Ohio State
19-5-0, 15-5-0
Minnesota
20-7-1, 15-6-1
No. 3 Buckeyes’ Comeback Halted, Fall 5-3 to No. 2 Gophers
1/29/2022 7:23:35 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
Box Score | Schedule | Roster | Season Stats
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 3 Ohio State women’s hockey team fell to No. 2 Minnesota, 5-3, Saturday afternoon at the OSU Ice Rink. The Buckeyes (19-4-0, 15-5-0 WCHA) split the home series against the Gophers (19-7-0, 14-6-1 WCHA) but win the regular season series, 3-1.
How it Happened
Paetyn Levis put Ohio State on the board early, scoring the first goal of the day 2:56 into the game. She finished top-left of the Gopher goaltender from the faceoff dot off assists from Jenna Buglioni and Sophie Jaques.
The Buckeyes entered the second period with a 1-0 lead over the Gophers, but Minnesota went on a four-goal scoring spree in the first 10 minutes to take the lead from Ohio State.
Facing a three-goal deficit in the third period, the Scarlet and Gray fought for a chance to take back their lead. Jaques scored at 5:09 off helpers from Liz Schepers and Clair DeGeorge to cut the Gopher advantage to two. Schepers and Jaques connected again, this time with the Buckeye captain Schepers putting one in the net at 10:49 to bring Ohio State within one goal of tying the game.
With under three minutes to play in regulation, Amanda Thiele was pulled from the Buckeye net to send an extra skater out for Ohio State. Minnesota was able to take advantage of the situation, scoring an empty net goal with 1:31 on the clock.
Game Notes
- Sophie Jaques put on a three-point effort for the Buckeyes in game two against the Gophers. With one goal and two assists, the senior has recorded 44 points on the year and is one point shy of Tessa Bonhomme’s 2007-08 single-season record 45 points by a Buckeye defenseman. Jaques is also seven points away from 100 for her career (93).
- Liz Schepers, who finished the weekend with three points and a goal in each game, has scored 10 goals this season for the Buckeyes.
- The Buckeyes are now 12-2-0 at the OSU Ice Rink this year. The team has just one more regular-season home series, against Wisconsin on Feb. 18-19, to go.
- Amanda Thiele earned the start for the Buckeyes on Saturday. With 23 saves on the day, she has surpassed 200 assists for the season (210). She is now 7-2-0 on the year.
Statistically Speaking
Shots: Ohio State 35, Minnesota 28
Saves: Minnesota (Pahl) 32, Ohio State (Thiele) 23
Power Play: Minnesota 0-0, Ohio State 0-1
Faceoffs: Minnesota 31, Ohio State 26
Ohio State Scoring: Jaques (1-2-3), Schepers (1-1-2), Levis (1-0-1), Buglioni (0-1-1), DeGeorge (0-1-1)
Up Next
Ohio State hits the road for a five-game Minnesota road trip next week, starting with a two-game series at Minnesota State. The Buckeyes and Mavericks meet at 7 p.m. ET Friday and 3 p.m. ET Saturday from the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, Minn.
#GoBucks
