Ohio State redshirt junior goalie Kassidy Sauve (32) sits on the puck after a save in the first period of the game against Minnesota on Jan. 19. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor
The No. 6 Ohio State women’s hockey team (19-7-4, 12-4-4 WCHA) completed a home series sweep against No. 1 Wisconsin (26-3-1, 17-21-1 WCHA) with a 3-1 upset victory at the OSU Ice Rink Saturday.
The Buckeyes won the game behind another strong outing from redshirt junior goalie Kassidy Sauve, who stopped 34 of 35 shot attempts. Her night did not begin easy. Just three minutes into the game, she appeared to be injured, forcing the trainer to come out and see her on the ice.
“She had to over extend to make a hell of a save,” Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall said. “I think it changed the pace of the game. She’s a competitor, she knows that she’s a quarterback to our team. She’s going to play through any bumps and bruises.”
Though Sauve was healthy enough to stay in the game, she appeared to have been slowed by the injury. Two minutes after being checked on by trainers, she allowed the game’s first goal to sophomore forward Alexis Mauermann.
“After their first goal I had to encourage the girls to not feel demoralized,” Muzerall said. “Continue to press, continue to press. You can score, you have proven that yesterday.”
With 6:51 left in the second period and a night after scoring the lone goal in the Buckeyes’ 1-0 win against Wisconsin, Maltais scored her 13th goal of the season. Redshirt sophomore defender Jincy Dunne and freshman forward Tatum Skaggs were credited with assists.
“Dani Sadek flipped it up, it was in the neutral zone and [freshman forward] Tatum [Skaggs] chipped it by their D,” Maltais said. “I saw a little bit of a lane, so I just leaned into the defensemen on the other side. Honestly, I just shot it. We had talked in video about how we need to shoot high on this goalie was the way to go, I just tried to get it up there and it went in.”
The Buckeyes maintained steady control of the puck early in the third period, and their aggressive attack eventually led to junior forward Charly Dahlquist burying the tie-breaking goal 2:49 into the period. Maltais and Skaggs assisted the goal.
“Any time you can get a puck past Campbell, from Wisconsin, that’s a good success,” Muzerall said. “Vise versa too, to get a goal past Sauve is just as difficult. We figured it would be a battle of goaltending.”
Though the Badgers finished the third period having outshot the Buckeyes 11-7, Wisconsin could not find the back of the net. And in the end, Skaggs fired a shot into an empty Badger net, icing the game at 3-1.
“I think the girls are well deserving of this win,” Muzerall said. “I’m very proud they got two past Campbell.”
