Senior goaltender Raygan Kirk and graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes fist bump before leaving the ice in Ohio State’s 3-0 win against No. 7 Minnesota Duluth Jan. 19. Credit: Sandra Fu | Lantern Photographer
Heading into the Buckeyes’ weekend series at St. Cloud State, graduate defenseman Cayla Barnes said her team had something to prove.
With a 4-2 win Friday and a 3-2 victory Saturday against the No. 9 Huskies (15-10-1, 10-9-1 WCHA), No. 1 Ohio State (22-2-0, 19-1-0 WCHA) avenged its only conference loss of the season, which came against St. Cloud State Dec. 1, 2023.
Much like the Buckeyes’ last road trip at then-No. 2 Minnesota, Ohio State began the series lighting up the scoreboard in the first period Friday.
Barnes opened the scoring 47 seconds into game one before sophomore forward Sloane Matthews and senior forward Jenna Buglioni added scores of their own to cap off a 3-0 first period.
After a scoreless second period, St. Cloud State forward Emma Gentry began her three-goal weekend with a blocker-side wrist shot score 22 seconds into the third period.
Senior forward Makenna Webster scored the Buckeyes’ fourth and final goal with 14:10 remaining in regulation before Gentry scored her second of the game on a power play under a minute later, resulting in a 4-2 final score.
In Saturday’s game, defensive zone turnovers were costly for both teams.
Just over 10 minutes into the first period, Barnes looked to make a cross-ice pass from the Buckeyes’ defensive zone. Gentry intercepted the pass and instantly fired a wrist shot from the slot, resulting in her third goal of the weekend and a 1-0 St. Cloud State lead.
Seven minutes later, senior forward Kiara Zanon made an interception in the Husky zone. Zanon made a give-and-go pass to Webster to the left of the net, then scored a one-time goal to equalize at 1-1.
Webster capitalized on another crucial St. Cloud State turnover in the second period when she picked up a whiffed pass in the corner of the Huskies’ defensive zone and sent a pass to graduate defenseman Hadley Hartmetz. Hartmetz released a shot from the left point that Webster deflected into the net for her second point of the game and of the weekend.
Thirteen minutes into the third period, freshman forward Joy Dunne extended the Buckeyes’ lead to 3-1, before a St. Cloud State empty-net, power-play goal drew the Huskies within one score in the final minute of the game.
The Buckeyes’ defense fended off the Huskies’ final minute of offense and escaped with a 3-2 win and a weekend sweep.
With the two wins, Ohio State has swept three straight top-10 opponents, defeating Minnesota Jan. 12 and 13, No. 7 Minnesota Duluth Jan. 19 and 20.
The Buckeyes return to the ice against Bemidji State at the Ohio State Ice Rink Friday and Saturday.
