Ohio State
31-4-2
Minnesota Duluth (WCHA Final Faceoff Semifinal) **
25-9-3
Ohio State Beats Minnesota Duluth, Advances to Final Faceoff Championship Game
3/3/2023 5:55:59 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
Box Score | Schedule | Roster | Season Stats
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 1 Ohio State women’s hockey team secured a spot in the 2023 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff championship game with a 2-1 win over No. 4 seed Minnesota Duluth Friday afternoon at Ridder Arena. Brooke Bink and Emma Maltais scored for Ohio State (31-4-2, 23-4-1 WCHA) and Amanda Thiele posted 26 saves to hold off the Bulldogs (25-9-3, 17-8-3 WCHA) and advance to Saturday’s championship game.
How it Happened
- Both teams were scoreless after one period in the WCHA semifinal game. Ohio State held a 17-8 advantage in shots on goal after the first 20:00.
- The Buckeyes ended the scoreless game just over halfway through the game. Minnesota Duluth’s Ashton Bell attempted to clear the puck out of the Bulldogs’ defensive zone, but Brook Bink put herself in front of the pass. The puck rebounded off of Bink past Emma Soderberg at 10:50.
- Ohio State added a second goal just a minute later to make it 2-0 Buckeyes at 11:54. Ohio State again took advantage of a bad clear of the defensive zone by Minnesota Duluth, this time with Emma Maltais gloving down the puck in the slot. She one-timed it past Soderberg to bring the Buckeye lead to two goals.
- Ohio State goaltender Amanda Thiele posted one of her best games of the year, holding the Bulldogs scoreless for 57:12 and kept the Bulldogs off the board through two periods, including a flurry of shots five minutes into the second frame to keep the game knotted at 0-0.
- Minnesota Duluth pulled Soderberg with 3:47 minutes to play, and took advantage of the 6-on-5 situation to put one past Thiele at 17:12.
- Ohio State held off the Bulldogs for the final 2:48 minutes to take the win.
Game Notes
- Brooke Bink’s goal was just her third of the year. The senior has nine points this season with six assists.
- Emma Maltais’ game-winning goal is her third of the season and 16th of her career. She is now tied with Natalie Spooner for the most game-winning goals in program history.
- The Buckeyes advance to the championship game for the fourth year in a row. This year marks the fifth time in program history the Buckeyes will play in the WCHA championship game (2001, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023).
- With the win, Amanda Thiele ties her career record of 18 wins in a single season. The junior also recorded 18 wins in the 2022-23 season for the Buckeyes.
Statistically Speaking
Total Shots: Ohio State 66, Minnesota Duluth 54
Shots on Goal: Ohio State 36, Minnesota Duluth 27
Saves: Minnesota Duluth (Soderberg) 34, Ohio State (Thiele) 26
Power Play: Minnesota Duluth 0-1, Ohio State 0-4
Faceoffs: Ohio State 33, Minnesota Duluth 21
Ohio State Scoring: Bink (1-0-1), Maltais (1-0-1)
Up Next
Ohio State will play for the 2023 WCHA Final Faceoff Championship tomorrow, March 4 at 3 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes will face off against No. 2 seed Minnesota. The game will be televised on the CW in Columbus and streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).
#GoBucks
