Ohio State
Penn State
Buckeyes Complete Sweep of Nittany Lions with 6-0 Win – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Jan. 4, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In its largest margin of victory this season, the Ohio State women’s hockey team took down Penn State, 6-0, Sunday afternoon at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pa. With the win, the Buckeyes (12-8-2, 7-7-2-1 WCHA) completed a series sweep of the Nittany Lions (10-9-3, 4-5-1 CHA). Senior Taylor Kuehl contributed three points off a goal in two assists, while a quartet of Buckeyes – Julia McKinnon, Julianna Iafallo, Danielle Gagne and Claudia Kepler – each posted two points.
Freshman defenseman Dani Sadek started Ohio State’s scoring trend in the opening period of play. Putting the Buckeyes up 1-0 with just under two minutes remaining in the first, Sadek scored her first collegiate goal with assists awarded to junior Melani Moylan and senior Kari Schmitt. Ohio State held a 12-9 advantage in shots, while rookie goalie Kassidy Sauve registered nine saves. The Buckeyes killed their only penalty, holding Penn State scoreless in the stanza.
Ohio State came out firing on the offensive end of the ice in the second period, with three different Buckeyes notching goals. McKinnon, a junior this season, found the back of the net at 13:02, assisted by Kepler and redshirt senior Kara Gust. The goal marked McKinnon’s seventh of the season. Approximately 30 seconds later, the Buckeyes went up 3-0 off a score from Iafallo. The Eden, N.Y., native tallied the first goal of her Buckeye career with help from Kuehl, who contributed the lone helper. Kuehl again came up with an assist, this time on a goal scored by senior Danielle Gagne at 17:17. The scores gave OSU a 4-0 lead heading into the final period. Sauve kept a firm hold on the shutout, adding seven saves to her total.
In the third period, Buckeye freshman Lauren Spring kept the momentum going with a power-play goal at 5:24. The goal was the third of her rookie season and put Ohio State up 5-0. McKinnon and Kepler each posted their second point of the game with assists on the play. The Buckeyes put the Nittany Lions away at 6:41 with a goal from Kuehl and assists contributed by Gagne and Iafallo.
For the game, Ohio State outshot Penn State 33-23. Sauve locked in the Scarlet and Gray’s sixth shutout of the season with 23 stops in 60 minutes. In goal for Penn State was Hannah Ehresmann, who was credited with 27 saves in 59:55.
On special teams, the Buckeyes went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill and 1-for-3 on the power play.
Ohio State is back action Jan. 9 and Jan 10 for a WCHA series with St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minn. The squad will return to home ice to take on North Dakota on Friday, Jan. 16.
