Ohio State women’s hockey celebrates its second goal during the Ohio State-St. Thomas game Sept. 25, 2021. Ohio State won 4-1. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor
The Buckeyes rebounded after defeat, as No. 2 Ohio State split their last regular season road series against Bemidji State in Bemidji, Minnesota.
The Buckeyes (23-6-0) lost Friday 3-2 after the Beavers (11-16-3) were able to shoot the puck into an empty net while the buzzer sounded. On Saturday, the Buckeyes’ offense drove Ohio State to an 8-1 victory. They closed their five-game road trip with a 4-1 record.
Friday
Ohio State senior forward Gabby Rosenthal began the scoring with a power play goal as two seconds remained on the clock in the first period.
Bemidji State senior forward Graysen Myers put the Beavers on the board in the second period to tie the game. Later in the period, Bemidji State sophomore forward Kayla Santl scored her first collegiate goal to give the Beavers the lead at the end of the second period.
Ohio State graduate forward Clair DeGeorge, who previously played for Bemidji State for four seasons, tied the game in the middle of the third period for the Buckeyes, making it a 2-2 contest.
Ohio State pulled sophomore goaltender Amanda Thiele with less than a minute left in the game. Bemidji State fifth-year forward Paige Beebe scored an empty-net goal while the buzzer sounded, propelling the Beavers over the Buckeyes 3-2.
Thiele was pulled from the net because the Buckeyes won two strong face-offs and put pressure on the Beavers, head coach Nadine Muzerall said.
“It’s just a reminder that you’ve got to play 60 minutes of hockey,” Muzerall said. “I trusted that if anything we were going to win that game or go into overtime.”
Thiele ended the night with 13 saves. Bemidji State fifth-year goaltender Kerigan Dowhy finished with 51 saves.
Saturday
Ohio State senior defender Sophie Jaques found the back of the net in the middle of the first period, putting the Buckeyes on the board. Less than a minute later, Ohio State sophomore defender Riley Brengman also got the puck past Dowhy, giving the Buckeyes a two-goal lead.
Ohio State junior forward Jennifer Gardiner capitalized on a power play opportunity in the second period, making it a 3-0 game. Jaques was credited with an assist on the goal, marking her 100th-career point.
DeGeorge earned her second goal of the series, giving the Buckeyes a 4-0 lead, at the end of the first period. The Buckeyes outshot the Beavers in the first period 23-5.
Bemidji State junior forward Reece Hunt scored the Beavers’ first goal of the game at the end of the second period. The Buckeyes did not score, but outshot the Beavers in the second period 24-3.
The Buckeyes’ offense was relentless in the third period. Ohio State senior forward Paetyn Levis fired the puck past Dowhy into the net. Ohio State sophomore forward Jenna Buglioni also scored a goal for the Buckeyes after making the puck fly over Dowhy’s shoulder.
Ohio State freshman forward Madisyn Wiebe scored her second goal of the season, followed by Ohio State graduate forward and captain Liz Schepers scoring a goal of her own. Schepers’ goal ended the scoring, resulting in a 8-1 Ohio State win.
Junior goaltender Raygan Kirk saved 14 shots and had a 0.933 save percentage. Six Buckeyes had a multi-point game, including DeGeorge who tallied four points against her former team.
Ohio State will conclude its regular season at the Ohio State University Ice Rink against No. 3 Wisconsin Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m.
