Graduate defenseman Stephanie Markowski (4) looks to defend a shot from Minnesota Duluth’s Nina Jobst-Smith during a 3-0 Ohio State win Jan. 19. The Buckeyes and Bulldogs will meet again in the WCHA semifinal Friday at 2 p.m. Credit: Sandra Fu | Lantern Photographer
It’s win or go home for Ohio State.
The No. 1 Buckeyes (31-3-0, 26-2-0 WCHA) are set to face No. 8 Minnesota Duluth (20-12-4, 15-11-2 WCHA) in a single-elimination Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament semifinal on Friday after sweeping Bemidji State in a three-game quarterfinal series Friday and Saturday.
Senior goaltender Raygan Kirk said the upcoming knockout game at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis brings a new level of intensity.
“There’s no more series — it’s kind of a one-and-done now,” Kirk said. “On Friday, you have no idea, if you win, who you’re going to play on Saturday, and you just have to focus on one game at a time. We’re super excited for the really strong competition and we’re trying to focus on our game and building off of what we’ve learned this season.”
Graduate forward Hannah Bilka said the Buckeyes — who have only one loss since the new year — are ready for the high stakes.
“Confidence is built with our past record,” Bilka said. “So, I think we’re leading into the weekend with that confidence of, ‘We played the best teams and we beat them, so we can do it again.’”
Ohio State is undefeated in its four meetings against Minnesota Duluth this season, with three of the four wins being shutouts. Kirk, who was responsible for two of the shutouts, said the Bulldogs are a difficult opponent because of their similarities to the Buckeyes.
“They have a lot of depth on their team, like we do,” Kirk said. “They play as a unit and they just make really smart plays. It’s going to be a really good, gritty hockey game, so I think we just have to make the smart plays and take advantage of every opportunity that we do get against them.”
Bilka said Minnesota Duluth is particularly strong on defense. The Bulldogs rank sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 1.44 goals per game.
“They’re always positioned really well in the defensive zone,” Bilka said. “We can have all this offensive zone time and chances, but they’re really quick to be in the right spot, so some things aren’t always as open as they are against other teams.”
Ohio State is the only team in the WCHA with a lower goals-against-average than Minnesota Duluth with a mark of 1.29 that ranks fourth nationally.
Kirk said the Buckeyes will have to focus on Bulldog captain and graduate forward Mannon McMahon, who is second on the team in scoring with 30 points and 13 goals. McMahon only trails fellow graduate forward Reece Hunt, whose 34 points and 18 goals lead the team.
Throughout the season, Kirk has split time in Ohio State’s net with fellow senior goaltender Amanda Thiele. In the quarterfinal series against Bemidji State, Kirk started both games, recording 21 saves and allowing one goal in 120 minutes of play.
“I’m super honored to get that nod,” Kirk said. “We only have a few games left, but they’re super important, and I’ve really been trying to be consistent this past year. Knowing that the girls in front of me have confidence, and I have confidence in them as well.”
Minnesota Duluth’s goaltenders shared the net and both earned shutouts in their quarterfinal sweep of then-No. 10 St. Cloud State. Sophomore Hailey MacLeod — a WCHA Goaltender of the Year finalist — made 20 saves in a 5-0 game one win before freshman Eve Gascon — a WCHA Rookie of the Year finalist — stopped 27 shots in the 2-0 game two win.
Ohio State’s semifinal matchup will take place at 2 p.m., streaming live on Big Ten Plus.
If the Buckeyes win, they will face the winner of the No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 5 Minnesota matchup at 3 p.m. at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, also streaming live on Big Ten Plus.
