Ohio State Buckeyes 2021-2022 ... Destination: Happy Valley

[Steamboat]

WI is fighting for their home ice lives as far as a 3/4 seed nationally goes, OSU has that locked up. Hopefully having nothing to play for (wink), shifts the Muzzinatorettes down a gear or 2 and UW can beat them, I'm not sure at full speed that UW has enough to hang with OSU. If Muzzy shortens the bench at least from a fitness/energy level it will be a fair fight since UW only has 3 lines. Hopefully Muzzy only trusts her top 2 lines.

Will you be coming up to enjoy the action Tim?

[ARM]

Somebody's sandbagging is pretty rusty. You can tell that you haven't had to exercise this skill much in recent years.

[Timothy A]

WI is fighting for their home ice lives as far as a 3/4 seed nationally goes, OSU has that locked up. Hopefully having nothing to play for (wink), shifts the Muzzinatorettes down a gear or 2 and UW can beat them, I'm not sure at full speed that UW has enough to hang with OSU. If Muzzy shortens the bench at least from a fitness/energy level it will be a fair fight since UW only has 3 lines. Hopefully Muzzy only trusts her top 2 lines.

[pgb-ohio]

Final Score From Saturday, February 26th
Ohio State 3
St. Cloud State 0

Huskies Turn It Up A Notch; But Buckeyes Sweep Series

Our 2022 WCHA Quarterfinal Series turned out to be a play with two acts. St. Cloud's season ended Saturday. But they have every right to leave town with their heads held high. The Huskies fought to the end; even pulling the goalie with over three minutes left. Those minutes saw intense SCSU pressure in the offensive zone. No ENG was conceded. The Huskies were better than Friday, pretty much across the board.

The Buckeyes may not have brought their A+ game, but it was another strong performance. Call it Symmetrical Hockey: 1 goal in each period. Plenty good enough to qualify for next Weekend's Final Face-Off.

Many players deserve recognition on both sides. The goalies will be included this time, with an eye on the full series. I'll also share the wealth, in the sense that there are no repeats from Friday's list.

Three Stars Of The Game: Decidedly Unofficial & Just For Fun

St. Cloud State Honorable Mention: Emma Polusny
A Goalie of Emma's caliber won't be satisfied giving up 9 goals in two games. But she actually played quite well, particularly on Saturday. In Act II, Polusny kept the Huskies within striking distance.

The Buckeye took 95 SOG for the weekend. That's a lot of rubber to face. Regardless, 86 Saves on 95 Shots works out to a 90.5% Save Percentage. Quite respectable under the circumstances.

During the post-game handshake, Emma spent a few extra moments with Liz Schepers. Both are from Mound, MN. But she didn't stop there, sharing reflections with the Buckeye coaches and other Buckeye players. Polusny is a class act. But you knew that.


Ohio State Honorable Mention: (tie) Andrea Braendli and Amanda Thiele
It's a little unconventional to recognize the Friday goalie among the Saturday Stars. But remember, we're focusing on the full series.

Amanda had 13 Saves on Friday; Andrea had 11 Saves on Saturday. So neither had a heavy workload. But go a little deeper into space. We had consecutive shutouts. 120 minutes of hockey were played, with zero goals allowed. Put down that telescope and smile. You've just observed a Binary Star.



#3 Star: Jenniina Nylund, St. Cloud State
St. Cloud's First Line Center is a 200 Foot Player for sure. In defensive end, Jenniina can be seen taking away passing lanes & constantly battling along the walls. On the breakout, the best SCSU offensive rushes were sparked by Nylund.

When your team is shut out, by definition you didn't record a goal or an assist. But Jenniina wasn't on the ice for any Buckeye goals either. I'm saying that's no coincidence. Fine player.


#2 Star: Hadley Hartmetz, Ohio State
On Friday, Hadley's 'D' Partner earned a Star. Today it's her turn. I'm sure that #19 won't mind having #6 join her on the podium.

In addition to Hartmetz's strong defensive performance, she contributed 2 key assists. On the game's opening goal, Hadley started the play from the right point. On the third goal, she fed the puck to Lauren Bernard -- The 'D' Partner in question. Bernard responded with a net-bulging bazooka blast that put an exclamation mark on the weekend.

#1 Star: Gabby Rosenthal, Ohio State
Goals were harder to come by on Saturday. Gabby's contributions broke the ice, then put the Buckeyes in a reasonably comfortable position as the battle went on.

The Rosenthal Goal opened the scoring & ultimately proved to be the GWG. Receiving the puck from Jenna Buglioni, Gabby jammed the puck through the keeper's five hole.

