Ohio State Women's Hockey

Ohio State women’s hockey continues to impress, as the No. 2 Buckeyes secured a pair of commanding wins and battled through a tough shootout in a thrilling series of games.

Buckeyes Hand St. Cloud State First Loss
The Buckeyes (6-2-1, 4-2-1 WCHA) wasted no time asserting dominance against No. 11/10 St. Cloud State in game one of their series, delivering a 5-1 victory and handing the Huskies their first loss of the season. Joy Dunne and Jordyn Petrie each scored twice to lead Ohio State to victory, with key contributions from Jenna Buglioni, who netted the Buckeyes’ first shorthanded goal of the season.

Ohio State came out firing, with Dunne lighting the lamp just 2:16 into the game, and Petrie quickly doubling the lead 32 seconds later. St. Cloud State responded with a power-play goal, but Ohio State’s relentless pressure kept the Huskies at bay. Dunne scored again on a 5-on-3 power play in the second period, while Buglioni and Petrie secured two more goals in the third to seal the win.

Statistically, Ohio State dominated, outshooting the Huskies 47-10. Goalie Amanda Thiele made nine saves and tied the Ohio State career wins record with her 57th victory.

Ohio State Ties St. Cloud State in Shootout Thriller
The Buckeyes followed up their big win with a dramatic 3-3 tie against St. Cloud State in game two. Although the Huskies claimed the extra conference point with a shootout victory, Ohio State fought hard and finished the weekend with four crucial conference points.

Jocelyn Amos opened the scoring for Ohio State on a power play late in the first period, followed by Jordan Baxter’s goal early in the second to give the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead. However, St. Cloud State rallied with two goals to even the score. Buckeye captain Jenna Buglioni broke the tie in the third with a power-play goal, but the Huskies forced overtime with a late power-play goal of their own.

Despite several chances in overtime, neither team could find the back of the net, and St. Cloud State edged out Ohio State in the shootout. Ohio State held a commanding advantage in shots (48-19) and dominated the faceoff circle (45-20), but the Huskies’ timely goals kept them in the game.

Victory Over Mercyhurst and a Record-Breaking Moment
In a rare Tuesday game, Ohio State returned to the win column with a 5-1 triumph over No. 15 Mercyhurst. Graduate goaltender Amanda Thiele made history, becoming Ohio State’s all-time winningest goalie with her 58th career win. Freshman Genny Klein also saw her first career minutes in net, making 13 saves in relief.

Ohio State’s offensive firepower was on full display, with goals from Buglioni, Amos, Dunne, Petrie, and Maddi Wheeler. The Buckeyes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and never looked back, holding Mercyhurst to just one shot in the first period. Petrie, the nation’s top rookie scorer, continued her stellar season with a goal and an assist, while Peschel and Swiderski each added two assists.

The Buckeyes outshot Mercyhurst 47-15 and took control of the game with solid defensive play and special teams work, maintaining a perfect 0-4 penalty kill while also producing a 4-on-4 goal.

Up Next: Ice Breaker Tournament
Ohio State now looks ahead to hosting the 2024 Women’s Ice Breaker Tournament at the Schottenstein Center. The Buckeyes will face Stonehill on Friday, and the winner will advance to Saturday’s championship game, where they could face either Cornell or Penn State. Buckeye Nation will be ready to cheer on the team as they aim to keep the momentum going!