Buckeyes Sweep WHCA First Round Series, Advance to Final Faceoff

Saturday, February 28

Columbus, Ohio

3 p.m.

Ohio State

32-4-0

St. Thomas

12-23-1

St. Thomas (MN)

Ohio St.

Buckeyes Sweep WHCA First Round Series, Advance to Final Faceoff

2/28/2026 6:51:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 2 Ohio State women's hockey team swept its WCHA First Round series against St. Thomas with a 4-1 win Saturday at the OSU Ice Rink.

With the win, Ohio State (32-4-0, 24-4-0 WCHA) became the first team to punch its ticket to the 2026 WCHA Kwik Trip Final Faceoff.

Short Story
Ohio State was led in scoring by sophomore defender Mira Jungåker and freshman forward Hilda Svensson with three points each. Both scored once and assisted two goals in the game. Sanni Vanhanen also recorded a multi-point game with two goals on the day.

Hailey MacLeod picked up her 22nd win of the year in goal for the Buckeyes with a 19-save performance.

Ohio State blocked a season-high 16 shots with nine players recording at least one. Svensson, Jungåker, Emma Peschel, Kaia Malachino, Sloane Matthews and Leah Wicks each tallied two blocked shots. The Buckeye penalty kill went 2-for-2 on the day

How it Happened

Ohio State took a 2-0 lead in the first period off goals from Svensson and Jungåker.
Svensson's goal came at 13:27 as she sent a rebounded shot by Emma Peschel into the Tommies' net to put Ohio State on the board.
Jungåker scored what would become the game-winning goal with under two minutes to play in the first period. She and Joy Dunne skated 200 feet and passed back and forth before Jungåker set a shot over the glove of Minotti with Dunne screening in front.
The Buckeyes narrowly outshot the Tommies, 11-10, in the opening frame. Hailey MacLeod stopped all 10 shots she faced.
Ohio State and St. Thomas scored once in the second period. Sanni Vanhanen recorded the team's third unanswered goal of the game at 6:43 and was assisted by Svensson and Jungåker. The Tommies ended the Buckeyes' scoring run at 7:18 with their lone goal of the game.
Vanhanen restored the three-goal lead at 1:04 in the period and was again assisted by Svensson and Jungåker.
The Tommies pulled their goaltender twice in the last five minutes of the third period for the extra skater but Ohio State held the Tommies to just two shots in the last minutes of the game.

Game Notes

Emma Peschel's assist on the first goal of the game was her 100th career point. She is the 22nd player in program history to hit the mark and the third active player with 100 points in a Buckeye jersey.
Ohio State is now 40-37 in the WCHA tournament. The Buckeyes are set to make their ninth straight conference tournament semifinal appearance.

Statistically Speaking
Shots on Goal: Ohio State 32, St. Thomas 20
Saves: St. Thomas (Minotti) 27, Ohio State (MacLeod) 19
Power Play: Ohio State 0-1, St. Thomas 0-2
Faceoffs: Ohio State 36, St. Thomas 21
Ohio State Scoring: Jungåker (1-2-3), Svensson (1-2-3), Vanhanen (2-0-2), Dunne (0-1-1), Peschel (0-1-1), Swiderski (0-1-1)

Up Next
Ohio State will play in the 2026 WCHA Kwik Trip Final Faceoff semifinals Thursday, March 5. Game time will be determined once the WCHA First Round concludes Sunday.

#GoBucks