The Rosenthal Assist came on an initial shot. The stiff shot was saved; but it created a juicy rebound opportunity for Liz Schepers. The Schepers Backhander opened up a 2 goal lead.

Last but not least, Gabby continued her dynamic play in the face-off circle. Saturday's numbers: 11 of 16, for a Win Rate of 68.8%.


Up Next: The WCHA Final Face-Off @ Ridder Arena In Minneapolis, MN. The Wisconsin Badgers Await In The Semi-Final Round.

[osualum86]

Ohio State finished off St. Cloud earlier today by a final score of 3-0 to advance to next weekend's WCHA Final Faceoff. It was a valiant effort by the Huskies today, and especially their outstanding goaltender, Emma Polusny. Ohio State got goals in each period. Gabby Rosenthal got the Buckeyes on the board with a first period goal and Ohio State led 1-0 at the first intermission. Liz Schepers scored Ohio State's second period goal and the teams went into the final intermission with Ohio State leading 2-0. The Bucks would get a power play goal from Lauren Bernard in the final period to close out the scoring and Ohio State wins it 3-0. St. Cloud's season comes to an end, and big shoutout to St. Cloud's outstanding goaltender, Emma Polusny on a brilliant career for the Huskies! Ohio State outshot the Huskies in this one 35-11 with Buckeye netminder Andrea Braendli stopping all 11 shots she faced to get the win. Emma Polusny stopped 32 of the 35 shots she faced for the Huskies. St. Cloud's season comes to an end, the Buckeyes advance to the WCHA Final Faceoff where they will play Wisconsin next Saturday. The Badgers completed the sweep earlier today with a 5-0 win over Bemidji State.

[osualum86]

I was such a slacker last night! Not much to add to what Pgb has already said. Jenna Buglioni scored the opening goal, then it was the Paetyn Levis show for a stretch. Paetyn would score two of her four goals in the first period to put the Bucks up 3-0 at the end of one. Paetyn would score the second period's only goal and Ohio State went into the final intermission up 4-0. Levis was not done as she scored her fourth goal in the third period to put the Buckeyes up 5-0. Liz Schepers finished the scoring late in the third period to make the final score 6-0. The Buckeyes outshot the Huskies in this one 60-13. Buckeye backstop Amanda Thiele saved all 13 shots she faced. St. Cloud's Emma Polusny saved 54 of the 60 shots she faced.

[pgb-ohio]

Final Score From Friday, February 25th
Ohio State 6
St. Cloud State 0

WCHA Playoffs Begin; Game 1 Goes Well

Friday Apres Hockey in a Best of Three Series has a unique feel to it. Basically we're at intermission. Maybe we're at halftime. Or maybe we're just one third of the way through. But at least in the first stanza, all went well for the Buckeyes.

The Offense was highly productive, putting up 60 SOG. 6 Goals resulted; that number topped all teams in the WCHA Quarterfinals.

The Defense solidly controlled the Buckeye end. And of course Goalie Amanda Thiele recorded another shutout.

Keep it going, Buckeyes!

Three Stars Of The Game: Decidedly Unofficial & Just For Fun

St. Cloud State Honorable Mention: (tie) MaKenna Wesloh and Grace Wolfe
The Huskies' 1st D Pair held up pretty well. MaKenna was only on the ice for one Buckeye goal. Grace did her one better; she wasn't on the ice for any OSU goals. Her +/- was actually even for the game, despite the lopsided score.


Ohio State Honorable Mention: (tie) Clair DeGeorge, and Liz Schepers
The DeGeorge/Schepers/Levis Line was superb Friday night. On this particular occasion, #14 & #21 might be said to have played "best supporting" roles. And what a night the Star of the Show had! More on that later.

At this point of the narrative, I'll mention that Liz had a Goal and a Primary Assist, while Clair contributed a Primary Assist. If the Official Scoresheet is to be believed, Clair was on the ice for all 4 even strength goals. Liz was on the ice for all 6 goals, period. Wow! That translates to +4 for both DeGeorge & Schepers; which led all players.



#3 Star: Jenna Buglioni, Ohio State
Jenna set the tone for the evening just 2:28 into the game. The play begin with Madison Bizal dumping the puck into the St. Cloud end, with Buglioni in hot pursuit. The St. Cloud keeper started out with good intentions, hoping to tee up the puck for a teammate. She wound up teeing it up for Jenna. Buglioni took possession, whirled around and wrapped the puck into the net. The Buckeyes were up and running.


