013-14 Buckeyes team. Redshirt junior Kara Gust and junior Kari Schmitt will serve as assistant captains.
New Look Staff
Two new assistant coaches and a new volunteer assistant join head coach Nate Handrahan’s staff for 2013-14. Assistant coach Carson Duggan comes to Ohio State after spending the last two seasons as head women’s hockey coach at Trinity College (CT). Keith Maurice spent the last ten years as an assistant coach at Norwich University before coming to the Buckeyes as an assistant. Mikhael Horowitz enters his first season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes after spending a year as an assistant coach and personal development coach for the Vierumaki A Juniors, a team located at the Finnish National Sports Institute in Vierumaki, Finland.
