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Ohio State Women's Hockey 2025-26

robertearle said:
Not me. Someone else, who may have since stopped showing up (?). Again, we could look, but those threads "went away".

But once he/she identified it, matching up the details wasn't difficult to do.
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That's what amused me so much about it, it was all speculation about his/her identity. Sierra never admitted their identity.
 
Timothy A said:
Usually on the first released poll, the team that won the title is the number one rated team (and stays number one until they lose). We all know the pollsters are too lazy to put much thought into their votes.
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Wisconsin should be #1 in the polls until they are knocked off or someone else proves they belong in the top spot.
 
Windchill22 said:
Perhaps it's time to start the Ohio State 2026-2027 thread so we don't risk losing this thread!!
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The prior two years OSU threads could have disappeared one of two ways: either the moderators took it/them down, or the user who made the first post deleted that post, and the whole thread goes when that happens. Grant did that to a Boston College yearly thread when Reggie bugged him more than he wanted to deal with.

Well, this year's Ohio State thread won't be deleted by the user who made the first post, because that's me.

(IMO, a thread does NOT "belong" to the first poster; only your posts belong to you. Once more than one person posts to a thread, it doesn't 'belong" to any one person, it belongs to anyone and everyone who has posted to it.)
 
Wow... just wow lol.

I thought that was just an immature and really butthurt fan whining about our tainted banner or whatever.

Pinnacle embarrassing behavior if true.
 
Top Five Memories of the 2026 Frozen Four

Memory #4: Badgers Persevere & Top Nittany Lions In Overtime.​

When you get the chance to watch a great match-up as a neutral fan, you really should avail yourself of that opportunity. I get it; if you have a family member or bestie out there on the ice, your focus is going to be on her. Period. Go be with your player. You’ll get no second guessing from me.

But for everyone else who left the building after the first semi-final, you missed a heck of a nightcap. I won’t attempt a full game summary here. But I’m compelled to mention that Tessa Janecke’s game-tying breakaway was a goal for the ages. Until the next goal for the ages won it for UW early in the overtime period.

From our seats behind the Home Bench, we had a perfect view of the magnificent Kirsten Simms shot. The crazy good Simms laser beam nailed the upper right hand corner and propelled the Badgers into the Final.

Atmosphere? Pretty much ideal. It’s rare to see the Badger faithful out numbered at an NCAA game, but that was the case Friday evening. Yet the UW fans traveled well & held up well under the circumstances.

As for the host school fans, they turned out in fine numbers and were fully engaged. They came very close to carrying their club to victory.

Overall, it reminded me of a high level college football bowl game. One with both fanbases fully represented. That’s the way NCAA tournament games should be. Thumbs up to both UW & PSU.


Up Next, Memory #3: Buckeyes Defeat The East.
 
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Top Five Memories of the 2026 Frozen Four

Memory #3: Buckeyes Defeat The East​

WCHA Superiority? It’s tempting to think so. 22 of the 25 National Titles awarded by the NCAA have been won by WCHA teams. As a league, our win percentage against non-conference competition has been impressive.

So when the 2026 NCAA Bracket was released, there were a few groans. Tinkering with the pairings, we found that seeing UMD in the Regional Final & Minnesota in a National Semi-Final was distinctly possible. Ugh.

The National Tournament should be a time of testing your skill against talent from around the country. Instead, we potentially could have gone through all three rounds facing only conference foes. I thought about posting a complaint. I held my fire. I’m glad I did.

The concern proved to be groundless. As it actually played out, we drew Yale (ECAC) at the Regional and Northeastern (Hockey East) in the FF Semi. Fine tests of regional strength.

For me personally, those games are a bit of blur. My neighborhood experienced a power failure on the weekend of the Yale game. In fact, my internet service was still down when it came time to leave for State College. That said, I certainly recall that the Bulldogs put up stiff resistance before we pulled away in the 2nd Period.

On to Northeastern. We all know that NU puts good teams on the ice. 2026 was no exception. But this edition of the Huskies didn’t have a Muller or a Phillips. When Joy Dunne got that first goal, I knew the Buckeyes were off & running.

Ultimately we didn’t get the tournament’s biggest prize. But we did perform well against our Eastern counterparts. Reflecting on the 2025-26 Tourney as a whole, that is something to be proud of.

Up Next, Memory #2: The Hockey godz Can Be Cruel Bastards.
 
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Top Five Memories of the 2026 Frozen Four

Memory #2: The Hockey godz Can Be Cruel Bastards​

This one’s now overrated. Back on Sunday, it felt like Top Two material. But as per robertearle, Monday came. We’re now on Day 5 of the aftermath. With the passage of time — including just a few days — does come some perspective.

