No. 1 Ohio State Ties No. 2 Minnesota, 4-4 – Ohio State Buckeyes

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 1 Ohio State women’s hockey team battled back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to tie No. 2 Minnesota, 4-4. The Buckeyes went on to win the shootout, 2-1, in four rounds to earn two conference points over the Gophers.

How it Happened

Minnesota got out to an early 2-0 lead on Saturday, scoring twice in the opening minutes of the game. The team’s first came at 2:23 from Abbey Murphy on the first power play opportunity of the game. The second was scored at 3:10 by Josefin Bouveng.

Ohio State recorded its first goal of the afternoon at 14:42 into the game with Makenna Webster lighting the lamp for the first time in the Scarlet and Gray sweater. Her linemates Paetyn Levis and Emma Maltais earned assists on the goal for the Buckeyes.

After a scoreless second period, Minnesota extended its lead to 3-1 with another goal from Murphy, this time at 53 seconds into the third period.

Down two with under 10 minutes to play in regulation, the Buckeyes managed to tie the game with two goals in two minutes. Jenn Gardiner added her second of the weekend, scoring at 10:47 with an assist from Webster. Sophie Jaques tied the game at three-all with 7:13 on the clock as the Buckeyes’ power play was about to expire. Webster and Maltais added an apple on the goal.

Minnesota’s Taylor Heise scored a shorthanded goal with just over six minutes remaining to put the Gophers back in front of the Buckeyes. But Jaques stepped up once again for Ohio State to tie the game at 4-4. The graduate defenseman scored her second power play goal of the day, this time at 14:26 to send the game to overtime. Madison Bizal and Emma Maltais set up Jaques for the final tally.

The Buckeyes and Gophers fought through the five minute overtime period to ultimately end in a 4-4 tie. Ohio State goaltender Raygan Kirk stopped seven Minnesota shots in overtime to send the game to a shootout.

Kirk’s momentum continued as she made three saves in four rounds of penalty shots. Jaques and Jenna Buglioni scored on Minnesota’s Skylar Vetter to give the Buckeyes the shootout win and the two WCHA points.

Game Notes

• Makenna Webster tied with Emma Maltais for a team-high three points in the game. Her goal scored in Saturday’s contest is her first of her Buckeye ice hockey career. She has now recorded four points in two games played for the Ohio State hockey team, with her only other game coming against St. Cloud…