Gradueta forward Jennifer Gardiner carries the puck during Ohio State's game against St. Thomas on Feb. 16. She scored her first and eighth goals in the Buckeyes' 8-0 win over Bemidji State in the WCHA quarterfinals.Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
The Buckeyes head to Minneapolis.
Ohio State (31-3, 36-2 WCHA) advances to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament semifinals with an 8-0 victory over Bemidji State (4-30, 3-24-2 WCHA) at the Ohio State Ice Rink. I got a ticket for. Saturday. The Buckeyes won 10-1 on Friday night, defeating the Beavers in the WCHA quarterfinals and will play No. 8 Minnesota Duluth in the semifinals on Friday.
“I think the playoffs give us a little bit of a boost to pay attention to our plays and backcheck a little bit better because we have a lot going on,” senior forward Jennifer Gardiner said. “That's how it should be every game, but that's what playoff hockey is about, so I think there was a little bit more effort from the whole group.”
In last season's quarterfinal series, Ohio State defeated the Beavers 4-1, 2-1. After winning 10-1 on Friday and 8-0 on Saturday, head coach Nadine Museral said she was impressed with the results this season.
“When it comes to playoff hockey, you never know when it’s going to happen,” Muselal said. “Anything goes. I think [the Beavers] We were doing everything we needed to do to fight the good fight. I think what our team did today was very impressive. It's our job as coaches to get them ready for the playoffs. It was a blank slate at 0-0, but they took it seriously. ”
For the second consecutive game, Ohio State had a season-high 62 shots on goal. The Buckeyes limited Bemidji State's offense again Saturday, allowing nine shots on goal during the shutout.
“We controlled the neutral zone very well,” Muselal said. “We pushed up and took up space and had good back pressure. If you can control the neutral zone, it's very difficult to create something.”
The Buckeyes got off to a hot start in the first period Saturday. Four minutes into the game, the Buckeyes took a 2-0 lead on goals from Gardiner and senior defenseman Lauren Bernard.
Gardiner said executing the little things helped the Buckeyes get on the scoreboard early and often.
“I think we just limited our turnovers,” Gardiner said. “That was one of the things we talked about yesterday, just playing simple and getting the puck deep and making it work from low to high, and that's what led to some of the goals we scored today. It was clearly shown.”
In the second period, two Buckeye freshmen, Joy Dunn and Jordan Baxter, scored in addition to sophomore forward Sloane Matthews. Including Friday night's game, the freshmen accounted for five of Ohio State's 18 points in the Bemidji State series.
“I don’t think our freshman group thinks about how we impact individuals, but yeah, it’s pretty cool to have such a positive impact on a team,” Baxter said. I did.
Senior goaltender Raegan Kirk started in the Buckeyes' quarterfinal game against the Beavers. She totaled 21 saves over the weekend and earned her seventh shutout of the season on Saturday.
Museral said Kirk's consistency throughout the year helped him earn a spot in the postseason.
“There is tough competition, especially [Amanda] And that makes each of them tougher and stronger,” Muselal said. “Kirk has been very consistent this year, so we talked as her staff and decided to give her a boost.”
The Buckeyes' next semifinal matchup will be against the lowest remaining seed in the conference on Friday at 2 p.m., and will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus.
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