Eric Boggs
The No. 2 Ohio State women’s hockey team showcased resilience and dominance in a weekend sweep over St. Thomas, capping off the series with a commanding 5-1 victory on Saturday at the OSU Ice Rink. The Buckeyes (23-6-3, 17-6-3 WCHA) controlled the ice, limiting the Tommies (8-20-2, 5-18-1 WCHA) to just seven total shots on goal while finding the back of the net five times. The victory followed Friday’s thrilling 5-4 overtime comeback win, solidifying Ohio State’s grip on a strong regular season finish.
The Buckeyes struck first in both matchups, with sophomore forward Jocelyn Amos lighting the lamp early in each contest. On Saturday, she capitalized on a power play opportunity at 8:32 of the first period, giving Ohio State a 1-0 lead while the defense held St. Thomas to just a single shot on goal in the opening frame.
A high-paced second period saw five combined goals, with Makenna Webster doubling the Buckeyes’ lead just over a minute into the frame. St. Thomas briefly cut the lead to 2-1 at 8:48, but Ohio State responded emphatically. Kiara Zanon (10:48), Joy Dunne (11:37), and Jenna Buglioni (14:17) found the back of the net in a dominant four-minute stretch to secure a 5-1 lead heading into the third period. The Buckeyes’ defense locked down, allowing only three shots on goal in each of the final two periods. Junior goaltender Hailey MacLeod faced minimal action but made six saves to secure her eighth win of the season.
Ohio State’s offensive firepower was on full display, with six players registering multi-point performances. Dunne and Zanon each tallied a goal and two assists for a team-high three points. Zanon became the fourth Buckeye to reach the 30-point mark this season, joining Dunne (43), Amos (40), and Buglioni (37). Amos’ power-play goal marked her fourth tally in the last three games, and she led the team with three goals on the weekend, bringing her season power-play total to eight. Defensively, Ohio State set a season-best mark by allowing just seven shots on goal, further lowering its goals-against average to under two per game.
Saturday’s win followed an intense Friday night battle that saw Ohio State erase multiple two-goal deficits to force overtime. After falling behind 4-2 late in the third period, the Buckeyes surged with three unanswered goals to steal the win. Graduate defender Riley Brengman ignited the rally with a spectacular coast-to-coast effort just 1:18 into the third period. St. Thomas momentarily regained a two-goal lead, but Jenna Buglioni’s shorthanded tally at 14:19 trimmed the deficit to one. With the Buckeyes pressing, Amos delivered the equalizer with just 29 seconds remaining in regulation, forcing overtime. Less than two minutes into the extra frame, Joy Dunne completed the comeback, securing the thrilling 5-4 victory.
Amanda Thiele started in goal Friday, making 11 saves before giving way to Genny Klein, who stopped both shots she faced in the third period. Buglioni’s shorthanded goal tied the program record for career shorties (six), while Amos became the first Buckeye to reach 20 goals this season. Klein also notched her first career point with an assist on Brengman’s goal.
With this sweep, Ohio State heads into its final regular season series against St. Cloud State on Feb. 21-22, looking to maintain its momentum before postseason play begins.
