Ohio State 2024-25 Domination of the Portal Queen!

[Hockeybuckeye]

Probably covered elsewhere in this thread, but I'm curious where OSU is on building a new rink?

That's a sore spot that's been covered before but I'll explain it again. It's my understanding the previous AD promised Coach a new arena withing 5 years if she came here, never happened. A couple years ago the Trustees alotted 2.7 million for the development and planning stage then silence. Our previous president told me she has 17 million set aside to go towards the new arena but as soon as she was gone at the beginning of last year the athletic department moved it to the football NIL account!
Now we have a new AD & universal President and the mindset now is a dual sheet arena shared by both the men & women's teams. I was a bit taken back when the new AD admitted to me he knows nothing about hockey but the new president is a hockey guy.
The House settlement and the various lawsuits against it has now gummed up the works. OSU's funding of the football program is massive and one of the largest in the country and until all is said & done with what we can expect in a budget they won't commit 100 million+ for a new arena until it's all settled. It's also rumored the football program wants a multi million upgrade to their practice facility and they get what they want ahead of everybody.
Other smaller schools may do new arenas but they don't have a top tier football program that is expected to be National Championship contenders every year and the need for that so it continues to bring in the revenu that funds all our other sports! Our new arena is still promised but no one know when. But now you know the reasons for the setbacks.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Top 5 Moments Of The 2025 Frozen Four
#3 Joy Dunne Terminates Cornell’s Season

In quite a few recent posts and conversations, I’ve heard fans refer to Joy as a “Beast.” In my head, I know this is intended as a compliment. Strong; Powerful; Determined. Good things. Very good things. But in my heart, I’m not 100% comfortable with some of the other connotations.

I recall the first time that I heard a player be referred to as a beast. Gopher fans may appreciate the reference. The year was 2003. Men’s Frozen Four in Buffalo, New York. A National Semi-Final. The player was Thomas Vanek. Overtime. Vanek wins a puck battle along the offensive end boards. In an awesome display of strength & will, Vanek bull rushed to the front of the net. With all his might, he jammed the puck into the Wolverine goal cage. Hasta La Vista, Michigan!

A disappointed Wolverine fan commented: “Thomas Vanek is a Beast.” Understandable Sentiment. And yet I had the same reaction then as I’m having now. Is there another, better way to express this thought?

It occurred to me that Vanek is Austrian & American. Just like Arnold Schwarzenegger, of body building & acting fame. So maybe Thomas Vanek was the Arnold Schwarzenegger of Men’s College Hockey?

Return to 2025. Another National Semi-Final. And this time it was a true trap game. Ohio State had easily beaten Cornell back in October, at the Icebreaker Tournament. But that was very early in the Ivy League Hockey Season. We knew in our heads that Cornell had truly jelled, and had become a much stronger team. Would our hearts & athleticism cooperate?

At the end of periods, Cornell had proven its mettle, coming back from a two goal deficit to tie the score 2-2. Anybody’s game.

On to the 3rd Period. In a tour-de-force performance, Joy Dunne gave OSU both the GWG and a valuable insurance goal. By the time the final horn sounded, Dunne Power had generated a 4-2 Termination of Cornell’s Season.

A beastly performance? Or am I allowed to say that Joy is the Arnold Schwarzenegger of Women’s College Hockey? I say yes. After all, Columbus, Ohio is home to the Arnold Festival — a massive multi-sport event. Nothing wrong with borrowing the name to bestow an appropriate honor.

We all know what happened in Sunday’s game. That handshake line? Very difficult for any Buckeye to accept. But in a comforting fantasy, I imagine Joy telling the Badgers “I’ll be back!”

I hope she did it. But either way, I’ll guarantee it:
JOY DUNNE WILL BE BACK!

 

[robertearle]

(Schwarzenegger is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin .... Superior campus. LOL)

 

[davearm]

That's a sore spot that's been covered before but I'll explain it again. It's my understanding the previous AD promised Coach a new arena withing 5 years if she came here, never happened. A couple years ago the Trustees alotted 2.7 million for the development and planning stage then silence. Our previous president told me she has 17 million set aside to go towards the new arena but as soon as she was gone at the beginning of last year the athletic department moved it to the football NIL account!
Now we have a new AD & universal President and the mindset now is a dual sheet arena shared by both the men & women's teams. I was a bit taken back when the new AD admitted to me he knows nothing about hockey but the new president is a hockey guy.
The House settlement and the various lawsuits against it has now gummed up the works. OSU's funding of the football program is massive and one of the largest in the country and until all is said & done with what we can expect in a budget they won't commit 100 million+ for a new arena until it's all settled. It's also rumored the football program wants a multi million upgrade to their practice facility and they get what they want ahead of everybody.
Other smaller schools may do new arenas but they don't have a top tier football program that is expected to be National Championship contenders every year and the need for that so it continues to bring in the revenu that funds all our other sports! Our new arena is still promised but no one know when. But now you know the reasons for the setbacks.

