Ohio State 2024-25 Domination of the Portal Queen!

[robertearle]

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.

What would you expect it to say?

It is quite clear from the overhead video the refs reviewed that Wheeler - in the words of the rule - "gathered the puck to her body", which is a violation. It denied Wisconsin the chance for the tap-in goal. (Indeed, if you look at that overhead video, Lacey Eden was right there in position for such a tap-in.)

After that, the refs made their"call on the ice" on Simms' penalty shot, and while Muzerall spoke with them afterward, Ohio State didn't challenge it.

 

[HighToTheGloveSide]

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.

My sisters friend knows a guy who has a half brother that knows another guy that thinks he overheard a guy that might have been a scout for an NHL team and he said...........

I used to think that Minnesota hockey fans were the most annoying hockey fans on the face of the earth but at least they're knowledgeable and don't come up with lame ways to make themselves feel better like this.

On the subject of a new rink, why on earth would the OSU athletic department (or donors) spend money on a new rink for a women's team that has an average attendance of 605 people (14th in the country) in a 1200 seat rink? The OSU men's and women's teams combined attendance is under 5000 which is less than half of the UW men's attendance in a crap year. Really??

The minute Frost gets canned at Minnesota the Muzzinator will be out of Columbus faster than that you can say OH-IO......enjoy this while it lasts.

 

[ARM]

I used to think that Minnesota hockey fans were the most annoying hockey fans on the face of the earth ...

Having lived in Minnesota all of my life, I'd advise you to always go with your first instinct, because it's usually right, and it probably is in this case, too.

The interesting thing about the call isn't whether or not it should have been waved off. I don't think I've ever seen a shootout move disallowed in a women's game, except if the ruling was that the player contacted the puck a second time. At no time did I expect to see this one waved off either.

Just as a philosophical question, forgetting what side of Sunday's game you took, is that a "legal" move? Remember, it has nothing to do with going backwards or any of the comments people have made. If I was a young girl working on my go-to SO move, and I want to emulate Simms, I'd plan to do that one quicker. The reason is, the more you slow it down (as a skater, not on replay), the more the question starts to form in one's mind, "Was that puck moving towards the goal line the whole time?" There's a reason you don't see someone skate to the hashmarks, stop, and start faking shots one after the other.

Overall, arguing about this is like arguing about traveling in basketball. Sure, there's a rule, but they don't call it (unless they do).

 

[davearm]

This conversation again?

The rule is written the way it is to prevent players from circling around with the puck, making repeated approaches to the net waiting/trying to catch the goalie out of position.

The rule is not there to eliminate deking the goalie on a single, continuous attempt.

Anyone posting on this board must be a big enough hockey fan that they should understand there's a difference between the letter of the rulebook, and the playing standard on the ice. The refs are not going to wave off a goal unless there's a blatant violation. Which this clearly was not.

If anyone wants to make the case that what Simms did was objectively unfair, or that she gained an unfair advantage, such that there ought to be a rule preventing it, I'm all ears. As a matter of fair play, SHOULD that move be deemed illegal? Obviously not (IMO of course). So any whining about it after the fact comes across as, well, whining.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Having lived in Minnesota all of my life, I'd advise you to always go with your first instinct, because it's usually right, and it probably is in this case, too.

Meh...might be worth a poll. My guess is the slOwSU posters would get their fair share of votes.

 

[HighToTheGloveSide]

Meh...might be worth a poll. My guess is the slOwSU posters would get their fair share of votes.

Well, that would be about 7…….

 

[Lindsay]

The Athletic has posted 2 OSU women’s hockey articles in the past two days. I really liked the one about the Dunne family.

Bluejackets reporter Jeff Svoboda also shared this link below about local girls hockey. Columbus’ U14 AAA girls team is going to nationals for the first time ever. Enrollment numbers for girls keeps growing.

It underscores imo both how impactful new sheets of ice could be for the area, and how special it is to have a good college team at this time.

Girls hockey is taking off in Columbus | Columbus Blue Jackets

From the grassroots to the highest levels, participation is growing and success is following in the capital city

www.nhl.com

 

[Timothy A]

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.

That call was obvious. Too bad the refs completely missed it. Thank heavens for the ability to challenge.

 

[Lindsay]

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!

