COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s hockey team finished off a weekend sweep of WCHA foe Bemidji State with a 7-1 win over the Beavers on Saturday afternoon at the OSU Ice Rink. The Buckeyes improve to 4-2 on the season while Bemidji State is 1-4-1.
The Buckeyes’ offensive attack produced 68 shots, which set a new school single-game record. The previous mark was 64 shots vs. Lindenwood in 2010. It was the most goals scored in a game by an Ohio State team since Jan. 11, 2020 when it notched eight in a win over Minnesota State.
Five different players finished with at least one goal, led by Tatum Skaggs and Jennifer Gardiner, who each finished had three points on two goals and an assist. Eve Savander and Madison Bizal chipped in with two assists each while Jenna Buglioni, Riley Bregman and Paetyn Levis each found the back of the net.
“It was great to see a lot of different people’s names on the scoreboard today,” said head coach Nadine Muzerall. “It’s hard to score seven goals in college hockey nowadays, especially against a very respectable opponent like Bemidji, but our girls kept getting stronger and stronger as the weekend went on.”
Ohio State opened the game by outshooting the Beavers 27-4 in the first period and received goals from Levis, off assists by Brooke Bink and Eve Savander, and Skaggs to take a 2-1 lead after the first 20 minutes. Skaggs’ goal broke a 1-1 tie 13:15 into the period. The 27 shots in the period is a program single-game record.
The Buckeyes got all the separation they would need in the second period, taking a 3-1 lead of Jennifer Gardiner’s second goal of the season at the 6:38 mark. She was assisted on the play by Buglioni and Savander. In the span of less than two minutes late in the period, the Buckeyes struck twice on goals from Buglioni and Gardiner to make the score 5-1. Ohio State held a 26-6 edge in shots in the period.
Freshman Riley Brengman scored her first career goal 7:02 into the third period to make the score 6-1 and then Skaggs found the back of the net for the second time in the game when he cleaned up a rebound of her own shot with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Freshman goalie Amanda Thiele made her first career start and picked up the win, making 13 saves. The Buckeyes’ penalty kill went two for two of the day and is currently 10 for 10 on the season.
On the weekend, Ohio State’s offense produced 11 goals and outshot Bemidji State 114-30. Buglioni had three goals and three assists in the two games while Gardiner wasn’t far behind with five points (three goals, two assists). Seven players made multiple points this weekend and six scored goals.
Ohio State returns to action next Friday and Saturday, Jan. 8-9, when it travels to Madison, Wisc. to face No. 1 Wisconsin. The Buckeyes and Badgers previously split a series Nov. 27-28 in Columbus.
Statistically Speaking
Ohio State 7, Bemidji State 1 // Jan. 2, 2021 // Columbus, Ohio
Shots: Ohio State 68, Bemidji State 14
Power Play: Bemidji State 0-2, Ohio State 0-3
Saves: Bemidji State 61 (Hogenson 48; Baker 13), Ohio State (Thiele) 13
Ohio State Top Scorers (G-A-P): Tatum Skaggs 2-1-3, Jennifer Gardiner 2-1-3, Bizal 0-2-2, Eve Savender 0-2-2, Jenna Buglioni 1-1-2, Gabby Rosenthal 0-1-1, Liz Schepers 0-1-1, Paetyn Levis 1-0-0, Riley Brengman 1-0-1, Brooke Bink 0-1-1