Appreciate the explanation. Being a Badger fan, I'm well aware of the outsized impact the football program has on the rest of the department (and campus). I can only imagine it's even worse at a place with a football team even higher up the ladder, nationally, than we are.

Hope it gets done for you guys. Your program has ascended to the top of women's college hockey (for whatever that's worth), and should have facilities to match. One of my daughters' former teammates plays for Duluth, and she said that they had to walk outside in skate guards to get from their locker room to the ice. That shouldn't happen in a D3 rink, let alone a high profile place like OSU.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Appreciate the explanation. Being a Badger fan, I'm well aware of the outsized impact the football program has on the rest of the department (and campus). I can only imagine it's even worse at a place with a football team even higher up the ladder, nationally, than we are.

Hope it gets done for you guys. Your program has ascended to the top of women's college hockey (for whatever that's worth), and should have facilities to match. One of my daughters' former teammates plays for Duluth, and she said that they had to walk outside in skate guards to get from their locker room to the ice. That shouldn't happen in a D3 rink, let alone a high profile place like OSU.

Our previous university president was a huge fan and supporter of our women's hockey program and the women only arena we were expecting under her tenure was going to be the showcase for women's hockey in this hemisphere! Given they now want it to be a shared facility takes away a lot of that lustre & prestige in my mind. Who knows, by the time they decide to start construction (the ground has been cleared for it) maybe the mindset will switch back to a women's only arena again?

 

[osualum86]

The fact that you're going through this play frame by frame like it's the Zapruder film ought to tell you that it isn't as irrefutable as you seem to think.

Congratulations on another great season, and unforgettable championship game.

Thanks. We came up short, but I am proud of the girls. We had 8 players from last year's team get drafted into the PWHL, so this year was supposed to be an "off" year or "reloading" year for us. Coach has a great recruiting class coming in, not to mention we will have some of our top players from this season's team back, so we should be in the hunt next season.

 

[osualum86]

Appreciate the explanation. Being a Badger fan, I'm well aware of the outsized impact the football program has on the rest of the department (and campus). I can only imagine it's even worse at a place with a football team even higher up the ladder, nationally, than we are.

Hope it gets done for you guys. Your program has ascended to the top of women's college hockey (for whatever that's worth), and should have facilities to match. One of my daughters' former teammates plays for Duluth, and she said that they had to walk outside in skate guards to get from their locker room to the ice. That shouldn't happen in a D3 rink, let alone a high profile place like OSU.

As Hockeybuckeye said, it's a sore subject for us Women's Hockey diehards. Completely agree with everything in your second paragraph! It's unfathomable and quite frankly, inexcusable, that we have a National Championship-contending program playing in a facility like the OSU Ice Rink.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

inexcusable, that we have a National Championship-contending program playing in a facility like the OSU Ice Rink.

I don't mind it, except what the aluminum bleachers do to my wife's and my backs but I'm speaking out of sentimentality from watching the beginning of Ohio State hockey in that barn in 1963. But I do fully support the women deserving of a new state of the art arena but I'm not thrilled about them now wanting to share it with the men. Too bad I'm not able to fund it, there would be conditions.

 

[osualum86]

I don't mind it, except what the aluminum bleachers do to my wife's and my backs but I'm speaking out of sentimentality from watching the beginning of Ohio State hockey in that barn in 1963. But I do fully support the women deserving of a new state of the art arena but I'm not thrilled about them now wanting to share it with the men. Too bad I'm not able to fund it, there would be conditions.

We need to start buying powerball tickets or something! I am not thrilled with the recent talk of sharing the arena with the guys, but if that is what it takes to get a new arena, let's move forward with it. I have always wanted to see Ohio State have something like Minnesota does where they have a men's arena and a women's arena, but I don't think that is going to happen.

 

[Lindsay]

We need to start buying powerball tickets or something! I am not thrilled with the recent talk of sharing the arena with the guys, but if that is what it takes to get a new arena, let's move forward with it. I have always wanted to see Ohio State have something like Minnesota does where they have a men's arena and a women's arena, but I don't think that is going to happen.

Lol at powerball. I don’t gamble but it’s a joke in our house that if I win the lottery an arena is exactly what I am building in our town. Megamillions here I come.

 

[pgb-ohio]

(Schwarzenegger is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin .... Superior campus. LOL)

If I have this straight, Arnold’s Extension Courses at UCLA weren’t working out. It was UW-Superior to the rescue. There must be a heckuva back story there!

 

[robertearle]

If I have this straight, Arnold’s Extension Courses at UCLA weren’t working out. It was UW-Superior to the rescue. There must be a heckuva back story there!