Still, late Sunday afternoon, we had the same experience as osualum86. We had just gone through a painful one goal loss in the National Title Game. For the second year in a row. After respecting the tradition of the Handshake Line, it was time to head to the car.

The Hockey godz weren’t done with us just yet. It was time to add insult to injury. Leaving Pegula, we noticed storm clouds gathering. Then, before we could reach the cover of the car, we were nailed by the biggest raindrops ever. Drenched.

It could have been worse. From our window table at dinner, we had front row seats for an actual hailstorm!

As I type, it now seems mostly ironic. Maybe even funny. Memory #5 at the most. But back on Sunday… Well, you get the idea.

Up Next, Memory #1: The Agony, The Ecstasy & The Agony.
 
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robertearle said:
He also said that the portal would be the new way to build a team going forward, and that coaches who didn't realize that would fall behind. I would say that using the portal might be a viable option while the COVID year players worked their way through that time period, but would not be sustainable beyond that; that coaches would need to revert back to building rosters the old-fashioned way, by bringing in four-year athletes, etc. And let's say he didn't agree, and told me so 'forcefully'. (LOL)

I will note that at present, the 2026-27 Ohio State will have just one transfer - Kaia Malachino - and it was a strong and large freshmen class that carried them to the championship game (with another impressive looking and good-sized class coming this next year.)

We could go back and review those "discussions", but someone caused those threads and posts to disappear.
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Speaking of the portal….Sydney Sawyer to tOSU from Colgate confirmed
 
Top Five Memories of the 2026 Frozen Four

Memory #1: The Agony, The Ecstacy & The Agony​

We’re now a week removed from the event. Time to wrap this one up.

Those in search of a game summary have undoubtedly read Nicole Haase’s piece. The task here isn’t to duplicate that. Rather, the hope is to determine how this fits into the larger picture.

Clearly the game itself will stand up as the most intense memory of the FF weekend. Was this the most devastating loss in program history? I’d say No. Maybe last year’s Title Game gets that dubious honor. But this year I’d say Wisconsin played a little better than we did. The final score accurately reflects how the game played out.

During the early going, the Badgers did a better job of creating opportunities in the low slot. Similarly, UW did a great job of denying us comparable chances in their end. Players on both teams were making great plays all over the ice. But the disparity described here directly led to the 2-0 lead.

My phone pinged. “Terrible Start” texted a friend from Columbus. No kidding! Agonizingly terrible. Perhaps more than any other opponent, the Badgers protect leads with a vengeance. And so it went for two periods.

Early in the 3rd Period, the close-in opportunities were suddenly there. Two quick goals! The Buckeyes’ Bench was in a state of ecstasy. My private thought? “Easy; the job’s only half done.”

Sadly that thought proved to be prophetic. Badger Enright made a play. And we were right back to the agony of staring at a high difficulty comeback. On the second go around, the task proved to be too tall.

Neutral fans got to enjoy one of better games of the season. UW Fans will, of course, have the final say on their experience. But I presume that they regard the match as an instant classic.

From my vantage point, it was an honor & a privilege to compete with Badgers for all the marbles. But there is the ongoing agony of an opportunity lost.

In the world of Women’s Hockey overall, the Buckeye/Badger games are taking on the feel of the U.S./Canada Rivalry. Have we won enough for that to be a legitimate sentiment? Hmm. I believe that’s still TBD. But I will say that giving a single game the power to determine whether an entire season is a success or failure gives me serious qualms.

So let’s make sure our memories include all of the skill & success displayed during the full 2025-26 Season. Remember that winning the Final Face-Off made it a Banner Year.

Here’s to hoping for another wild ride in 2026-27. And just maybe a happier ending.
 
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Windchill22 said:
I agree 100% - ultimately there is only one champion - but I gravitate to there being many measures of a successful season and it's important to voice that with more frequency.
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Most teams, and probably all, have some veins of success in their mines/seasons. Only 1 team hits the mother load.
 
I
Windchill22 said:
I agree 100% - ultimately there is only one champion - but I gravitate to there being many measures of a successful season and it's important to voice that with more frequency.
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I like your emphasis on “voicing it with more frequency.”

Timothy A’s post is also correct, of course. But sharing a few kudos with the rest of the tournament field feels right. Especially for the three teams that qualified for the FF, but didn’t win it all. Being one of the last four standing is a worthy accomplishment; not mere participation in the season.
 
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