Losing a game by six goals is not the ideal way to start a two-game series, but it is the way the Ohio State women’s hockey team began the series this weekend against No. 7 Wisconsin, losing 7-1 Friday night at the OSU Ice Rink.
After getting beaten that badly, there are two ways to respond — come out for the second game fired up to prove the night before was a fluke or become intimidated and lose another contest in an ugly fashion.
During the second game of the weekend series — played on Saturday night — the Buckeyes appeared to be heading toward another big loss in the first period, but bounced back to make the game competitive before losing, 2-1.
“The first period we came out and dug ourselves into too deep of a hole by giving up a 2-0 lead,” OSU freshman Jana Harrigan said after Saturday’s game. “But I was happy that we came out strong after that, and I think we outplayed them the second and third periods.”
In terms of shots, OSU outplayed Wisconsin the whole game, ending up with 32 shots compared to only 19 by the Badgers.
“I think we just had a problem finishing today,” said sophomore Jennifer Desson, who scored OSU’s only goal in the beginning of the second. “We had plenty of shots and chances, we just weren’t able to put that many of them away.”
The chances certainly were there to take during the second game of the series. OSU had five power-play opportunities compared to only two for the Badgers. Plus, two of the Buckeyes’ power plays were longer than the normal two minutes — Wisconsin senior Kerry Weiland earned a five-minute penalty for hitting from behind. When that penalty ended, sophomore Molly Engstrom was hit with a 10-minute misconduct penalty for wearing illegal jewelry.
Despite the opportunities, Ohio State was never able to knot the game at two. It finished the weekend with its second straight loss, a disappointment after sweeping Minnesota State the weekend before.
Still, with only two regular season games remaining before the conference tournament begins, the Buckeyes are optimistic about their chances after playing what they felt was a good game Saturday night.
“We just have to come out in these last few games and play as hard as we did tonight and just give it our all,” Harrigan said.
The final two games before the postseason will be played at OSU this upcoming weekend against Bemidji State. The Buckeyes said they hope the home crowd for those two games will be as loud as it was Saturday night, when the OSU Ice Rink drew a season-high attendance of 521, thanks in part to a sale on concession-stand foods.
“The crowd was a little larger than normal; I think the sale on hot dogs helped a little bit,” Harrigan said. “When the crowd is going, our team definitely feeds off it.”
