Ohio State Sweeps Series vs. Minnesota With 6-1 Win

Saturday, January 13

Minneapolis, Minn.

3 p.m. (2 p.m. CT)

Ohio State

18-2-0, 15-1-0

Minnesota

16-5-1, 10-5-1

Ohio St.

Minnesota

Ohio State Sweeps Series vs. Minnesota With 6-1 Win

1/13/2024 6:44:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Schedule | Roster | Season Stats

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 1 Ohio State women's hockey team earned another first in its all-time series against No. 2 Minnesota with a 6-1 win Saturday at Ridder Arena. The Buckeyes (18-2-0, 15-1-0 WCHA) earned their first regular season series sweep of the Gophers (16-5-1, 10-5-1-1 WCHA) after picking up two wins in Columbus in the fall and winning both games this weekend in Minneapolis.

How it Happened

Both teams had their share of opportunities to score in the first period, but the Buckeyes and Gophers went into the first intermission knotted at zero. After 20 minutes, Ohio State was outshooting Minnesota, 7-5.
OSU quickly took control of the game in the second period, scoring its first goal at 6:32 into the frame and rattling off five goals in 11 minutes.
Sloane Matthews broke the stalemate, sending a rebounded shot from Kelsey King past Minnesota goaltender Skylar Vetter to start the Buckeyes' scoring spree.
The next two Ohio State goals were scored on the power play, with Hannah Bilka scoring at 10:59 and Jennifer Gardiner scoring at 12:28. Bilka lit the lamp a minute into the team's fourth power play chance of the game. It took Gardiner just 30 seconds into the Buckeyes' fifth power play to score.
Lauren Bernard gave Ohio State a 4-0 lead on the team's next possession following Gardiner's goal. Winning the puck off the wall in the Minnesota zone, Bernard took a shot from just outside the faceoff circle that went past Vetter at 12:47.
Emma Peschel tallied the Buckeyes fifth and final goal of the period from nearly the same spot as Bernard, burying a shot from the faceoff dot at 17:24.
Ohio State only allowed Minnesota three shots on goal in the period while taking 25 itself.
Ohio State goaltender Raygan Kirk held Minnesota without a goal for 106:23, until Minnesota's Madison Kaiser scored the team's first and only goal of the weekend 6:23 into the third period.
Hadley Hartmetz restored her team's five-goal lead with under two minutes to play in the game. Her initial shot from the top of the slot was blocked and, after a rebounded shot was denyed by Minnesota, the puck found its way back to Hartmetz, who again took a shot from the slot and lit the lamp at 18:16.

Game Notes

With three assists in the game, Buglioni becomes the 18th Buckeye to record 100 career points at Ohio State. She has 42 goals and 58 assists in her Buckeye career.
Buglioni's three points against Minnesota are a season high. She has recorded three helpers three times in her career.
Ohio State has swept the regular season series against the Gophers for the first time in series history. The Buckeyes earned 11 of 12 conference points in the series and have built a nine-point lead on Wisconsin for first in the WCHA standings.
The last time Ohio State swept Minnesota at Ridder Arena was Oct. 1-2, 2021.
Ohio State's five-goal second period is the second most goals scored in a period by Ohio State this season.
Kirk improves to 10-1-0 on the year and owns the second-best win percentage nationally (.909).
With the victory over her alma mater, Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall ties the program record for most wins by a head coach. Muzerall is in her eighth season at Ohio State and has earned a record of 178-71-19.

Statistically Speaking
Total Shots: Ohio State 74, Minnesota 36
Shots on Goal: Ohio State 39, Minnesota 18
Saves: Minnesota (Vetter, Morgan) 33, Ohio State (Kirk) 17
Power Play: Ohio State 2-6, Minnesota 0-3
Faceoffs: Ohio State 37, Minnesota 26
Ohio State Scoring: Buglioni (0-3-3), Bilka (1-1-2), Gardiner (1-1-2), Matthews (1-1-2), King (0-2-2), Bernard (1-0-1), Hartmetz (1-0-1), Peschel (1-0-1), Barnes (0-1-1), Hauswirth (0-1-1), Webster (0-1-1), Zanon (0-1-1)

Up Next
Ohio State is back home next week to play No. 7 Minnesota Duluth. The Buckeyes and Bulldogs faceoff Friday, Jan. 19 and Saturday, Jan. 20 at the OSU Ice Rink. Game one starts at 6 p.m. and game two at 2 p.m.

Tickets for Ohio State women's hockey home games can be purchased HERE. The games will also be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).

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