The No. 2 Ohio State women’s hockey team shut out Bemidji State 5-0 Friday.. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
Junior goaltender Amanda Thiele had a shutout and graduate forward Paetyn Levis notched two goals as the No. 2 Ohio State women’s ice hockey team returned to home ice in a clash versus the Bemidji State Beavers and handily won 5-0.
Despite being unable to find the back of the net in the opening minutes, Ohio State set the tone from the first drop of the puck, controlling the pace and not allowing a shot on goal for the first nine minutes of play.
Head coach Nadine Muzerall said she was glad the team set the pace despite missing key players graduate forward Emma Maltais, junior defenseman Riley Brengman and graduate forward Gabby Rosenthal to the 2022-23 Rivalry Series.
“I just wanted to see if they could have some leadership and step up,” Muzerall said. “I think that was intentional to give them the ability to be leaders in the locker room instead of it always coming from the top.
With 10 minutes left in the first period, graduate defenseman Madison Bizal got the scoring started for the Buckeyes with a top-shelf wrist shot from the point, soaring past Beavers junior goaltender Hannah Hogenson and giving Ohio State a 1-0 lead on her second goal of the season.
With five minutes left in the first, Levis was sent to the penalty box for slashing, but the Ohio State penalty kill prevailed. Senior forward Kenzie Hauswirth said the Buckeye penalty kill was crucial in its victory versus the Beavers and has been so all year.
“We take a lot of pride in our penalty kill,” Hauswirth said. “I think we did really well tonight and when we killed off the penalties that brought us a lot more momentum, and we really build off that and thrive off that.”
Less than a minute after returning to even strength, graduate forward and dual-sport athlete Makenna Webster found the back of the net from the crease, and extended the Buckeye lead to 2-0 to end the first period. Muzerall said with Webster back on the ice full time, her role will become increasingly important.
“She brings that energy to the team, and everybody has to rise up around her,” Muzerall said. “I’m excited to see the future for her when she gets a little bit more into hockey shape.”
The early minutes of the second period of play consisted of more of the same, with Ohio State’s forecheck consistently pressuring Hogenson and the Beavers’ defense.
A 2-on-1 opportunity for the Beavers with 10 minutes left in the period nearly saw Bemidji State’s first goal of the night, but Thiele consistently proved to be an issue for the Beavers’ offense. Muzerall said goaltending continues to be crucial as the Buckeyes approach the mid-season push.
“It’s needed in order to be successful in our league and in the country,” Muzerall said. “I challenged them a couple weeks ago, so it’s nice to see them rise up because they have a lot of pride.”
With just over nine minutes left in the second period, Bemidji State sophomore defenseman Ella Anick was sent to the penalty box for interference, and Ohio State’s power play, which holds a .308 percentage, went to work. But despite several scoring opportunities, Hogenson stepped up for Bemidji State’s defense and the Beavers successfully killed off the penalty.
The end of a largely uneventful second period saw Ohio State end with 18 shots on goal compared to Bemidji State’s 12.
Just over four minutes into the final period, the Buckeyes’ offense extended the lead to 3-0 as Levis found the back of the net on a shot off the crease.
But Ohio State’s offense was not done scoring just yet, as junior forward Jenna Buglioni notched her sixth goal of the year and extended the Buckeyes’ lead to 4-0. Muzerall said Buglioni’s impact extends that of a goal scorer.
“When you see Jenna Buglioni blocking a shot with two seconds left, that to me just shows pride in blocking shots, playing defense and keeping the zero on the board,” Muzerall said.
With 4:31 remaining in the game, Levis added her second goal of the night to the scoreboard with a backhanded shot off a breakaway, giving the Buckeyes a stout 5-0 lead and the victory.
The Buckeyes host Bemidji State Saturday at 3 p.m. at The Ohio State Ice Rink.
