Forward Jocelyn Amos passes the puck to a teammate at the OSU Ice Rink Friday night in a game against Minnesota. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Freelance Photographer.
Short-handed and shorthanded on the ice, Ohio State still found a way to respond.
With several Olympian teammates absent from the lineup, the Buckeyes leaned on depth, timely scoring and steady goaltending to stay composed against Minnesota after an early deficit to finish 3-1 and pull off the weekend sweep at the OSU Ice Rink Saturday night.
“You’re playing eight games without some of your star players,” head coach Nadine Muzerall said.“I think a lot of people stepped up that don’t normally have a lot of time on ice,”
Halfway through the first period, overlapping penalties put the Buckeyes down two skaters, giving Minnesota a 5-on-3 advantage that quickly turned into a 1-0 Gophers lead.
Ohio State answered just minutes later with an unlikely equalizer. Sophomore defender Grace McCoshen, stepping into an expanded role, netted her first career goal to tie the game.
“It was something really special and super exciting,” McCoshen said. “It was just a great team effort from the D-zone to the offensive zone.”
Muzerall praised McCoshen’s versatility, noting how absences have forced players into unfamiliar positions.
“[She’s] a defenseman playing center, winning faceoffs, and scoring goals,” said Muzerall.
After the first period, the Buckeyes settled in defensively behind goaltender Hailey MacLeod, whose steady presence kept Minnesota off the board for the remainder of the game. MacLeod finished with 21 saves, shutting down second- and third-period chances and allowing Ohio State to regain control.
Muzerall credited the weekend’s results largely to her goaltender’s performance.
“Our goaltender was our strength for the team this week,” Muzerall said. “Cleody has really stepped up.”
Ohio State capitalized late in the second period when freshman forward Maxine Cimoroni scored to give the Buckeyes a one-goal lead.
The Buckeyes will be on the road for their next pair of games against Bemidji State on Friday.