#2 Star: Lauren Bernard, Ohio State
Lauren is our Defensive Star of the Game. Guarding the Buckeye Zone and the Neutral Zone required diligence. Bernard certainly gave us that. In the St. Cloud end, Lauren had a Hat Trick of Assists, operating primarily from the point.

The first of those assists was especially impressive. Bernard held the puck in the zone twice in bang-bang fashion, thwarting Huskies breakout attempts. Ultimately Lauren steered the puck to Clair DeGeorge. Clair's diagonal cross-slot pass launched the Paetyn Levis scoring spree...


#1 Star: Paetyn Levis, Ohio State
Yes, 4 goals and an assist qualifies as a scoring spree. In fact, if Levis had scored a 5th goal instead of dishing off to Schepers on the finally tally of the night, it would have set a new OSU record -- for goals scored by a player in a single game. And earlier in that same play, Paetyn had a backhand opportunity in the slot that looked mighty promising. Just saying.

But as fun as that was, my favorite goal of the night was Paetyn's 3rd. She got the St. Cloud goalie moving the wrong way; going from right to left from the shooter's perspective. From there, Levis put a smoking hot shot into the top shelf. The puck appeared to glance off the goalie on the way in. It felt like the change of direction was the only thing that prevented the puck from going all the way through the net.

Based on quick check of the records, this is the 5th Time in Ohio State Women's Hockey History that a player has scored 4 goals in a single game. Note that Liz Schepers performed the same feat earlier in the year. Emma Maltais did this back in 2019. Nice company to keep.



Up Next: Visit Us Again Saturday At 3:00PM. Game 2 Of The WCHA Quarterfinals Awaits You!

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

You are right to be very concerned, but there is hope.

A hockey friend contacted me about HockeyBuckeye's situation. The friend does not post on USCHO. He got his information from Facebook. (Which I'm not on)

Covid is correct. It hit hard. The cancer treatment couldn't have helped. Quoting my friend: He "was on a ventilator for a while, was off of it for a couple days, then went back on." The most recent update was that he "had a tracheotomy a couple weeks ago." I'm trying not to read between the lines too much, but I have to believe that was to assist with his breathing. Breathing that had been severely compromised by the Covid.

Importantly, to the best of the friend's knowledge, HockeyBuckeye is still with us. However the situation remains very serious.

Thought and prayers will of course be appreciated.

I'll echo what ARM said, thank you for passing this information along to the rest of us.

[ARM]

Thanks for the update.

[pgb-ohio]

I have not seen a post from Hockeybuckeye in a couple months. I hope he is ok, last thing I remember him posting his he had Covid. I have a pit in my stomach.

You are right to be very concerned, but there is hope.

A hockey friend contacted me about HockeyBuckeye's situation. The friend does not post on USCHO. He got his information from Facebook. (Which I'm not on)

Covid is correct. It hit hard. The cancer treatment couldn't have helped. Quoting my friend: He "was on a ventilator for a while, was off of it for a couple days, then went back on." The most recent update was that he "had a tracheotomy a couple weeks ago." I'm trying not to read between the lines too much, but I have to believe that was to assist with his breathing. Breathing that had been severely compromised by the Covid.

Importantly, to the best of the friend's knowledge, HockeyBuckeye is still with us. However the situation remains very serious.

Thought and prayers will of course be appreciated.

[pgb-ohio]

Final Score From Saturday, February 19th
Ohio State 2
Wisconsin 1

Olympic Effort; Right On Campus

The 2022 Olympics are about to close. The Olympics aren't a perfect event, to be sure. Nevertheless, the skill, talent and determination on display ranges from excellent to astonishing.

But you know what? You don't have to go half way around the world to see those things. And you don't need to wait four years for the next battle of the titans. Sometimes you can just go back to the Ice Rink the next day.

Saturday's Buckeye/Badger game was a draining nail-biter. Afterwards it felt like you had climbed Mt. Olympus. And I'm speaking for those of us who only watched the game.

The compete level was excellent. Big picture, there wasn't necessarily that much on the line. Yes, the sweep put Ohio State in excellent position to host an NCAA Playoff game, something the Women's Hockey program has never done. Important thing. But mostly this was a case of two proud, excellent teams testing each other & pushing the limits.

It's likely these teams will meet again, and perhaps twice more. Expect the compete level to go from excellent to astonishing. But my current task is to tell you about Saturday's game.

