Ohio State
Minnesota Duluth
Ohio State Drops 5-2 Contest to No. 9 Minnesota Duluth – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Feb. 22, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s hockey team completed its regular season with a 5-2 loss to Minnesota Duluth Sunday afternoon in Duluth, Minnesota. With the conference standings now locked, the Buckeyes (17-14-3, 12-13-3-1 WCHA) will finish sixth in the WCHA and take on the No. 3 seed North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. next weekend in the 2015 WCHA Playoffs. Game times have not been announced.
A goal from senior Danielle Gagne provided the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead at 17:45 in the first period. With helpers awarded to her linemates, and fellow seniors, Taylor Kuehl and Kari Schmitt, the tally was Gagne’s ninth goal of the season. Redshirt junior Stacy Danczak earned her 15th start in goal for the Buckeyes, contributing seven saves in the opening stanza. In turn, Ohio State’s offense countered with six shots against UMD net minder Kayla Black.
Sophomore standout Claudia Kepler put Ohio State up 2-0 midway through the second period, securing her 12th goal of the season. Rookie Lauren Spring and Danielle Gagne were credited with assists on the play. The Bulldogs bounced back in the final minute of the stanza, sneaking one past Danczak to decrease their deficit to one. UMD held a 9-8 advantage in shots, while Danczak added eight stops to her total for the Buckeyes.
Minnesota Duluth took the reigns in the third, scoring four goals – two of which were on an empty net. The Bulldogs started the trend just under nine minutes into the period, with Jessica Healey posting her second goal of the season for the equalizer. Her teammate Brienna Gillanders gave the Bulldogs a one-goal advantage at 12:56, while Zoe Hickel and Lara Stalder provided the empty netters in the final two minutes of play.
For the game, UMD outshot the Buckeyes 26-20. Danczak registered 21 saves for the Scarlet and Gray in 58:31, while Black countered with 18 stops.
Two penalties were called in the game – one against the Buckeyes and another against the Bulldogs. Ohio State went 0-for-1 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.
