With the chance to advance to the conference championship and the NCAA tournament seeding on the line, Minnesota entered its semifinal matchup against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, knowing that the margin for error would be slim.
A win would help their case for home ice in the opening round of the national tournament while a loss would leave their postseason location dependent on the results of their first round opponent, Northeastern University.
Ohio State took advantage of that thin margin for error, capitalizing on special teams opportunities and handing Minnesota a 4-0 loss. The Gophers are now forced to await the result of Northeastern’s Saturday matchup against the University of Connecticut to determine who will host the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Minnesota had chances early, but Ohio State struck first when senior forward Sloane Matthews converted on the opening power play opportunity for the Buckeyes in the first period. The Gophers trailed 1-0 after the first 20 minutes and never were able to gain control of the pace.
Standout Performances
Matthews led the way for Ohio State with two goals, scoring her second goal late in the third period, but it’s hard to overlook the work of senior goaltender Hailey MacLeod who was perfect for the Buckeyes on the 22 shots she faced.
That’s not to say that sophomore goaltender Hannah Clark didn’t perform as expected. She made 28 saves on the 33 shots she faced, coming up with some especially big saves to keep the Gophers in it for most of the game.
Offensively though, their lack of net front pressure and their repeated deference to graduate forward Abbey Murphy left much more to be desired.
Game Changer
The deference to Murphy was seen especially on the power play, and special teams was ultimately what defined the game.
After the first power play goal opened the scoring for the Buckeyes, Minnesota went scoreless on two opportunities of their own in the first period. Ohio then struck again on the power play when junior forward Kaia Malachino was left open to get a slick bar down goal.
Going Forward
The Gophers simply could not find the offensive spark to shift the momentum which has been the story of their recent losses. This is something they will need to fix heading into the NCAA tournament.
It’s no secret that Murphy, recently named WCHA Forward of the Year, is the key offensive weapon for the Gophers. That means other teams are prepared to face her one-time shot when they’re shorthanded. They know exactly what the Gophers offense often revolves around.
The team does play their best hockey when Murphy plays her best hockey, but they’ve also been most successful when all of their lines are seeing the scoresheet.
What’s Next
The Gophers will have to find their chemistry again quickly with the NCAA postseason beginning next week. Minnesota is guaranteed to face Northeastern due to the NPI positioning of both teams. The question is where they will play.
If Northeastern beats the University on Saturday, the Gophers will travel for the regional round. If the University of Connecticut wins, the Gophers will host the game at Ridder Arena.