Three Stars Of The Game: Decidedly Unofficial & Just For Fun

Wisconsin Honorable Mention: Grace Bowlby
The Badger Defense may have bent some during the 2nd Period, but they certainly didn't break. The Buckeye Offense put 45 Shots on Goal, and created many more excellent chances where the puck didn't make it to the net. The Badgers kept Buckeye shooters under constant pressure. The Top 6 Buckeye Forwards were essentially kept off the Scoresheet.

Part of me wants to honor more Badgers here, but I'll let Captain Bowlby represent her 'D' corps. It's noteworthy that Grace also started the Badger scoring play, sending a crisp up ice pass to Makenna Webster. Makenna dangled for a bit, then found a wide open Daryl Watts. When you give Daryl plenty of time to shoot, we all know Watts going to happen.


Ohio State Honorable Mention: The 10 Buckeye Seniors/Grad Students
Saturday's game was worthy of Senior Day; and maybe overshadowed it a little bit. I hope to have more to say about this large, special class sometime soon.

For now, I'll just mention that the Senior Day Ceremony gave us a notable Olympic moment. Team Switzerland Goalie Andrea Braendli made it all the way back from China in time for the festivities. Now I'm just going by facial expression & body language. But Andrea seemed genuinely thrilled to be back with her Buckeye Family. Of course the feeling is mutual.



#3 Star: Clair DeGeorge, Ohio State
The top forwards may have been kept off the Scoresheet, but they were spectacular on the forecheck all night long. So many Badger break-outs disrupted. So many loose pucks won.

This another case where my first instinct is to honor many more individual players. But I'd have to type up half the roster. So I'm going to let a very DeServing DeGeorge represent the group. As for the rest of the Buckeye Forecheckers, you know who you are.

If anyone was somehow slow to catch on to the forecheck, they certainly took notice in the last 10 minutes of the game. Usually when you're clinging to a 1 goal lead, those last 10 minutes seem like an eternity. This time, they went by pretty briskly. Ohio State kept Wisconsin mostly penned up in their own end. This included managing a potentially dangerous 4x4 situation. Well done, Buckeyes.



#2 Star: Cami Kronish, Wisconsin
Didn't go through the archives to literally check, but I have to believe that it's quite rare for Wisconsin to give up 45 shots. But Cami didn't seem particularly bothered. Among other things. she made difficult kick saves look easy. Her fine performance certainly gave her team a chance to win.

BTW, you may want to check out the Wisconsin thread for a great article on the Badgers' Goalie Coach. Written by Todd Milewski; link provided by roberearle. Thanks to both of you.



#1 Star: Kenzie Hauswirth, Ohio State
When one player scores both goals for the winning team, the choice for #1 is usually pretty straightforward. As it is here. Kenzie opened the scoring early in the 2nd Period, supported by quick passes from linemates Sara Saekkinan & Lexi Templeman. 6 1/2 minutes later, Hauswirth combined with Jenna Buglioni to double the Buckeye goal total. In both cases quick release and accurate placement got the job done.

Here's a little back story for you. Going into the weekend, Kenzie had scored just once this season. With her Friday goal and two Saturday tallies, Hauswirth quadrupled her season total. In the Olympic spirit, I'll quip that Kenzie pulled off the quad & nailed the landing.

From Unsung Hero To #1 Star. Very Cool.



Up Next: WCHA Quarter-Final Playoff Series Against St. Cloud. Be prepared to open your wallets this time. This is the post-season. For better or worse, admission isn't free for these playoffs. I expect tickets will be reasonably priced; they go on sale Monday.

[osualum86]

The Buckeyes cemented their 2nd place position in the WCHA standings with a 2-1 win over the Wisconsin Badgers to complete the sweep this weekend! After a scoreless first period, Kenzie Hauswirth netted two second period goals to put the Buckeyes up 2-0. Wisconsin got a late goal from Daryl Watts to cut the lead in half at 2-1. Neither team scored in the final frame so that is how it ended. Ohio State outshot the Badgers in this one 45-23 with Buckeye netminder Amanda Thiele stopping 22 of the 23 shots she faced to get the win. Badger backstop Cami Kronish stopped 43 of the 45 shots she faced. With the sweep, Ohio State finishes second in the WCHA and will host St. Cloud next weekend in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs. Wisconsin will return home and host Bemidji State in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs.

[pgb-ohio]

Final Score From Friday, February 18th
Ohio State 5
Wisconsin 1

Showtime @ The OSU Ice Rink

Capacity crowd at our humble, but sweet, home. Some fans were turned away disappointed. The signs on the doors read "Visit Us Again Tomorrow At 3:00PM."

The Ice Rink was Alive with the Sound of Music. The OSU Pep Band was OSUMB as always. What's not to like?