Absolutely. I felt this game was an instant classic, in a rink that at least one person has referred to as the Mecca of women’s college hockey. I wish I was there.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

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.

I'm not sure we'd get an honest answer if it was felt to be in their best interest. Who fully trusts the NCAA?

 

[Ditra]

On the subject of a new rink, why on earth would the OSU athletic department (or donors) spend money on a new rink for a women's team that has an average attendance of 605 people (14th in the country) in a 1200 seat rink? The OSU men's and women's teams combined attendance is under 5000 which is less than half of the UW men's attendance in a crap year. Really??

I think there was a post on here indicating that 1200 was an outdated figure prior to some renovations which make the 600ish number basically a sellout.

 

[Timothy A]

Absolutely. I felt this game was an instant classic, in a rink that at least one person has referred to as the Mecca of women’s college hockey. I wish I was there.

It's the Mecca for one fan base, not for all fan bases. One can easily make the case that LaBahn is. Sure, they have a nicer building but UW's is the second nicest and has more hardware that was won against a deeper pool of competition.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Top 5 Moments Of The 2025 Frozen Four
#1 Kirsten Simms: Hockey Rock Star

These aren't the memories we wanted. But they're the memories we've got. Going into denial is not the answer.

Sorry Sting, but Kirsten really is a Rock Star. She rocked the Ridder. Twice over.

Game Tying Penalty Shot Goal:
Athletic; Artistic; Awesome. Bodacious & Brilliant. I've got plenty more adjectives where those came from.. Could probably make it most of the way through the alphabet. But since the conversion wasn't Zany in a way, I'll leave it at that.

Game Winning Overtime Goal:
I've been told that good things happen when you go to the net. Clearly #27 got the same memo.

Lacey Eden cruised over the blue line on the right wind side, slicing through the offensive zone. Lacey got her stiff shot on net. Save: Thiele. Rebound: Inviting. And then came Simms, taking the classic wisdom to heart. Receiving the puck in stride, Kirsten's smooth, surgical shot zipped into the Buckeye net. Championship: Badgers.

Epilogue:
The Hockey Handshake Line is one of the greatest traditions in sports. But forcing the Runners-up to watch the Champions celebrate has to be one of the cruelest. Mercifully, the 2nd Place squad now gets to leave when the handshakes are complete.

Personally I stayed in the stands to support my team. But when the last Buckeye disappeared down the tunnel, it was time for me to go as well. The 2024-25 season? An amazing journey. True, I didn't leave the Frozen Four with the memories I wanted. But as Lindsay said, the Championship Game gave us an Instant Classic. Departing Ridder, I felt great respect for the Badgers. But more importantly, I retained my unflinching, undying love for the Buckeyes. We'll be back.

 

[pgb-ohio]

KK is Harvey's nickname; from a younger sibling (maybe) mispronouncing Caroline. Simms is just Simms, or maybe Simmsy.

Thanks. Fixed.

 

[pgb-ohio]

It's the Mecca for one fan base, not for all fan bases. One can easily make the case that LaBahn is. Sure, they have a nicer building but UW's is the second nicest and has more hardware that was won against a deeper pool of competition.

Ridder is the Mecca because it was the first Arena built specifically for Women's College Hockey. Also because of the many Final Face-offs & Frozen Fours it has hosted.

Not exactly the same, but in MLB Wrigley Field & Fenway Park are the Meccas. It has little to nothing to do with the number of championships won by the local team.

LaBahn is simply a well-executed knock-off. Don't get me wrong. I would be thrilled if Ohio State could accomplish a well-executed knock-off. I suppose if we ever do, our building would be a knock-off twice over. I'd be fine with that. But the rest of us need to stay humble and remember that Ridder came first.

 

[Lindsay]

That we can even debate which is the Mecca is probably a good thing. there’s pockets of support for girls and women’s hockey across America, but Minnesota stands above the rest and the crown jewel it all leads to or should lead to is Ridder, and now the Frost. Like PGB said Ridder was first and in many ways the state still sets the standard.

Minnesota has Girls High school hockey and is the only state in the country where girls enrollment in high school sports exceeds boys. Before I read about any girl in other states talk about idolizing college players, I read about girls who idolized the Gophers hockey team, grew up watching their games at Ridder. To be fair Janecke talks about watching the Badgers growing up, and the Badgers certainly understood the assignment following suit with their own arena.

