Re: WCHA Thread III
Final From Friday, October 12th
Ohio State 5
North Dakota 3
Buckeyes Jump To Early Lead; Withstand North Dakota Rally
With opportunistic scoring, OSU jumped out to 4-0 lead after two periods. Turned out that every one of those goals was vital to the victory. But as important as the offensive production was, the defensive effort was even better. Although the Lamoureux Twins were consistently dangerous, they were held off the scoresheet in 5x5 play. The Buckeye 'D' did a great job of controlling rebounds and loose pucks in the slot; very few second chances were allowed. Of course credit is also due Goalie Chelsea Knapp, who swallowed up a good number of shots with strong glove saves, and froze many others. When the UND scoring finally came, it was primarily on the power play and exclusively from the outside.
3 Stars of the Game: Decidedly Unofficial and Just For Fun
Ohio State Honorable Mention: (tie)Annie Svedin, Minttu Tuominen and Tina Hollowell
It seems strange to relegate the Game Winning Goal to the Honorable Mention section. But at the time, it just seemed like icing on the cake. Be that as it may, it was a treat to behold. Svedin's drive from the point found Tuominen in the high slot. Minttu smartly steered the puck down low to Hollowell who was only too happy to finish the job.
North Dakota Honorable Mention: (tie)Tanja Eisenschmid and Jocelyn Lamoureux
These women can shoot. Tanja's goal came on a blast from the left point. JLam converted on a wicked one timer from the left circle. As for the third UND goal, let's remember that a certain great hockey player once said that there's no such thing as a bad shot on goal.
Andrea Dalen certainly proved that adage with her deceptive shot from the right side. Though not a highlight reel shot, it was a smart play that created an intense finish.
#3 Star: The Buckeye Defense
Major cop-out? Guilty as charged. But I just can't choose. From the
Schmitt Twins who started the game, to so-called "extra" defender
Becky Allis, the entire defensive corps was outstanding. Shut down world class forwards 5x5 and you've earned the star -- even if you have to share it with teammates.
#2 Star: Josefine Jakobsen, North Dakota
Josefine helped spark the UND comeback with the primary assist on the first two goal green and white goals. A good feed to the point led to the Eisenschmid tally. A crisp, precise cross ice pass set up JLam's rocket. Jakobsen played a good all-around game. On a night when many of North Dakota's top stars were in the red on the plus/minus stat, she held even.
#1 Star: Paige Semenza, Ohio State
Come on people, where are those hats? Paige finished off her hat trick with an unassisted empty net goal. With great anticipation, she picked off a neutral zone pass and charged into the UND zone, ultimately tapping the puck into the empty net. Earlier on, Semenza's first two goals were conversions off of
Hokey Langan passes. Short version of a long story? Paige goes hard to the net, and it's starting to generate big time results. In terms of plus/minus, Semenza, along with linemates Langan and Tuominen, led all players -- each finishing at +3.
Up Next: Rematch with North Dakota Saturday Afternoon at 4:07 PM.
