Emma Peschel, 7, and Riley Blengman, 13, celebrate after a 2-1 win in Game 2 of the quarterfinals between Ohio State and Bemidji State on February 25, 2023. Kenzie Hauswirth (11 years old).lantern file photo
One down, one more to go.
Ohio State entered the first game of a three-game series against Bemidji State (4-29-2, 3-25-1 WCHA) in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal series on Friday night at the Ohio State Ice Rink. We won 1-1.
The No. 1 Buckeyes (30-3-0 WCHA, 27-2-0) are one win away from advancing to the WCHA Finals faceoff in Minneapolis.
“We're trying to get into a rhythm,” head coach Nadine Museral said. “You're not just trying to end someone's season, you're trying to end a part of their career. That's tough. They're going to come in and push.”
Ohio State's offense looked unstoppable from the start against the Beavers. Five minutes, 48 seconds into the first period, the Buckeyes took a 3-0 lead on goals from graduate defenseman Kayla Burns and freshman forwards Joy Dunn and Jordan Baxter.
“It's definitely a maturity and a mindset that's coming right out of the gate for us,” senior forward Jenna Brioni said. “If we can press right away and put a lot of pressure on, it starts to click for us. That's really important and we need to get off to a hot start as the season goes on.”
Bemidji State was on the verge of a comeback early in the second period when freshman defenseman Olivia Delon scored the Beavers' first goal 4:27 into the period. It was a play on which Muselal said the Buckeyes temporarily “lost their edge.”
“It was a faceoff and a shot from an odd angle,” Muselal said. “But you can't give them up on faceoffs, you have to box out and block and make sure you don't let that shot go through. We just held them accountable for that, but then The transition was quick.”
Graduate defenseman Hadley Hartmets scored 54 seconds later, extending Ohio State's lead to 4-1. From there, the Buckeyes never looked back, scoring six more goals and posting a season-high 62 shots on goal.
Brioni said the key to the victory was preventing Bemidji State's defense from blocking shots.
“For us, it's just trying to draw opposing players to us and play in the back of the pocket and get shots on net,” Coach Brioni said.
Eight different Buckeyes scored in the 10-1 victory, with Bourioi and Barnes each scoring twice. Muzeral said depth is critical to Ohio State's success, especially in the postseason.
“There's not just one line that can be shut down,” Muselal said. “When you face tough competition and the stakes are at stake, you have to keep shifting shift after shift. We’re working very hard to make sure no one sticks with us for a third term.”
Ohio State will play Bemidji State in Game 2 of the quarterfinal series Saturday at 3 p.m., streamed on Big Ten Plus. If the Buckeyes win, they will advance to the WCHA semifinals, and if they lose, they will face Bemidji State in Game 3 on Sunday.
Heading into Game 2, Muselal said he wants his team to be firing on all cylinders for 60 minutes.
“Regardless of the score, we have a system and we have to stick to it,” Muselal said. “We have to trust it and play together and not get too personal. We called them out on that in some parts of the game, but then They made some changes and the second half of the game was great.”
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