The top-ranked Minnesota Gophers lost to the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in the WCHA Championship in overtime 3-2. Ohio State collected its second WCHA Championship, after winning its first in 2020.
The Gophers started the game unusually dormant on offense. They did not achieve their first shot on goal until nine minutes had elapsed in the game. Once that first shot on goal was finally fired, the Gophers started to get into a rhythm, turning the tide in puck possession in their favor. The second half of the first period was much more even offensive and the Gophers and Buckeyes finished the first 20 minutes with a scoreless tie. Ohio State led in shots on goal 12-9.
Abigail Boreen broke the scoreless tie in the second period with a shot from the right slot to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead on the Buckeyes. The Gophers continued to get more comfortable against the Buckeyes defense, leading Ohio State 16-13 in shots on goal midway through the period. Ohio State would find its groove back on offense, evening the Gophers in shots on goal 19-19 with 2 minutes remaining but failed to score. Meanwhile, Peyton Hemp swiped the puck past the pads of WCHA save percentage leader, Amanda Thiele, from the right crease to extend the Gophers’ lead to 2-0 with 39 seconds left in the period. At the second period’s conclusion, the Gophers led Ohio State in shots on goal 20-19, with a two-goal advantage.
“Generally I wanted more from them, we were doing some uncharacteristic things,” said Buckeyes head coach Nadine Muzerall about her message to her team in the second-period intermission. “We didn’t play bad, but we didn’t play elite and when you’re playing the number one team in the country you have to hold yourself to a higher standard. I said ‘we just need to get to one’, if we can just get to one it’ll change the whole course of the game.”
The Buckeyes did exactly that, bouncing back early in the third period, cutting the Gophers lead in half with a Sara Saekkinen score. Halfway through the final 20 minutes, Sophie Jaques tied the game at 2-2. Jaques is a prolific scorer from the blue line. She notched 18 goals in the regular season, leading all defensemen in the country.
The Gophers would not capitalize on an Ohio State powerplay with five minutes remaining despite ferociously attacking the Buckeyes net. Minnesota fired six shots on net and nearly broke the tie at the end of the powerplay, which was waved off after an official review. The game would go into overtime with a lingering Olivia Knowles body-checking penalty that would carry over into 1:53 of extras.
“It [the puck] started to cross the goal line under her pad, her pad is in the net, pulls her pad back and no goal,” said Frost after taking a look at the retracted Gopher goal. “I don’t know what the rule is but I’m pretty sure if a goalie fully catches it and puts their glove in the net, it’s a goal.”
Overtime didn’t last long. 23 seconds in, Jaques scored her second goal of the game to give Ohio State the 2022 WCHA Championship. Final shots on goal were 33-29 in favor of the Gophers. The Buckeyes would earn the overall No. 1 seed going into the NCAA Tournament with the Gophers likely following at the second-highest seed.
“Her shot and offensive instincts are really, really good,” said Gophers head coach Brad Frost about the WCHA Final Faceoff Most Outstanding Player, Jaques. “Their D as a whole does a great job of shrinking the zone and getting to the tops of the circles or lower at times and that’s how she (Jaques) scored both of her goals.”
The NCAA tournament starts on March 10 and the Final Four will take place at State College, Pa. from March 18-20. Both the Gophers and the Buckeyes are projected to host the NCAA Regional Finals on their home ice.
“We’re the top two teams in the country no doubt,” said Taylor Heise. “So, coming in today, after not being tested as much as a lot of other teams in the country right now, I think we played really well…at the end of the day, it didn’t go our way today, but we’re excited for next week.”