Ridder was funded by the state government, university, fundraising help from another sport’s college coach and a large single donation giving naming rights to the Ridders. Completely contrary to suggestions that only private donations make OSU women worthy of a rink, while DeWine organizes $600 million in state funds for the Browns’ new facility, their 2nd in less than 30 years.

Minnesota’s investment was before they won their first NCAA Natty and started piling up All Americans and Olympians. It screams “you matter,” and yes I know the men utilize it in some way, and if that’s what it takes in Columbus so be it.

Like any rink, the decor was sparse at first but now you see the banners that hang, the walls dripping with history, and a fan base that demands the excellence that will contribute more to it.

I hope to return there one day, and make it to LaBahn too.

 

[davearm]

It's the Mecca for one fan base, not for all fan bases. One can easily make the case that LaBahn is. Sure, they have a nicer building but UW's is the second nicest and has more hardware that was won against a deeper pool of competition.

I think all the maroon makes Ridder feel dark inside, which is the complete opposite of LaBahn, which is all white and light stone, with ambient light pouring in from the overhead windows during the afternoon. Much airier feel inside, and natural sunlight in a hockey rink is unusual and cool.

That was my takeaway anyway. Ridder is certainly nicer in many ways (more seats, skyboxes, center ice scoreboard).

Both arenas pay homage to the championships, All-Americans, Olympians, etc fabulously. Tiebreaker there goes to Ridder IMO, with the huge player graphics looking down on the action.

And of course being first of its kind counts for a lot too. But beautiful execution by both schools.

 

[ARM]

... LaBahn, which is all white and light stone, with ambient light pouring in from the overhead windows during the afternoon. Much airier feel inside, and natural sunlight in a hockey rink is unusual and cool.

I totally agree on the ambient light, which I think is my most memorable takeaway from LaBahn. Daylight in Ridder hasn't always been a positive thing, as there were games where the ushers had to try to maneuver the dark curtains so that the sunlight wouldn't blind the goalie at the north end.

There are other areas where LaBahn wins, like organized fan support chants/cheers. These days, Ridder turnout succeeds or fails to a large extent based on how many youth teams are in attendance. I've never eaten anything there, but I'd think that LaBahn would have better concessions; there's no way to lose to Ridder on that one. The pep band presence is a plus at Ridder. Mascot is no doubt a personal preference, but Goldie comes from a long line of entertaining buffoonery, whose utter goofiness is much of his charm, especially with children. No matter how young they are, they don't tend to be scared of a chipmunk, while Bucky's countenance gives off a similar vibe to Shannon Miller after a loss.

 

[robertearle]

I totally agree on the ambient light, which I think is my most memorable takeaway from LaBahn. Daylight in Ridder hasn't always been a positive thing, as there were games where the ushers had to try to maneuver the dark curtains so that the sunlight wouldn't blind the goalie at the north end.

There are other areas where LaBahn wins, like organized fan support chants/cheers. These days, Ridder turnout succeeds or fails to a large extent based on how many youth teams are in attendance. I've never eaten anything there, but I'd think that LaBahn would have better concessions; there's no way to lose to Ridder on that one. The pep band presence is a plus at Ridder. Mascot is no doubt a personal preference, but Goldie comes from a long line of entertaining buffoonery, whose utter goofiness is much of his charm, especially with children. No matter how young they are, they don't tend to be scared of a chipmunk, while Bucky's countenance gives off a similar vibe to Shannon Miller after a loss.

My one trip to Ridder in 2018, the brats (if that's what they even were; maybe hot dogs?) were definitely not as good as at LaBahn.

(Brats at both LaBahn and the Field House for volleyball this year were 'unusual': one week you'd get normal grocery store Johnsonville, and the next week something else. The something else were better, different spicing and meat texture. I even asked one time what was the story, and the people working the counter - more-or-less volunteers from a church group who get paid and donate their pay - knew what I was talking about, but couldn't provide answers. Grocery store Johnsonvilles are fine, but the others - whatever they were - were better.)

 

[Moosefan1]

I've never been to LaBahn so don't know if there's a comparison for this, but the carmelcorn they sell at Ridder is pretty damn good if you're into that sort of thing.