Final Score From Saturday, February 11th
Ohio State 5
St. Thomas 0
Senioritis
Maybe you had senioritis in high school. Maybe college. Maybe both. Regardless, you know the symptoms. You've "clinched" graduation. You know what's coming next, and it's a good plan. So your motivation and work ethic suffers. Short term pleasures take priority.
Today was Senior Day for Buckeye Women's Hockey. And yes, there was senioritis. Highly contagious senioritis. But it was the exact opposite of the usual malady. Pre-game, a meaningful ceremony was held for the Buckeye Seniors and their families. Then the highly motivated class hit the ice. The enthusiasm was infectious, and quickly spread through the entire roster. Call It "Good Senioritis." Kind of like Good Cholesterol! Ohio State harnessed that energy to complete the sweep of St. Thomas.
Three Stars Of The Game: Decidedly Unofficial & Just For Fun
St. Thomas Honorable Mention: (tie) Gabby Billing; Anna Solheim and Maija Almich
The top set of Tommie Forwards performed admirably. They created a good number of quality chances; particularly in the 3rd Period when St. Thomas generated 10 SOG. Just as importantly, they had no goals against. So all 3 players were even on the +/- stat, despite the 5-0 loss. Cause for joy? Well, not exactly. But a solid job under the circumstances.
Ohio State Honorable Honorable Mention: All Of The Seniors Honored In Today's Ceremony
There's no way I can do justice to this spectacular class in this limited space. You've all been on my Stars List at one time or another. And some of you have earned mentions often. Very often.
Let me leave it like this. I'm proud of each and every one of you. Thanks for all of the memories. And fittingly enough, all 3 of today's Stars go to members of the Senior Class.
#3 Star: Jenn Gardiner, Ohio State
A three point night for Senior Gardiner, and what a three points they were. First, Jenn's carefully placed pass enabled one the nicer tips you'll ever see -- courtesy of
Gabby Rosenthal. Third, Jenn had the primary assist on Teagan Grant's memorable tally. (See below) In between came the Gardiner Goal. Here's the story:
The play begins with
Madison Bizal at the left point. Quick little forward pass to
Jenna Buglioni. Cross-ice pass to
Sophie Jaques at the right point. Meanwhile, Jenn is slicing across the slot. Perfectly timed pass from Sophie to Jenn. The St. Thomas goalie is fooled and flat-footed. Gardiner pulls the puck to the right and taps it in. Checkmate.
#2 Star: Quinn Kuntz, Ohio State
Senior Kuntz got the start in goal; her 5th win; and of course the shutout. 17 saves on 17 shots isn't a heavy workload, but their was definitely some quality work required. As noted above, St. Thomas mounted a serious attack in the 3rd Period, particularly on a late power play. Quinn made two fine saves on that PP, and shut the door the rest of the way to preserve the shutout.
#1 Star: Teagan Grant, Ohio State
Just like Emerson Jarvis on Friday, Senior Grant scored her first goal as a Buckeye on Saturday.
Anticipation? Plenty. And
The Waiting Was The Hardest Part. With her supportive teammates rallying on Grant's behalf, many approaches were attempted. Face-off plays with Teagan as the designated shooter. Backdoor plays designed for Teagan. Teagan crashing the net. And so on.
The magic moment finally came at 13:56 of the 3rd. Dominating along the left wing boards, Jenn Gardiner and Gabby Rosenthal corral the puck and gain the St. Thomas zone. Gabby sends Jenn on her way, and Gardiner carries the puck behind the Tommie net. Meanwhile,
Brooke Bink crashes the net and sets up a screen. Enter Grant as the 4th attacker. Centering pass from Jenn to Teagan. Thrilling top shelf shot for Teagan's 1st Goal as a Buckeye! Hug Pile on the ice. Hug Piles on the Buckeye Bench.
But hold on. More waiting. Play under review for possible goaltender interference. Now c'mon. Brooke would never do that, would she? (winking emoticon here) The crowd howls in protest. Moments pass. Enough time for the referees to do their due diligence. Finally, the announcement: Good Goal!! Everyone explodes, players and fans alike.
pgb-ohio said:
Confidential To The Players: Next we get one for Teagan.
osualum86 gives me credit for prophecy. I'm not so sure about that. But I certainly got my wish!
Up Next: Road Trip To Wisconsin, With The WCHA Regular Season Championship On The Line. The Badgers Were Magnificent This Weekend Against The Gophers. So Our Buckeyes Would Be Well Advised To Bring Their A+ Game. Go Bucks!