Well, some might say that beating Wisconsin 5-1 is The Impossible Dream. But These Buckeyes Dream. Big.

It was Some Enchanted Evening. I truly loved it.

The compete level in this one was high, despite the decisive score. The teams battled like Sharks & Jets. It was a Buckeyes & Badgers version of Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better. Annie Oakley would have been impressed.

When you play your sport on a Frozen sheet, sometimes you just have to Let It Go. Friday night the Buckeyes let it go.

Make no mistake; the talented Badgers will be back. But on Opening Night, the Buckeyes were the One Singular Sensation.

Three Stars Of The Game: Decidedly Unofficial & Just For Fun

Wisconsin Honorable Mention: Makenna Webster
No one out competes Makenna. I've been impressed with her play before; no doubt I'll be impressed again. Her last minute goal in the first period kept the Badgers in the game.


Wisconsin Honorable Mention: Daryl Watts
Watts wrong with Daryl? Nothing at all. The Luminous One was creating dangerous offense all night long. The Scoresheet shows Watts? Three shots? Daryl also had at least 3 more Grade A chances that were just a little off the mark. But her scoring touch will return; she'll get her share. Those "Danger: High Voltage" signs? Ignore them at your own peril.


Ohio State Honorable Mention: The Buckeye Coaching Staff
8:33 of 2nd Period. Buckeye timeout. A little early to be calling timeout, you say? Some might even say bold. But it was a great call.

We had a situation. Icing. Face-off in the defensive zone. Tired Buckeye 3rd Line. Fresh Badger 1st Line. If the Badgers pull to within 3-2 at that point, who knows? But the timely stoppage put that scenario on ice. Nice piece of coaching. And not disrespectful at all.



#3 Star: (tie)Kenzie Hauswirth, Ohio State and Jenna Buglioni, Ohio State
Goals scored in the last minute of a period can have a huge impact on a game. The Webster goal at 19:39 of the 1st opened the door to a possible Badger comeback. The Hauswirth goal at 19:30 of the 2nd slammed that door shut. Buglioni on the assist.



#2 Star: (tie) Jenna Buglioni, Ohio State and Gabby Rosenthal, Ohio State
Jenna: The Star So Nice, I Named Her Twice. It was the performance worthy of Lion. Jenna's lightning strike launched the Buckeyes on their Enchanted Evening.

As we all know, Gabby Rosenthal is tough in the corners. Boy, did it pay off the time. Gabby's tenacious forecheck separated a Badger from the puck. Crisp pass to Jenna and you know the rest.


#1 Star: (tie) Paetyn Levis, Ohio State and Liz Schepers, Ohio State
Share and share alike. You score off my assist. Now I'll score off your assist. In space of 4:24, the linemates transformed a tenuous 1 goal lead into a tour-de-force 3 goal advantage. The Buckeyes weren't going to be denied in this one. But as it happened, this was the key juncture.



Up Next: Visit Us Again Saturday At 3:00PM.

[osualum86]

ities
Man, OSU brought it tonight. Very impressed with how they really pressured Wisconsin.

The shots on goal were close, but that was about the only thing that was close tonight as Ohio State took down Wisconsin 5-1 in dominating fashion. The Bucks scored three first period goals and that was all that was needed as the Badgers would only get one goal on this night. Jenna Buglioni opened the scoring on this night in the first period and the Buckeyes were not done. Paetyn Levis and Liz Schepers would add more goals in the first frame to put Ohio State up 3-0. The Badgers did get a late first period goal from Makenna Webster to pull within two at 3-1, but that was as close as Wisconsin would get. The teams went into the first intermission with the Buckeyes holding a 3-1 lead. Ohio State added two more goals in the second period from Patty Kazmaier Candidate Sophie Jaques and Kenzie Hauswirth to make it 5-1 at the second intermission, Neither team was able to score in the third period and the game ended with the Buckeyes winning it 5-1. Ohio State outshot the Badgers 31-27 with Buckeye netminder Amanda Thiele stopping 26 of the 27 shots she faced to get and win. Kennedy Blair and Cami Kronish combined to stop 26 of the 31 shots they faced. The two teams are back at it tomorrow with game tome at 3:00 pm EST. Senior Day festivities will start at 2:00 pm EST.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Where's that Big Grin emoticon when you really need it?

Proving causation -- that something did or didn't help -- is an inexact science. At best. And regardless, tonight was just one game, with bigger games ahead. But yeah, this was a fun win.

Man, OSU brought it tonight. Very impressed with how they really pressured Wisconsin.