No. 1 Ohio State Closes 2023 With 4-1 Win Over Minnesota State

Sunday, December 10

Columbus, Ohio

2 p.m.

Ohio State

16-2-0, 13-1-0

Minnesota State

7-12-0, 3-11-0

Minnesota St.

Ohio St.

No. 1 Ohio State Closes 2023 With 4-1 Win Over Minnesota State

12/10/2023 5:23:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Schedule | Roster | Season Stats

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 1 Ohio State women's hockey team closed out its 2023 schedule with a 4-1 win over Minnesota State Sunday afternoon at the OSU Ice Rink. The Buckeyes (16-2-0, 13-1-0 WCHA) earned the series sweep of the Mavericks (7-12-0, 3-11-0 WCHA) to remain at the top of the conference standings.

How it Happened

The Buckeyes' first goal of the game came at 8:12 into the first period from Olivia Mobley. Cayla Barnes sent a pass across the Mavericks' goalie crease and Mobley was there to knock it past Minnesota State goaltender Suzette Faucher.
Ohio State's one-goal lead was neutralized two minutes later as Minnesota State tied the game at 10:07 with a goal from Whitney Tuttle.
The Buckeyes managed to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission with a goal from Kiara Zanon at 15:44. She skated the puck from behind the MSU goal line and up to the top of the zone, where she took a shot through traffic from the slot that went glove side high of Faucher.
At the end of the first period, Ohio State was outshooting Minnesota State, 9-4.
No goals were scored in the second period, but the Buckeyes continued to outshoot the Mavericks by a margin of 14-6 in the frame.
Ohio State added two goals in the final five minutes of play, the first on its first and only power play of the game. With under a minute left with the skater advantage, Hadley Hartmetz, Zanon and Joy Dunne went tic-tac-toe on the right side of the Minnesota State zone, with Dunne shooting from inside the faceoff circle and sending the puck between the legs of Faucher.
Minnesota State pulled its goaltender with 1:49 to play in the game for the sixth skater, giving Ohio State the opportunity for an empty net. Ohio State won the faceoff and took possession in the neutral zone and eventually Dunne sent a pass into the slot where Kelsey King was waiting to knock it into the empty net at 18:30.
Ohio State goaltender Amanda Thiele made 14 saves in the game, coming away with a couple breakaway saves to keep the Buckeyes in the lead.

Game Notes

Cayla Barnes (2A), Joy Dunne (1G, 1A) and Kiara Zanon (1G, 1A) led the Buckeyes with two points in the game. Zanon's points make her the third Ohio State skater to 20 points this season with 10 goals and 10 assists this year.
Barnes also earned a team-high +3 on the day and led the team with a +5 in the series.
Thiele picked up her eighth win of the season and is 8-1-0 this year for the Buckeyes.
Sunday's game closed the first half of the 2023-24 season for Ohio State. The Buckeyes earned a 31-6-0 record in 2023.
Ohio State has now grown a four-point lead for first place in the conference standings. The Buckeyes have 37 points this season, followed by Minnesota with 33.

Statistically Speaking
Total Shots: Ohio State 71, Minnesota State 27
Shots on Goal: Ohio State 39, Minnesota State 14
Saves: St. Cloud State (Faucher) 35, Ohio State (Thiele) 13
Power Play: Ohio State 1-1, St. Cloud State 0-2
Faceoffs: Minnesota State 28, Ohio State 22
Ohio State Scoring: Barnes (0-2-2), Dunne (1-1-2), Zanon (1-1-2), King (1-0-1), Mobley (1-0-1), Buglioni (0-1-1), Hartmetz (0-1-1), Matthews (0-1-1)

Up Next
Ohio State next takes the ice Jan. 12-13 in Minneapolis, Minn. against No. 2 Minnesota. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. for game one and 3 p.m. for game two. Both games will be streamed on B1G+. The Buckeyes' next home game is Jan. 19-20 at the OSU Ice Rink. Tickets for Ohio State women's hockey home games can be purchased HERE.

#GoBucks