Ohio State, Boston College Set for NCAA Quarterfinal Matchup
3/15/2021 8:20:14 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State begins its quest for a national championship on Tuesday evening when the third-seeded Buckeyes (12-6) meet sixth-seeded Boston College (14-5) in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pa. A win would propel Ohio State to the Frozen Four to meet either Wisconsin or Providence on Thursday. All seven games of this year’s tournament are being held in Erie, Pa.
The Basics
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Boston College | Tuesday, March 16 | 7 p.m. | Erie Insurance Arena
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Briefly on the Buckeyes
- Ohio State is 12-6-0 this season and has been ranked in the top five of the US College Hockey Online (USCHO) Poll each week of the season.
- It rose to No. 2 on Feb. 16 following a sweep of Minnesota, its highest ranking in program history.
- Fourteen of its 18 games to this point in the season have come against teams that are ranked inside of the top five in the USCHO poll.
- The Buckeyes are 8-6 in those contests.
- Ohio State features one of the nation’s most balanced offenses: Six players have 10 or more points, led by senior Tatum Skaggs (eight goals, nine assists, 17 points) and Patty Kazmaier Top 10 Finalist Emma Maltais (five goals, 10 assists, 15 points).
- Ten different players have multiple goals while nine have between nine and 16 points.
- Ohio State also possesses one of the nation’s best penalty kill units, holding opponents with a goal on 45 of 47 opportunities.
In Win Would…
- Put Ohio State into the Frozen Four for the second time in four years
- Improve the Buckeyes’ overall record to 13-6
- Be their ninth win this season over a top-10 ranked team
Statistically Speaking
- Ohio State’s penalty kill ranks second nationally with a 95.6 percent kill rate (43 of 45). Boston College is No. 10 at 88.4 percent.
- Goalie Andrea Braendli is ranked the top 25 nationally in winning percentage (12th, .625), shutouts (12th, two), goals-against average (17th, 1.99) and save percentage (24th, .918).
- Four of Ohio State’s five seniors have played in 129 or more games. All five of them – Lisa Bruno, Tatum Skaggs, Liz Schepers, Emma Maltais and Lynsey Wallace – where on the team in 2017-18 when the Buckeyes made the Frozen Four.
- Maltais is the WCHA’s active career leader in points (157) on 55 goals and 102 assists. Her 102 assists are second most in program history.
- Ohio State has scored first 11 times this season and is 10-1 in those games.
- The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 21-10 in the second quarter of games this season, including a 5-1 run in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals on March 6. The five goals in that quarter tied a single-game Ohio State record.
Coaching Connections
- Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall and Boston College associate head coach Courtney Kennedy were college teammates at Minnesota, helping the Gophers win their first-ever national championship in 2000.
- The two have remained close throughout the coaching journey, so close in fact that Kennedy is the godmother to Muzerall’s two children.
NCAA Tournament History
- Ohio State has been selected for the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons, the longest stretch in program history.
- In 2018, Ohio State defeated Boston College, 2-0, in the first round to advance to the Frozen Four where they fell to Clarkson 1-0 in the tournament semifinal.
- The 2018 win over Boston College is the only meeting between the two programs in series history.
- Last year, as the WCHA Final Faceoff champions, they earned the league’s automatic bid and was the tournament’s No. 5 overall seed. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, canceled the tournament before it started.
Against the 2021 NCAA Tournament Field
- Eight of Ohio State’s 18 games have come against teams that are in this year’s NCAA Tournament field.
- The Buckeyes are 4-4 in those games with two wins over second-seeded Wisconsin and two against fifth-seeded Minnesota Duluth
Recapping the Final Faceoff
- A fast and furious string of second-period goals – five to be exact – lifted No. 3 Ohio State to the WCHA Final Faceoff championship game with a 7-2 win over No. 5 Minnesota Duluth.
- Ohio State’s five-goal second period tied for the second-most in a single period in WCHA postseason history and stands as the most in a Final Faceoff semifinal contest.
- The Buckeyes’ seven goals are the program’s most in a postseason game.
- In the championship game, Sophie Jaques and Jennifer Gardiner scored for the Buckeyes but Wisconsin put in the game-winner 42 seconds into overtime for a 3-2 victory.
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