Ohio State women's ice hockey ranked No. 1 senior goaltender Quinn Kuntz (35) faces No. 8 Minnesota Duluth during the Western Collegiate Hockey Association final faceoff semifinal game Friday in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They won 5-0 and celebrated their victory.Credit: Cameron Moonlantern Reporter
For the No. 1 Ohio State women's ice hockey team, turning defense into offense has been a pillar of success this season.
That method of play was reflected in senior goaltender Raegan Kirk's 17-save shutout performance as the team faced No. 8 Minnesota Duluth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association final faceoff semifinals on Friday at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. This was also carried over in the 5-0 win.
Ohio State (32-3, 27-2 WCHA) scored two goals in the first period and the Bulldogs (20-13-4, 15-12-2 WCHA) sophomore averaged 1.06 points per game. exceeded. They acquired netminder Haley MacLeod after just 20 minutes of play.
“Take a shot [MacLeod] We talked about it early on,” Ohio State graduate forward Jen Gardiner said. “Our game plan was to get them the puck quickly and get some (offensive) zone time. Corraling them on the forecheck and taking those opportunities led to our early success. Ta.”
Freshman forward Joy Dunn scored Ohio State's first goal of the day at 11:03, and senior forward Chiara Zanon scored on a rebound just 44 seconds later.
Ohio State head coach Nadine Museral said both skaters are new to the Ohio State program this season, but have stepped up to the level of competition needed to win in the postseason.
“They don't see [a WCHA postseason tournament]But they are individually very talented and skilled,” Muselal said.
The Buckeyes added two more goals in the second period, with sophomore defenseman Emma Peschel and senior forward Makenna Webster putting Ohio State up 4-0 after 40 minutes.
After Ohio State shot 11-7 on goal advantage in the first period, the Buckeyes outscored the Bulldogs 19-4 on midfield play.
“Continuing to have a relentless forecheck and combining some shifts is something we talked about between periods,” Gardiner said. “I thought we really improved throughout the game and obviously (Raegan) Kirk finding the net and making some saves gave us more confidence in the offensive zone.”
Kirk, a third-team All-WCHA member and WCHA goaltending champion, recorded his eighth shutout of the season and second of the postseason, giving him his 19th win of the season.
“They played great in front of me,” Kirk said. “It’s always an honor to be nominated, and I’m sure I’ll be there (Saturday).”
Ohio State's five points bested Duluth, Minnesota's 1.4 points per game average through Friday.
“It's great for any team in this league, especially in the playoffs, to score five goals with everyone at their best,” Muselal said. “The zeros on the board are equally impressive.”
Senior forward Olivia Mobley scored Ohio State's winning goal of the day at 3:29 of the third quarter, giving the Buckeyes a goal from 3 of 4 from the line.
“We have a lot of second, third and fourth scorers,” Muselal said. “It's hard to shut us up. The focus isn't on one or two key players. You can shut down one player, but there will be waves of two to four players. Sho.”
The Buckeyes recorded their 10th shutout of the season and improved to 5-0-0 against Minnesota-Duluth this season.
Ohio State will play the winner of No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 5 Minnesota on Saturday at 2:00 pm CT/3:00 pm ET at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. Big Ten Plus will televise it.