The brother of a good friend claims he saw Arnold working out somewhere in Madison a couple times during that period. I'm skeptical, but who knows.

 

[pgb-ohio]

The brother of a good friend claims he saw Arnold working out somewhere in Madison a couple times during that period. I'm skeptical, but who knows.

Could be; why not?

A number of years ago we did an off-season thread on the subject of celebrity sightings & brief moments with celebs. Maybe it’s time for Version 2.0 of that thread.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Top 5 Moments Of The 2025 Frozen Four
#2 Buckeye Goals In The Title Game

3 Tallies; 3 Electrifying Moments.

Joy Dunne’s Shortie came on a bull rush to the slot. A nifty stick handle move in the crease completed the play.

Sloane Matthews’ blistering blast lasered its way into the upper right hand corner of the Badger net. Nobody’s saving that shot.

Emma received a pass in prime scoring position, pinching in a bit from the left point. The challenge was all the traffic between Peschel and the Badgers’ Goal Cage. My Section 4 Seat gave me a perfect view of Emma’s shooting lane, along with the top shelf space on the right side. Peschel nailed it. Reminded me of a World Class Foosball Shot. Those viewing from different angles probably wondered how Emma was able to navigate all that traffic.

I firmly believe that this offensive production would have beaten any team in the country that day, save Wisconsin. And we were less than a minute away from taking down the Badgers.

Memorable Goals? Try Unforgettable!

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Hope it gets done for you guys. Your program has ascended to the top of women's college hockey (for whatever that's worth), and should have facilities to match.

The "for whatever that's worth" gets at the issue. Not very many care outside of the mythical 17 on this forum about CWH and because of that, facilities, in most cases, need to be funded by donation, or donations. Especially at a university like Ohio State.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

I was at the men's Toledo regional today and I know it's becoming a dead horse but I did hear something that made me feel better. I was sitting amoung a grouper of NHL scouts and talking with them the subject of our championship game came up and a couple of them saw the end of our game and agreed Simma goal should have been waved off which made me feel somewhat vindicated. I'd say their observations are probably more accurate than most on forum since they're professional observers and mostly former NHL player.

 

[robertearle]

I was at the men's Toledo regional today and I know it's becoming a dead horse but I did hear something that made me feel better. I was sitting amoung a grouper of NHL scouts and talking with them the subject of our championship game came up and a couple of them saw the end of our game and agreed Simma goal should have been waved off which made me feel somewhat vindicated. I'd say their observations are probably more accurate than most on forum since they're professional observers and mostly former NHL player.

There were a pair of PWHL referees standing, I'll guess, 20 or 25 feet away, with unobstructed views of the play. They saw no problem with it. So....

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

I was at the men's Toledo regional today and I know it's becoming a dead horse but I did hear something that made me feel better. I was sitting amoung a grouper of NHL scouts and the subject of our championship game came up and a couple of them saw the end of our game and agreed Simma goal should have been waved off which made me feel somewhat vindicated. I'd say their observations are probably more accurate than most on forum since they're professional observers and mostly former NHL player.

There were a pair of PWHL referees standing, I'll guess, 20 or 25 feet away, with unobstructed views of the play. They saw no problem with it. So....

I'm not going to name drop who else sided with me but they by far outrank your refs!

 

[robertearle]

I was at the men's Toledo regional today and I know it's becoming a dead horse but I did hear something that made me feel better. I was sitting amoung a grouper of NHL scouts and the subject of our championship game came up and a couple of them saw the end of our game and agreed Simma goal should have been waved off which made me feel somewhat vindicated. I'd say their observations are probably more accurate than most on forum since they're professional observers and mostly former NHL player.

I'm not going to name drop who else sided with me but they by far outrank your refs!

They're not "my refs"; they were THE referees on the ice, calling the game.

Were your name-not-dropped people 20 feet away, watching with great angles to be able to see the movement of the puck?

Because there were a pair of PWHL referees 20 feet away with unobstructed views of the play, and they had no problem with it.

 

[creaseprotector100]

I was at the men's Toledo regional today and I know it's becoming a dead horse but I did hear something that made me feel better. I was sitting amoung a grouper of NHL scouts and the subject of our championship game came up and a couple of them saw the end of our game and agreed Simma goal should have been waved off which made me feel somewhat vindicated. I'd say their observations are probably more accurate than most on forum since they're professional observers and mostly former NHL player.

I'm not going to name drop who else sided with me but they by far outrank your refs!

I don't want to drag this issue out, but I would be curious as to an official statement by the NCAA head of officiating on the call that resulted in the penalty shot and the penalty shot itself. I'm sure we'll never get one as they will not want to throw the officials that did that game under the bus....but it would be interesting nonetheless.