Re: WCHA 2016-17 Season
Final Score From Friday, January 13th
Ohio State 2
Bemidji State 1
Head Start on 2017
Immediately after the holidays, the Buckeyes had a fun, impressive weekend in State College, PA, posting 5-0 & 6-0 wins. For the Beavers, it was the final open weekend of a long break. The head start appeared to pay dividends for the home team. During a strong first period, OSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Obviously BSU gained traction as the game went on, but they were never able to pull even.
At the same time, we heard Ice Rink Echos of 2016; I'm thinking of the North Dakota series in particular.
Julianna Iafallo &
Maddy Field again combined for a tally; this time Julianna pulled the trigger.
Rebecca Freiburger scored another huge goal from the slot. And then there's the obvious:
Kassidy Sauve's dynamic, steadying presence in the nets.
Here's to hoping the Buckeyes continue to make new strides in 2017. But it's OK if the "old" accomplishments of 2016 are occasionally "brought to mind."
The 3 Stars of the Game: Decidedly Unofficial & Just For Fun
Honorable Mention: (tie) Lauren Miller, Bemidji State; Emily Bergland, Bemidji State; and Haley Mack, Bemidji State
Very impressive night in the face-off circle for the top Bemidji Centers. Lauren won 15 of 24 tries. Emily took 11 of 15; Haley was 15 of 24. Nice numbers. Last night there were a total of 74 face-offs. It's reasonable to expect that there will be lots of draws in the Saturday rematch as well. The Buckeyes would be well advised to address this issue. But looking back to Friday evening, all you can do is tip your hat to the skill shown by the Beaver Centers.
#3 Star: Emma Terres, Bemidji State
Terres was the only Bemidji player to solve Sauve on this night. Emma's well placed drive from the right wing boards appeared to catch Kassidy off-guard. It actually was pretty amazing that Emma was able to nail the upper left hand corner of the net from that angle. It should be noted that
Lauren Miller grabbed possession of the puck down low along the boards, and immediately fed Terres. From there, quick release and deadly accuracy = goal.
#2 Star: (tie) Jessica Dunne, Ohio State; and Rebecca Freiburger, Ohio State
Great to see the Buckeye Power Play bag the GWG.
Lauren Boyle got the 2nd assist with a crisp pass from the right point, to the top of the left wing circle. Jessica's howitzer blast on net was somehow saved
Brittni Mowat. But Rebecca pounced on the juicy rebound and steered it home before the Bemidji keeper had any chance to react.
#1 Star: Kassidy Sauve, Ohio State
After the fine first period, the Buckeyes circled the wagons for most of the remaining 40 minutes. Kassidy took charge in satisfyingly familiar way. Though technically only a sophomore, she carries herself with a lot of moxie. Call it much needed veteran leadership. As for the particulars of Friday's game, I wouldn't necessarily say that any one save stood out above the others. We simply needed all 44 saves, and Sauve calmly made them. Thank you, Kassidy!
Up Next: The Rematch With Bemidji. Saturday's Face-Off is at 3:07PM. The expected overnight ice storm didn't materialize here in Columbus. The ice remains inside the boards, where it belongs. So, no excuses. Game on; be there!